Interview with Richard MacManus of ReadWriteWeb

Most New Zealanders will not know Richard MacManus and his flagship website ReadWriteWeb.com.

Most New Zealanders will also not know that ReadWriteWeb.com (“RWW”) is the ninth most popular blog in the world. To put that ranking into context, in 2005, it was reported that there were over 100 million blogs worldwide.

Richard’s website is in the Information technology space, and its readership includes high-powered technology movers and shakers, including Google and Microsoft executives. US visitors make up 50% of the website traffic, with the UK hovering around 7%. New Zealand traffic accounts for less than 1% of the total traffic. Businesses covered by the authors of RWW can be propelled into stardom with any favorable mention.

What I find most impressive is that Richard is a Kiwi and-bredbKiwiand raised in Wellington.

New Zealand journalists have written a few articles covering Richard and RWW, including the two major news sites, NZ Herald and Stuff. However, they all focus on the standard “how can I build a blog as good as yours?” type questions, which only examine a small portion of Richard’s skill set.

In this article, I want to focus on Richard’s wealth of information on starting and growing a small business.

First, the mind of the consumer will make you the market leader.

Richard started RWW in 2003, focusing on the web technology space, later known as Web 2.0 by mid-2004). This was when Web 2.0 was just being defined, so a limited number of people talked about Web 2.0. Richard was really blogging for himself and a few other interested people. Around the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006, Web 2.0 took off, and everyone talked about it. RWW changed from being a blog for a niche audience into a commercial hub of all things Web 2.0.

On reflection, Richard believes that being one of the first bloggers focusing on Web 2.0 gave him the lead in this space. Because RWW was first in mind for Web 2.0 commentary, he became the number one source of the material.

If you are considering starting a business, Richard recommends that you check to see if there are any established leaders in the market sector you want to enter. If there are, create your own market to be first in the consumer’s mind.

Boot-strapping and outside investment

Richard has not considered an outside investment for RWW, and his advice for any start-up is to avoid investment and retain full ownership for as long as possible.

One of the worst times to consider outside investment is when you start your business. You are fresh, keen, and a little scared about the future, and any offer of funds will typically require you to give up your significant share of the business. This can be a grave mistake, and you will likely regret it later when your business is a success.

Having a team

Like most small business owners, Richard started doing everything within his business. However, his passion for RWW kept him going through the initial years, and he worked seven days a week.

However, Richard admits that he should have brought on staff sooner than he did.

Richard completed a Myers-Briggs profile questionnaire in 2001 before starting RWW to understand what makes him tick. Knowing his core strengths, he employed people who could perform business tasks that did not fit his profile.

He recommends getting people into your business as soon as possible to help with the tasks that are not within your core strengths. This enables you to focus on what you are good at, which the business should be built around.

How to relax

This year (2009), Richard has concentrated on improving his business’s processes and systems. Systemizing business processes takes time and effort, but Richard feels he is on top of it enough to spend more time on what he is passionate about, research, and writing for RWW. Richard tries to take one full day off a week to relax, but his passion for RWW causes him to visit it every day.

Richard is starting to become involved in the art world, which helps him to escape from the world of computers and technology.

Richard recommends that all business owners force themselves to take at least one day off a week, but this is often very difficult.

Find an interest outside your business so your mind can take a break from work and be stimulated by something else. A refreshed mine always works better.

Have you and your business stand for something

Richard’s uncompromising demand for well-researched, high-quality articles that provide facts rather than assumptions has made RWW successful.

Unlike other popular blogging sites, RWW does not produce 20-30 articles daily, most of which are of the “what was the point?” quality. Richard believes that continuing to produce quality articles instead of quantity has kept RWW at the top of its game.

Success for any business lies in providing a product or service that people want and consistently delivering the same level of quality day after day.

Richard believes that if a business does not consistently provide a customer experience, customers will fall short of expectations and look elsewhere.

Author’s Note

Richard’s dedication to providing quality content on RWW for the past six years is a testament to his ability to remain focused, disciplined, and passionate.

These attributes are vital for success, as clearly proven by Richard’s success.