What will drive the New Amiga?

[MarkTime]

Well, I'm trying to think of an analogy, perhaps I will use one from the world of politics.

In the United States we have only two political parties right?  Democrats and Republicans.

Wrong.  We have only two 'major' political parties.  3rd parties like Natural law, Green Party, Libertarian Party, even socialist parties, remnants of the Reform party, not only exist, but in terms of 'profitability' they are healthy.

OK, before I digress too much.  This does relate to Amiga. If you want to establish a profitable platform, you can.  If you want to compete with windows, you won't.

Any one of these little political parties that thinks its going to compete with the established,entrenched major parties, is a failure.  Any one of these little parties that takes it's own membership from last year, as a baseline, and then targets membership growth, can report a success of 25% on a year over year basis.

There is a market for the Amiga.
If you can accept what the Amiga is today.
Establish a baseline.

And then improve on that.

Then you will have success.

If you have your head in the clouds, then you will only ever see utter, complete, dismal, failure.

The problem here, is Genesi and Amiga, Inc. (don't know about KMOS) they don't know what there market is, and can't address the market that exists, because they cannot even see it.  They simply lack the ability to take their heads out of the clouds.

[MarkTime]

Paul, I usually like your no-nonsense approach, but I disagree with you this time.

If the theory doesn't fit with reality, then its time for a new theory.

The fact is, we are here.  This is a community of Amigans.  Despite the fact that the perfectly sound theory exists for why we aren't here...we are here.

If they sold 1000 boards last year, assuming they didn't do a perfect job, they can improve the job they are doing and sell 1500 this year.  Then you have growth.  You continue growth long enough, you have a platform.

The problem I have, is that everyone is following into the same trap Wayne has fallen into, comparing the Amiga to past glories or to windows.

It seems too bitter a pill to recognize the market at 1000 and create a realistic plan to grow the real market.

I saw this in the Libertarian party too, for 10 years they were stuck at 10,000 members.  For 10 years they kept trying to launch themselves into political wins, with the 'wisdom' of their arguments with the knowlege they had 'right' on their side.  Then one day they realized, money wins elections...then they realized they didn't have enough, but what money they did have, was coming from their membership.

Then they realized they needed to grow their membership.   That they couldn't even think about winning an election until they had 250,000 members, that was the amount of membership they would need, before they could raise the $$$ it takes to win.

Now, its been another decade, they still haven't won an election, but they have grown from 10,000 members to over 50,000.  They have grown 5 times, and they will have to grow 5 times again before winning their first election.

We are here.  There is a market.  But currently amiga leadership wants to use this market simply as a springboard to success in the wider market...as they would call it 'the real market'

Only problem is, realistically speaking this market isn't big enough to do that.  If that is the plan, great.  But be realists...you have to grow this market first.

They need to swallow a real bitter pill:  this market has 2000 people.  And this is their market.

They need to find out why we are here, and then address our real interests.  Grow this market from year to year, and maybe someday it will springboard you out.

Anyway I think this whole talk is a trap.  It gets people back into the 'glory days' mode.  
We'll never get anywhere until we realize what the Amiga is today...and realizing that we have to go for incremental growth.

Its a real bitter bill to think that, we have only 2000 people today, and that 3000 people is real growth for next year.  But that just may be, the only realistic way of getting to the 100,000 strong community that is really needed before this community is enough to launch genesi or kmos to greater success.

[MarkTime]

OK clearly I'm off on my own little tangent here.

But, again, using a unknown political group as an example.

If you heard a group was founding in 1970's, after much initial excitement, has stagnated, never won an election...what would you think of their long term prospects?

If you heard of a group, that was initially a great failure, but made some real hard decisions, has never won an election, but has a plan to grow their membership, has done so every year, growing five times their size in the past decade, what would you think of their long term prospects?

We have two groups of leaders who think they are the ultimate sales people.  But what do you think of their long term prospects?

They set themselves up for failure every year, because they tell us to compare ourselves realistically to Windows, and so year after year, with only failure to report, they wonder why sales are down.

I think they should establish a baseline, compare themselves to last year, and have good news to report for once.   It partially just salemanship but on the other hand, good news, is part of what this community wants...they just don't understand or care about this community :-(

[MarkTime]

edit...going to ignore the troll bait, and will do a different response.

[MarkTime]

If we're going to survive, at least one of the companies involved has to find a way to motivate sales outside the existing (dwindling)

Actually I addressed your point multiple times, and you've chosen not to understand it.

Its the above assumption that is entirely unrealistic.  We cannot use this community as a springboard to 'outside' success...this community is not large enough for that.

This community has to grow much larger, before that is a realistic option.  And the companies, genesi and amiga, inc. let this community dwindle while concentrating almost entirely on that outside community you speak of.

that is the same strategy that they have been trying with FAILURE for the past several years.

everyone keeps looking at the fact that the sales are mainly in this community and looking at that as the PROBLEM.

the sales are the good thing.  The lack of sales are the problem.

Realistically speaking, they need to get their head out of the clouds and see where sales really come from, and then improve on that.

the political analogy may be hard to understand, but its still apropos...sometimes people get their head around a concept and they can never pull their heads out of the clouds.

What you propsed Wayne...is exactly the same thing that has been proposed over and over again, with nothing new added, for the past 5 years.