Is There any There, There?

I've been thinking about how to make money with Dressr, specifically, and Web 2.0 applications, generally, today. Along the same lines, a friend was talking about another technology business, saying "I just can't tell if there is any there, there." I think that just about sums it up -- cool apps are so easy to build with all the wonderful tools and APIs that are available on the web today, but when it's all said and done, "is there any there, there?"

What exactly is the "there"? I suspect it depends on your goals. I divide most things into two categories -- projects or businesses. A Google Maps mashup that you whip up in 4 hours, without a revenue model beyond adwords, is probably a project. A business -- well, a business at least has revenue, and ideally has profits. Myself, I want a business, not a project. That means I've got to figure out how to make money, not just get users. (The get acquired quick scheme seeming just as unlikely as any get rich quick scheme...)

But until I've figured out how to make money off of Dressr, I'll call it a project. Once I get serious about revenue -- and have some validation that the ideas I have for making money will work -- I'll start calling it a business!