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Behind The Firm List Blog
Cooler than Hey Zeus!
In a not uncommon exchange of emails with a visitor to the site today, I was told I was cooler than he thought I was. All
because I took the time out to write him and to find a way to address his problem.
That's what I do. That's what I get out of this site.
I think that's ultimately what can make the difference between web businesses and the "independent web." A business is
focused on the bottom line and people within the organization as well as customers are rather faceless and replaceable.
In a project like this one, the site is me, I am not replaceable. The site is you, you're not replaceable.
I've written about this before in a piece I wrote for a site focusing on the Independent Web (read it
here). And I think it's still
pretty appropriate, even with the changing web and economy.
While a business may appreciate customer praise/feedback because it can be used on their "testimonials" page, for
independent web projects like this one, that customer praise/feedback can be used for our self-esteem. Tremendous
difference. A little goes a long ways when it's a matter of making you feel good... useful even, rather than
just a matter of increasing sales.
And don't get me wrong, independent web projects don't necessitate that the site is "free" or simply done for the love
of it. I think some of the best websites to come around over the last few years are businesses run by people who are
doing it for themselves, as an alternative to doing it for "the man." And "the man" is more than just a way to point
out corporate, money-hungry business folk, it's a way of describing people who are out to make a buck at the expense of
everything else. The buck is what will make them feel good at the end of the day. Whereas with the independent web,
the buck helps pay the bills and allows them to continue to do more projects, but at the end of the day, it's a more
emotional response that makes they feel good at the end of the day.
It's a fine line, for sure. I walk it every day. You have to pay the bills.
