Meebo Twists: From IM to StumbleUpon

The self-evident truth: any tech startup either evolves into a business, ideally like Microsoft or Google, or dies.

Usually IT companies expand their product line by adding related programs. For example, Freemake started with Video Converter and then developed Audio Converter. Freemake Audio Converter was a logic continuation as we had already had enough expertise in both audio and video processing. At the same time, if a company releases a drastically different product, it often exists under an independent brand like in the case with Microsoft and Xbox.

However, there is no rule without an exception. Look at Meebo, a company which started as a free online instant messaging service in 2005 and now positions itself as an online interest discovery tool. The twist in the software vision seems enormous: from a Windows Live approach to StumbleUpon-like service.

In 2005 Meebo exploded an online messaging market. At that time IM was a part of daily life. There was neither Facebook chat with all your nearest and dearest nor Skype. Meebo messenger offered a handy web service that allowed you to chat in real time with friends from many networks such as: Yahoo messenger, ICQ, and Windows Live. The key asset was no installs idea. All you needed was the Internet access and you could talk to all your friends. This was beneficial for people whose employers forbade IM software usage at work. Besides, you had a chance to sync all friends contacts in one web account no matter which IM client they had. To sum it up, for 2005 Meebo was a tech super star.

In the next 2 years Meebo was growing fast. It integrated more IM services, created a group chat option and released a web widget embeddable on websites. Plus, Meebo was enriched with Android and iPhone apps still remaining free.

In 2010 Meebo shifted its focus from IM onto Meebo bar. It’s a small bar that a website owner may place on his/her site. The bar provides access to Meebo IM services, lets share information via Facebook, Twitter and email. Besides, it contains ad unit which helps webmaster monetize their web pages. For example, at the bottom of Shape online magazine you can see a Meebo Bar placement:

After 5 years of successful IM development Meebo jumped into advertising world, purchased Mindset Media, an ad targeting company for the Bar units and incorporated a check-in system similar to location apps like Foursquare.

Last year Meebo surprised users again by introducing Meebo as a web discovery tool, a kind of StumbleUpon. While browsing the web, you hit Meebo button and share the link within Meebo community. You can also see who marked this site before you and compete with other Meebo users by the number of your daily discoveries. Needless to say that Meebo messenger was set aside and it’s no longer considered to be a company priority. This fact disappointed and confused Meebo fans. Meebo supporters’ reaction is easy to understand: when your favorite product changes so often it’s hard to keep up the pace.

Upon the whole, Meebo’s twists and turns provoke a lot of questions to the developer’s responsibility towards users, reliability and business priorities. One more thing springs up in my mind is the negative attitude of old Meebo users. The sharp movement from one business concept to another one can undermine trust within the loyal community of early adopters and wash out your brand perception. Still, Meebo seems to find a monetization model that fills in their pockets but challenges to destroy accumulated user base. Let’s live and see whether they made the right decision…

UPDATE

Meebo story has made one more, and this time, final turn. Google acquires Meebo. On July 11, 2012 Meebo shuts down its messenger, sharing options, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps.

Farewell, Meebo, all we can say.