“Identified as one of the model CEOs of the future at the Leaders in London Summit 2008 this week, Philip Rosedale of Second Life shared his thoughts on why he relished such a demanding role.”
So, what virtues do you think Rosedale displays that makes him so?
By way of Business Leadership.
Saying that Philip Rosedale is a model CEO is kinda like saying the American auto industy is the picture of economic health.
Dusan, I read your longass rip on Gladwell and was infected with that taint when stuck today in an airport by coincidence with my boss, who was also on travel, proudly pulls out a hardcover of Outliers and I tried not to Blink but I reached a certain Tipping Point… and asked him if the book store where he got his copy had a return policy. He didn’t get it. I said, “well, i understand it is *even more* anecdotal that his previous attempts” and he said, “Ah, goooooood.” (he lost big esteem points, thinking that he is working as a manager of scientists and doesn’t know the word “anecdotal” nor does he try to let on.
I tried to swear off being passive-aggressive, but it seems this post of yours is truly baiting people to launch in a rip on philly in style dusanesque ala gladwell. Still, I try to resist the bait.
There are a dozen reasons for that group to be recognizing mr. rosedale, none of which require him to actually be a good CEO. So the first logical reason I can say is that they are recognizing some other aspect of his accomplishments other than CEOing.
While I am just as capable as anyone else to be a backseat driver to SL, I also have to admit I haven’t taken an idea and surfed it in RL as well as Philip (or Malcolm, for that matter).
So, what makes him good, is by some freak chance he had an idea and by programming and organizing the efforts and funding of others and perhaps also a matter of timing, he made it into something that is a global phenomenon.
It could be he is now, business-wise, doing a Jimmy Dean off a silicon valley deadman’s curve, but to this point, I hope you can admit, he’s accomplished a lot. Face it, in the Web 3.x VC game, the time is coming when his niche becomes a google or microsoft or gets bought by one.
The difference between sailing toward a fantasy island and sailing to avoid the rocks are so different that one may be a master at one and a failure at the other while the whole time we, watching from our SL beaches, may have not known that there was a difference in his tack.
“So, what makes him good, is by some freak chance he had an idea and by programming and organizing the efforts and funding of others and perhaps also a matter of timing, he made it into something that is a global phenomenon. ”
Fair enough, Pais, but part of Philip Linden’s job was to be as effective of an administrator and governor as he was creator and facilitator. Even during Second Life’s salad days Philip’s gained a reputation for being the exact opposite–one big tin ear to the wishes of the userbase. Part of maintaining an MMO, metaverse, virtual world, or whatever the heck you want to call it, is demonstrating that you’re an effective listener to the “unwashed masses”, and that you’re willing to put the good ideas in action. There’s a huge precedent of this with the successes, or lack thereof, of many other MMOs–Everquest, World of Warcraft, EVE Online, etc. If those nerds are gonna invest their time sitting down in mom’s basement and using you’re product, you want to make sure they feel they’re being taken care of.
That’s the “legacy” that the current Linden staff are continuing, except this time the magic’s gone, and the novelty’s wore off, and nostalgia for the good ol’ days has been replaced by an abiding resentment for the many, many tin ears of the Lindens.