Content Matters

Barry Graubert writes the excellent Content Matters blog and he's got an interview with me up there today.

Here is one question and my answer:

CM: Historically, as the economy comes out of recession, it
creates transformation and change. Which segments have the potential
for transformation in an eventual recovery?

FW: Every
industry that is based on knowledge or information or some other form
of non-physical matter (atoms vs bits) is going to fundamentally
transform and this downturn will be the darwinian forcing function. Think about energy and power systems, banking, media, education. They all have that aspect to them.

There's four more questions and answers so click on this link and go check it out. As a bonus and a treat for me, he put a great clip of the Replacements playing I Will Dare back in the 80s at the end of the post.

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Comments (Archived):

  1. Facebook User

    super post, but then again, i’d read proust to get to a ‘mats song…

    1. fredwilson

      Me too

  2. kidmercury

    i think the darwininian forcing function applies to the currencies of the world as well; money supply is essentially a non-physical matter (i.e. informational product) and this downturn will transform the money supply cartel, either so it becomes further consolidated (currently the trend) or so it becomes more free market. all other transformations will stem from the transformation in the money supply industry.perhaps the critical question is how powerful this darwininian forcing function will prove to be.

    1. fredwilson

      Yes, I read itSince I don’t work in silicon valley, my views were not part of that indexIf they were, it would have been slightly less negative

  4. Michael Diamant

    Why atoms vs bits? How about straight-up innovation in the world of physical products?

    1. fredwilson

      That¹s fine too, but I think the innovation cycle is much faster and morepowerful when bits are involved.

    2. ErikSchwartz

      A wise professor once told me the mechanical age isn’t here yet.Mankind has made more advancement in electrical engineering in the last 100 years than mechanical engineering in the last 2000 year. Besides many of hte advancements in ME recently are really advances in material science.

  5. Chris Robison

    Not that I wouldn’t read your interview but the video link sealed the deal. Awesome footage. Pains me I never got to see them live.

    1. fredwilson

      Me too, sadlyI¹ve seen paul and I love him, but that¹s not the same thing

  6. andreaitis

    i think it’ll be interesting to see how the usage numbers evolve re: facebook, twitter and txt msging. in some ways, txt msging is now much more limiting.as for the replacements, i was thisclose to seeing them when the show was cancelled because westerberg was injured at a previous show jumping off the stage. sigh. and serendipitous timing — when i was flying back from la yesterday i thought of this: http://www.youtube.com/watc…

    1. fredwilson

      That¹s amazing improv skills. I reblogged the westerberg video atfredwilson.vc. Thanks for that.