I was reflecting on the Facebook / Docs.com announcement and couldn’t help but think about how often I actually collaborate with friends on shared documents. Not very often at all. And how often do I collaborate with colleagues and business partners over a shared document? Every single day. It makes more sense to me that LinkedIn should be leading the way in creating collaboration environments.
As I thought about it, I realised that often LinkedIn are behind the curve with new features. I began to wonder if the service lacked innovation. Gasp! Labelling a popular, successful, monetised web business as lacking innovation could be heresy. Let’s see if I can back it up.
LinkedIn for BlackBerry
Today a colleague was excitedly showing me how LinkedIn on his BlackBerry connected his LinkedIn contacts to his BlackBerry contacts. For the life of me, I couldn’t get excited about something Facebook was doing on the BlackBerry at least 8 months ago, if not more. The LinkedIn app was released in March of this year.
LinkedIn was slow to bring photos to profiles.
Photos came to LinkedIn profiles in September 2007. In 2000 HotorNot led the way with a service based on photos of people. Facebook brought the thinking into social networks in 2004. I appreciate that there needed to be some thought about whether photo sharing was appropriate on a professional social network but, come on, we’re talking about profile photos and its not as if people walk around their offices with brown paper bags on their heads. We’ve all met people in meetings, forgotten their names but recognised them on sight. It seems like an obvious omission.
LinkedIn are keeping the walls very high around their walled garden
Applications came to LinkedIn in October 2008. 18 months later and there remain a staggering total of just 13 applications available. I have no intention of playing FarmVille, Mafia Wars or even Poker with my LinkedIn connections but I’d find it hard to believe that on today’s web there is only sufficient innovation to support just 13 apps on top of a community numbering 70m+.
Okay, so there is some evidence to support the hypothesis. What about Docs.com? In researching this piece I discovered a hidden gem. One of LinkedIn’s apps is Huddle Workspaces – an online collaboration platform linked with an existing web service. And it was one of the launch apps back in October 2008!
The seed for this post was thinking LinkedIn had missed a trick with online collaboration. In exploring the idea, I discovered that they hadn’t missed that one after all. But they had missed others. I wonder if LinkedIn reacted to the docs.com announcement by congratulating themselves on being ahead of the curve with Huddle? Or ruing what must now feel like a missed opportunity to own the mindspace for “social network meets online collaboration”?
David, I completely agree with your analysis…
I think LinkedIn is a prime example of businesses that reactively try not to fix what's not 'broken'. Its top-level functionality works fine, which is what has made it so successful, but its activeness to develop and lead the way is lacking. I think a lot of this is to do with the fact that there is a significant percentage of users, who are alien to the social media revolution, but are embracing the simplicity of LinkedIn. Tie this in with the business' complacency (as a result of being the #1 professional network), and I think what essentially becomes the end result is a lack of wanting to be innovative.
Hopefully they'll take note of your post… and act accordingly : )
While innovation should be welcome at any point. With LinkedIn i just don't see much happening, primarily because it doesn't need that [IMHO]. They can definitely work upon Mobile applications for the platform but other than that it's fine the way it is. Bringing in additions, integrations would only clutter it and kill their key word 'Professional'.
What would be better then is LinkedIn revamps the entire site and makes it a lot more neater than just introduce them in the current design. Other than that it the team needs to be a bit louder and create some noise- they are just so tongue in cheek about things happening
Linkedin Search performance is poor;
Search is crucial when it comes to headhunt for profiles, right?
I think that linkedin.com should pave the way for improving profile search, really.
Have you seen my 2.68 KB profile picture? Come on: it's 2010. Our internet connections can handle images larger then post stamps. Not saying LinkedIn should integrate photo albums, but pictures where you can actually see if someones black or white would be nice.
I agree with Sardar. I don't see that they need to do the 'me, too' thing. The quality of the data and the network is not something that can be bought or developed necessarily, sometimes it has to be cultivated.
I agree, and as i mentioned that they can definitely 'improve' the existing
features but I wouldn't suggest them flooding features.
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Sardar Mohkim Khan
http://startupmeme.com
http://twitter.com/smohkim
http://pk.linkedin.com/in/sardarmohkimkhan
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The worrying thing is, Facebook are said to be readying their professional platform (apparently it's a paid service too). That would be a kick in the teeth for LinkedIn.
LinkedIn was never for me, never really saw a personal use for it.
Agree with Sardar and julianamonk… Whilst its not important not to have linkedin another “teenage” haunt with loads of applications and “Like”/”Unline” buttons, I concur that its search facilities are poor. I primarily use LinkedIn to hunt for jobs, network with like minded professionals whilst looking for business opportunities. Apart from document collaboration and an efficient search engine, I don't see any need for LinkedIn to be any more than it already is.
Innovation management and who do not embrace the new reward is by a company within the inhibited. Is the trend of 'subordinate ideas and without the credit ladder well as individual contributors to the perceived these days, which, in turn, only for yourself ideas to keep running up and wait and hope, the day Company 'right thing' is. During the Golden Age of business in 1950, one learned that contribute to the success of the company means is transferred to the owner, and you pulled to get him, and highly qualified individuals who were anxious to build a new stack and key ideas were put out for everyone to overall success.
David, you pose an interesting perspective concerning LinkedIn's apparent lack of innovation. But I wouldn't exactly say that they aren't being innovative, but rather adding new applications judiciously. Your thoughts are timely as yesterday, on my Blog http://jackg53.wordpress.com/category/uncategor… I proposed the question, when will we see consolidation of social media companies? Recently, I read some postings that talked about the eventual possibility of LinkedIn replacing some CRM applications. I'm sensing a lot of jockeying going on in the industry and feel that there will be some interesting developments in the coming months.
Following profession related status updates from connections on LinkedIn was one of my favorite features on LinkedIn. I knew what interesting projects they were working on, if maybe I wanted to team up with them on something, and great shared resources and links.
Then they integrated Twitter, now don't get me wrong, I love twitter, but I read twitter, well, on twitter! The sheer amount of noise it's created on LinkedIn makes it impossible to follow what your connections are working on. Also, really don't think it's very professional when I see their twitter status get imported into Linkedin eg. “OMG< Just, watched new Justin Bieber video! Check it out”.
Right on target Anand. Nothing is needed than a more refined search and
document integration, TO be honest I would leave the network if it turns up
too *noisy* with all the social brouahaha.
–
Sardar Mohkim Khan
http://startupmeme.com
http://twitter.com/smohkim
http://pk.linkedin.com/in/sardarmohkimkhan
http://www.google.com/profiles/smohkim
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I've been on LinkedIn for a while while it lacks is so called innovation it makes up for in content. No you can't play Jewel, Farmville or build virtual communities. The business people I connect with don't have time for all the ancillary stuff, if they do they are not doing business. It won't be long before LinkedIn comes up with usable apps and the landscape is changing daily in that regard. From the developers standpoint it's like trying to jump on a moving train, it;s hard to determine what time to leap.
read my ramblings
http://www.bontemedical.com/blog
regards,
Tony
I've been on LinkedIn for a while. Innovation is not necessary. Content is king here. As long as they provide the necessary tools it will stay as an industry leader. It doesn't need bells and whistles in the same way that Facebook does.
I agree. I don't think innovation is what LinkedIn is cashing in on. When I hear people talking about LinkedIn, what they talk about is the value they're getting from the professional network. The next sentence is usually how “immature” Facebook can be. I actually disagree because the maturity or lack thereof depends on the people you're connected to.
I just don't think LinkedIn needs to be on the cutting edge.
However, what can be scary for them is if Facebook moves into the professional space. Then they'll have to compete against the sheer numbers of people on Facebook and the high usability the site has.