Pownce Uses Mystery, Exclusivity to Tempt Users
Social networking and file-sharing startup Pownce knows just how to get someone's attention: Tell them they can't have you. When Digg co-founder Kevin Rose introduced Pownce in late June, he immediately piqued techie interested by stating that the site is currently under wraps, except for those who have been invited to test it out. It only took a few days for opportunistic invitees to post their invitations for sale on eBay with prices up to $10.
The Pownce site, according to those who have had the opportunity to try it out, combines the favorite features of many popular sites in a kind of functionality mashup that has even the most skeptical users singing its praises. The site has microblogs like Twitter and Jaiku, social features like MySpace and Facebook, private messaging capabilities like Instant Messenger, and push-button file sharing abilities.
While some claim that the site's multiple functions will draw users from a slew of other applications, other worry that Pownce won't draw a big enough crowd fast enough to satisfy their social itches -- because a social network isn't viable until your friends are there, too.
Learn more (The New York Times)
Learn more (Mashable.com)
Learn more (Pownce)
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Also the fact that Kevin Rose was involved sure helped. Something is much more intriguing when one of the founders has already launched a successful startup. It's not just about exclusivity of the invitation, it's about believing something one person touches will turn to gold.