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    The Art of the Joint Venture

    The Art of the Joint Venture

    Reader Comments (31)

    1. Yes I can believe it. A little money is the start of making a lot of money, and anywhere there is potential for a lot of money there are lots of people willing to try it ā€“ regardless of the odds of success.

    2. Isnā€™t Mike Filsaime one of the ones Iā€™ve learned to tune out? [yes].
      Brian, if it was anyone but you recommending it, no way Iā€™d surrender my email back onto his list.

    3. Well, his tune has certainly changed with this report. But, thereā€™s always the handy unsubscribe if someone doesnā€™t treat you right. šŸ™‚

    4. What Iā€™ve noticed is that recently the ā€œgoodā€ ones all play on the ā€œthis time itā€™s going to be differentā€ theme lately.

      They know there is a huge credibility issue with Internet marketing and so they try to turn that to their benefit by coming around to the side of the opportunity seekers who have been bilked so often.

      My observation is that by the end, when the product is finally revealed and launched, ā€œSHAZAMā€ they are back on the other side of the fence selling the pick axes to the money-lusting gold minors.

    5. Donā€™t you have a designated web-based email address that allows you to safely watch the guru? šŸ™‚

      Best way to learn IM is to simply watch, without getting emotionally involvedā€¦

    6. Interesting you should say that Jon ā€“ because I thought he was one to tune out too. However I thought I would give him another chance ā€“ sadly he now has my email address and I donā€™t have a confirmation email.

      Oh well ā€“ whatā€™s that famous GWB line about fool me once, fool me ā€¦?

    7. A friend of mine used to say, ā€œWeā€™re all going to have to sell our souls eventually, you may as well get a good price.ā€

      We were in highschool, and he was working on a batch of ivy league college applications at the time.

    8. Stuart, there are actually a series of three confirmation emails. Did you check to see they made it through your filters?

      I know this is the case, because I obviously signed up for the report myself (duh).

      And maybe the site is moving slowly due to heavy traffic. Ever think of that?

      So quick to judgement, and right out in public, too. Agenda?

    9. Brian,
      I love your blog. And I applaud your use of affiliate links to monetize your traffic.

      But IMHO you have too much valuable information, too many wise insights to share, for you to be promoting the likes of Mike Filsaime.

      (Youā€™re free to promote anyone you wish, I just think youā€™re in a better league than MF)

      My gripe is that Mikeā€™s recent promotion: yet another ā€œDeath of {fill in the blank}ā€ smacks of self serving dribble.

      Formula:
      1) Undeniable observations
      2) ā€œEverything is changing, has changed, or is about to changeā€
      3) Hold tight for my info-product solution

      In this case, itā€™s even worse. Mike is recommending a solution to a problem he created, or helped exacerbate.

      He sold $1,500 software and how-to kits for creating product launches, and now heā€™s advising that product launches are dead and thereā€™s a better way to do it.

      The humorous thing about MFā€™s manifesto is the blatant irony and double talk: he asks readers to promote it in the same way that he just said is dead or dying.

      So now you have numerous promoters sending emails (and posting on blogs) raving about this PDF report. Thatā€™s the very thing you correctly identify in your post that people are learning to tune out.

      And guess what? People are learning to just say no to all that noise.

      I noticed a drop of several hundred subscribers to your RSS feed. Maybe thereā€™s a cause-effect relationship here, maybe not.

      Since youā€™ve questioned the agenda of another commenter, Iā€™ll tell you mine: concern that one of my favorite blogs is about to ā€œjump the sharkā€.

      Brian, Iā€™m a fan of yours. Still am.

      Up until now, youā€™ve been unique, different, the proverbial Seth Godin ā€œpurple cowā€. But helping MF dole out the cool aid is a step backwards, in my estimation.

      Your fan base is ready, with wallet in hand, to pay you for the incredible value weā€™ve come to expect from you. But this isnā€™t it.

    10. My RSS subscribers drop every weekend, due to the lack of feed reader use. Check back tomorrow and weā€™ll survey the damage. šŸ™‚

      No one asked you to buy anything John. I recommended a report I think that most bloggers can learn something from.

      I canā€™t teach people with closed minds.

      Also, why not leave us a URL?

    11. No url because blog is being relaunched.

      No one asked you to buy anything John.

      MF is paying $1 per subscriber, to all that refer traffic through the affiliate links, plus another dollar on ā€œsecond tierā€ referrals. Is there any doubt that the pitch will be forthcoming?

      I beg to differ about my mind being closed. I had read the report at least 12 hours before reading your post.

      A closed mind says ā€œIā€™ve heard about that guy. Iā€™m drawing a conclusion without even reading it.ā€

      A free thinking mind says ā€œIā€™ve read it, but I draw my own conclusions.ā€

      I learned a lot from reading it. But thereā€™s more at work here than the surface level message. At the very least, thereā€™s the surface level information, the underlying groundwork for the coming sales pitch, the takeaway selling and positioning himself as unavailable uber-promoter, and then the information that can be gleaned from observing what MF is doing and how heā€™s doing it.

      If you look at what heā€™s doing youā€™ll see that it is very different from what he says you should do.

      Ignoring the obvious hypocrisy, thereā€™s quite a bit to be learned.

      Heā€™ll pull it off very well and make lots of money. This should be proof that internet marketing is not dead, despite the rampant product launches.

      It also shows that if youā€™re willing to be controversial, enter the conversation already going on in your audienceā€™s mind (ā€œIā€™m sick and tired of all these damn weekly product launchesā€), and youā€™ve got influential list owners to pitch for you, then you can rake in some serious dinero.

      My previous comment was very pro-Brian. I am very much in favor of affiliate monetization of blog traffic. I am a little disappointed and surprised that differences of opinion automatically translates to ā€œclosed mind not willing to learn.ā€

    12. ā€œClosed mindsā€ refers to people who refuse to learn from effective marketing strategies that might not otherwise comport with their sensibilities.

      You can learn from everything, if you take the time to observe and think about it. Your initial comment was designed to discourage people from doing that, and I therefore disagree.

      You were complimentary of my blog, and I appreciate that. But it didnā€™t become what it is from sticking my head in the sand. I learn from everyone and create my own style.

      Thatā€™s what Iā€™m hoping my readers do as well.

      I learned a lot from reading it.

      Thatā€™s all that matters, so thanks for (finally) seeing it the way I did.

      If anyone is worried about the ā€œpitch to comeā€ from the author, just unsubscribe as soon as you get the report.

      Easy as pie.

    13. Brian ā€“ you took a risk with this one and thank you very much that you did, mate.

      Of course heā€™s going to try and sell something down the road (he even said it in the report) but so what! The fact is he brought to the table some useful ideas to think about .. and Iā€™m thinking!

      Have a vision, pick a niche and stick to it ā€“ donā€™t go chasing every new ā€œHow to Make $$$ ā€¦ā€

      One thing reading all the comments is how such a poor rep these internet marketers have made for themselves. I guess we can all learn from that as well.

    14. Hey Brian,

      I suspect itā€™s not so much the information in the report thatā€™s ticking people off. (Like you said, itā€™s solid information.)

      Itā€™s the way itā€™s been presented by hundreds of people via the the same regurgitated email ā€” ā€œI just got an email about Mike Filsaimeā€™s Free Report called ā€“ ā€œThe Death of Internet Marketingā€¦blah blah blahā€¦ā€

      Whenever information is presented in a way that insults, irritates, or annoys (i.e. getting 100 emails saying the exact same thing), thereā€™ll be people who look for reasons not to like it no matter how good it is.

      Anyway, just my 2 centsā€¦

    15. Hi Brian,

      I read the report, itā€™s good info, but most of it was presented in Rich Schefrenā€™s stuff. The bits at the end about copyright were worth the download and email sign up.

      But thenā€¦a couple hours ago I received the first hyped up emailā€¦ā€it was all a mistakeā€ blah, with the obligatory amazing sign up numbers and Alexa statsā€¦I think he should have waited a bit longer to crank up the hype machine.

      Itā€™s not really a surprise that bloggers wouldnā€™t like that sort of thing is it?

    16. Just got that email myself (at the junk address).

      Doesnā€™t really bother me. I read all the IM guys and steal anything useful that I can. šŸ™‚

    17. ā€œI read all the IM guys and steal anything useful that I can.ā€

      Good attitude. If Mike is really going to change heā€™s going to need a full fledged recovery groupā€¦maybe heā€™s got a Skull going for that too šŸ™‚

    18. Is anyone actually surprised by any of this? Internet Marketing has come to resemble a pyramid scheme (intentionally or not). Youā€™ve got established marketers selling aspiring marketers information products that purportedly teach anyone how to make a fortune by simply creating information products. Those aspiring marketers then create their own information products that purport to teach even greener newcomers how to make a fortune by creating information products.

      Is it any surprise that Joe Vitale is going spiritual? Heā€™s seen the writing on the wall and knows itā€™s time to find a new niche.

    19. Brian, Iā€™ve read your post and all the comments. Being involved in IM, itā€™s an interesting debate. I tend to subscribe, download, study and model what I think will fit best in my business model. However, the part of your post that I am most attracted to is the first part, about joint ventures, as you define them.

      In fact I feel that is one of the biggest, least-obvious benefits of blogging, at least in my blogging experience of more than 2 years.

      ā€œEssentially, joint ventures come into existence when two or more people (or companies) realize that they can accomplish more together than they can separately. Itā€™s a pooling of talent, but on a project basis, where each of the players continues to pursue other ventures independently.ā€

      This is what so much of it is about. Itā€™s how Patsi and I became business partners ā€” after being JV partners on several blogging projects; now weā€™ve legally partnered, formed a new business and are winning in a bigger way than when we both had our solo businesses. And weā€™ve successfully JVā€™d with others as well.

      Thanks for your insights.

    20. I come at this from another angle. Iā€™m a personal blogger and sometimes an unwilling political one

      I never expected personal gain from blogging except for recognition.

      Every week, sometimes every day, I get hit with prod placement requests from ā€˜prestigious places.ā€

      Two weeks ago, curious, I asked ā€œwhatā€™s in it for me?ā€

      The woman was shocked at the question:
      ā€œother personal bloggers jump at the chance to get a free book and content for their blogs.ā€

      If I wanted free books I would blog for BC. If I needed content I wouldnā€™t be blogging

      I donā€™t accept advertising, though Iā€™m reconsidering that

      The thing is that all IM people forget one basic thing. The heartland, so to speak, of blogging is the personal blogger, and too many people try to get something for nothing from us

      I pay to blog. I donā€™t have time to read the books that I want to and more.

      Why should I help other people make money, and expect ā€œcontentā€ in return when my Technorati puts me up there, and I do influence people?

      If IM is to grow, personal bloggers with followings have to be included and compensatedā€“because these offers are insulting.

      That said I have turned down sponsorship as I would be beholden. But compensation for a product that I believe in is a whole different thingā€“I would state that I was to keep the integrity of the blog

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