Skype's Product Strategist Rodrigo Madanes, one of 20 "Web 2.0 Heroes"
This is my first post on the Skype blog, so I figured I’d introduce myself. I’m Rodrigo Madanes and I work at Skype as the Chief Product Strategist. Basically, I look at where we’re taking the products.
A few months ago, I was interviewed by Bradley Jones for a book he was putting together, titled “Web 2.0 Heroes”. The book consists of interviews with many figures in Web 2.0, each made into a chapter (mine was one of them). I wanted to share with you some of the things we discussed.
A nice part of the conversation was around whether Web 2.0 has real benefits for consumers. It was so easy for me to talk about real benefits, since I see them every day! My mom lives in Spain, and many of my friends live in Argentina. So I use Skype regularly to stay in touch with people that are close to me.
Another fun part of our talk was about what industries are being impacted by Web 2.0. It was interesting talking about Skype because I can see the beginning of a long term transformation in telecommunications. And it goes beyond free calling. It includes video and presence and the ability to migrate in a conversation between chats, and voice, and media sharing. These experiences are very liberating for consumers. I should know, since I am one of them.
Then we talked a bit about the other industries that are being impacted by Web 2.0. And it was interesting talking about various industries. Advertising, for instance, is in the middle of a tornado, as a vast amount of advertising money is being shifted to the internet. Television and media are still in the early stages of disruption, and we’re going
to see a lot more impact in the years to come.
With the publisher’s kind permission, I’ve attached the chapter as a PDF in case you want to read further. If you enjoy the read, go buy the book, Web 2.0 Heroes.
What has skype to do with web 2.0? And what has skype to do with the web altogether? Absolutely nothing! Skype is video telephony and conferences and instant messaging over the internet, using a proprietary software. This kind of applications have been around for ages and they all have nothing to do with the web.
The World Wide Web (commonly shortened to the Web) is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet. With a Web browser, a user views Web pages that may contain text, images, videos, and other multimedia and navigates between them using hyperlinks. The World Wide Web was created in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, working at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.
Yeah, and wine is only grape juice on its way to vinegar. It’s obvious that the Internet has evolved from just plain hypertext to a tremendous productivity tool. Let’s enjoy the wine and forget the sour grapes.
Sure, the web has evolved, other services have evolved, but still the web is the web, and other services are other services. I wouldn’t have said anyhing, if there was a web-version of Skype but there is no such thing. It is just an ordinary network application, no web involved in any way.
True. However, I suppose if Skype is calling itself “Web 2.0″ they are referring to its social character.
They need to work on their billing and payment options. It should not be difficult to pay for service. Right now I can’t call out and I cannot pay. Some euro retard will now try to say something about it being my fault.
Everthing will be integrated in the future. Payment, billings,orders and futures options on what you need. Communication is about holding all this together. Skype is one of this future companies that will provide this important service to a reasionable price. We live, travel and work all over the world, Skype have started this reveloution of new communication.
feedmonkey as kenneth.Lyngaas
Everthing will be integrated in the future. Payment, billings,orders and futures options on what you need. Communication is about holding all this together. Skype is one of this future companies that will provide this important service to a reasionable price. We live, travel and work all over the world, Skype have started this reveloution of new communication.
feedmonkey as kenneth.Lyngaas
Hi Rodrigo,
My name is Kurt.
I live in the USA and will be travelling to Europe this summer.
I have SkypeOut, but not SkypeIn. Too bad they changed the name just when people were learning the difference, but that’s not my post today.
I’d like to know how I can best use the Skype services to be able to both receive and make calls while travelling in Europe.
Can you help me?
Thanks, in advance,
Kurt
kurt.ray
Rodrigo
As the product strategist you might consider talking to the Skype marketing specialist about where they are taking Skype products. I’ve been an extremely satisfied “paying” customer for several years. When I went to renew my current Skypein and Skype out plan I became a very unsatisfied customer.
I spent 30 minutes searching trying to find how to simply renew what has been working. I finally gave up and chose to not renew my SkypeIn plan because of how you have chosen to make this so difficult with things like “Subscriptions” the “Business Control Panel”, “Pay by the Month”, “Skype Pro”.
It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than Skype-In, Skype-Out or Free Skype-To-Skype.
For help with your marketing plan take a thorough read through Seth Godwin’s blog http://www.sethgodin.typepad.com/ and help your marketing folks get their heads around the notion that “Less is really more”.
Mark Poole
Rodrigo,
Does Skype have any future plans to make the wifi skype phones have the ability to access websites and email, etc. Like cell phone capability has?
Dave
Hi to all my fellow Skypeins, Skype-Ins, Skype-Outs, Heartbeat Skypes and also the Skypes on the tiny island: I’m new to this blog but not new to Skype. I’ve been following Skype since its inception. I gotta say: I love you Skype people. Just read the posts on paying for Skype and the comments on the different plans. I am having a hard time right now commenting on the plans as its hard to balk when I am saving so much that it has an effect towards the quality of ones life. I would have to say that I see Skype as giving me the benefit of actually having more money left at the end of my month. The beauty of this is obvious. I believe I read that Skpye is offering a business system combining Skpyes low phone bills with some unique ideas to advance in the areas of social responsibility with cost effective quality and deployment. I could go on about Skype and maybe I can write in again, I wish you all the best. I know that Skype will come through for us. I did see the post on just needing less instead of more in regards to the different plans and I agree that simple is easier and good. Thanks for everything Skype, you are all heroes as one is only a strong as its weakest link, so therefore you all are pretty tough! Bella Durham
Hi to all my fellow Skypeins, Skype-Ins, Skype-Outs, Heartbeat Skypes and also the Skypes on the tiny island: I’m new to this blog but not new to Skype. I’ve been following Skype since its inception. I gotta say: I love you Skype people. Just read the posts on paying for Skype and the comments on the different plans. I am having a hard time right now commenting on the plans as its hard to balk when I am saving so much that it has an effect towards the quality of ones life. I would have to say that I see Skype as giving me the benefit of actually having more money left at the end of my month. The beauty of this is obvious. I believe I read that Skpye is offering a business system combining Skpyes low phone bills with some unique ideas to advance in the areas of social responsibility with cost effective quality and deployment. I could go on about Skype and maybe I can write in again, I wish you all the best. I know that Skype will come through for us. I did see the post on just needing less instead of more in regards to the different plans and I agree that simple is easier and good. Thanks for everything Skype, you are all heroes as one is only a strong as its weakest link, so therefore you all are pretty tough! Bella Durham
Hi to all my fellow Skypeins, Skype-Ins, Skype-Outs, Heartbeat Skypes and also the Skypes on the tiny island: I’m new to this blog but not new to Skype. I’ve been following Skype since its inception. I gotta say: I love you Skype people. Just read the posts on paying for Skype and the comments on the different plans. I am having a hard time right now commenting on the plans as its hard to balk when I am saving so much that it has an effect towards the quality of ones life. I would have to say that I see Skype as giving me the benefit of actually having more money left at the end of my month. The beauty of this is obvious. I believe I read that Skpye is offering a business system combining Skpyes low phone bills with some unique ideas to advance in the areas of social responsibility with cost effective quality and deployment. I could go on about Skype and maybe I can write in again, I wish you all the best. I know that Skype will come through for us. I did see the post on just needing less instead of more in regards to the different plans and I agree that simple is easier and good. Thanks for everything Skype, you are all heroes as one is only a strong as its weakest link, so therefore you all are pretty tough! Bella Durham
Hi to all my fellow Skypeins, Skype-Ins, Skype-Outs, Heartbeat Skypes and also the Skypes on the tiny island: I’m new to this blog but not new to Skype. I’ve been following Skype since its inception. I gotta say: I love you Skype people. Just read the posts on paying for Skype and the comments on the different plans. I am having a hard time right now commenting on the plans as its hard to balk when I am saving so much that it has an effect towards the quality of ones life. I would have to say that I see Skype as giving me the benefit of actually having more money left at the end of my month. The beauty of this is obvious. I believe I read that Skpye is offering a business system combining Skpyes low phone bills with some unique ideas to advance in the areas of social responsibility with cost effective quality and deployment. I could go on about Skype and maybe I can write in again, I wish you all the best. I know that Skype will come through for us. I did see the post on just needing less instead of more in regards to the different plans and I agree that simple is easier and good. Thanks for everything Skype, you are all heroes as one is only a strong as its weakest link, so therefore you all are pretty tough! Bella Durham
Hi to all my fellow Skypeins, Skype-Ins, Skype-Outs, Heartbeat Skypes and also the Skypes on the tiny island: I’m new to this blog but not new to Skype. I’ve been following Skype since its inception. I gotta say: I love you Skype people. Just read the posts on paying for Skype and the comments on the different plans. I am having a hard time right now commenting on the plans as its hard to balk when I am saving so much that it has an effect towards the quality of ones life. I would have to say that I see Skype as giving me the benefit of actually having more money left at the end of my month. The beauty of this is obvious. I believe I read that Skpye is offering a business system combining Skpyes low phone bills with some unique ideas to advance in the areas of social responsibility with cost effective quality and deployment. I could go on about Skype and maybe I can write in again, I wish you all the best. I know that Skype will come through for us. I did see the post on just needing less instead of more in regards to the different plans and I agree that simple is easier and good. Thanks for everything Skype, you are all heroes as one is only a strong as its weakest link, so therefore you all are pretty tough! Bella Durham
Hi to all my fellow Skypeins, Skype-Ins, Skype-Outs, Heartbeat Skypes and also the Skypes on the tiny island: I’m new to this blog but not new to Skype. I’ve been following Skype since its inception. I gotta say: I love you Skype people. Just read the posts on paying for Skype and the comments on the different plans. I am having a hard time right now commenting on the plans as its hard to balk when I am saving so much that it has an effect towards the quality of ones life. I would have to say that I see Skype as giving me the benefit of actually having more money left at the end of my month. The beauty of this is obvious. I believe I read that Skpye is offering a business system combining Skpyes low phone bills with some unique ideas to advance in the areas of social responsibility with cost effective quality and deployment. I could go on about Skype and maybe I can write in again, I wish you all the best. I know that Skype will come through for us. I did see the post on just needing less instead of more in regards to the different plans and I agree that simple is easier and good. Thanks for everything Skype, you are all heroes as one is only a strong as its weakest link, so therefore you all are pretty tough! Bella Durham
Hi — I am going to be in Spain this summer and am trying to figure out what the rates are for calling on Skype to the US — landlines and mobile. I can get info from US to Spain, but not the other way around. Can anyone help?
nice to know u r a company man
i wud like to say a suggestion for the new beta skype version
i wish there is a small visualbar “showing presence of sound near mic and speaker”; like that in yahoo messenger.
it is so handy.. to check if our devices are working and to find who is having the faulty device,
( even if v set up the device initially!)
please do it
thank you