Joost’s Volpi: We’re liberating P2P
The CEO of CBS-backed Joost just got some hard-won video face time from CBS-backed web site WallStrip.
Joost has “excited the imagination of programming partners like CBS … and investors like CBS,” host Lindsay Campbell says, applying a bit of deft irony before beginning the short but interesting Volpi video interview.
“Everything on Joost is legitimate,” Mike Volpi says, separating the Joost concept from YouTube. “All our content providers are professional.”
Of Joost content ads: “The promise we make to the user is, We’ll show you ads and we’ll ask you not to skip them, but we will show much less ads (sic) and we’ll show stuff that’s much more relevant to you as a viewer.” (He needs a “sic” or two, but how’s our Italian?)
Of (P2P): A fascinating technology. … There is a culture associated with it which in its origins can be thought of as a piracy culture. Theft is wrong. You shouldn’t steal content. I don’t see a reason why a technology inherently has to be coupled with a given culture. We’re actually liberating (it) to a much more legal and broadbased use.”
So, pro-cutie Campbell asks, what are you doing to make Joost cool? “The way the logo looks to the type of programming we have on it. … We started with an invitation-only model. We went with a European-ish feel which we thought would appeal to a particular generation. … We like to be cool.”
Asked about a series of technologies and personalities, she asks for his take on Ann Coulter. “I don’t know who Anne Coulter is,” he says with what appears to be a straight face. OK. Maybe we should be talking anime …
(Market tip: WallStrip is worth a look if you’re into finance in a “Mad Money” kind of way.)
Update 10/6: Joost went public with its beta; come one come all.
Joost tunes in a CEO
Cisco Systems’ Mike Volpi has networked himself into the CEO post at Internet TV startup Joost. The company, started by Kaza and Skype founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, is still in beta but reportedly remains on target for a million subscribers before the test period ends at year’s end. (Apparently you have to know a subscriber to join their ranks as a tester.)
The startup rated a major story in the New York Times a few months back. The Times and GigaOM spoke with Volpi after last week’s big announcement.
OM asked Volpi, 40, why he though Joost would succeed with so many rival online video players out there:
Joost is not YouTube and Joost is not Apple iTunes. What Joost is: a service that delivers high quality ad-supported long form produced video content in a secure manner using a cost-effective delivery platform. Bringing these three pieces (long form video content, advertising and delivery platform) together is going to be hard and not everyone is going to be able to do it. No one has it packaged together like Joost.
Check out the semi-annoying corporate video about Joost (pronouned Juiced).