Juicy Campus – Genius! (For Now) | Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

Of all the website launches since the start of the Internet, I believe Juicy Campus has received more PR in its few months of existence than any other launch in history. There is good reason for it; it's the perfect storm. It allows anonymous, unmonitored gossip that has resulted in the absolute humiliation of some and the supposed suicide of others. The media loves it, students clamor to make their mark and the site actively feeds on itself. It is like a train wreck. But I don't think its popularity will last long. I predict it will be a has-been in less than a year.

Here are my predictions on how and why Juicy Campus will fail, as well as my tips on how you can exploit this knowledge to launch your own successful site, for the long haul:

Gossip vs. Facts – We all love gossip, but it needs to be backed by fact. At least occasionally. Since the majority of posts are garbage, people will start losing interest and start losing faith.
Gossip vs. Posts – Like I said, we all love gossip. But gossip is “enjoyed” the most when it is done in small intimate groups. Posting on a site like Juicy Campus, is like putting it on a billboard. You are shouting out to the world, but you’re not getting a good sense for the person’s reaction (even though they can comment), and too many people get involved. Gossip works best when it is conducted one on one and there is beer involved.
Anarchy – No accountability means anyone, can post anything, anytime, from anywhere. If I remember correctly, that is called anarchy. Anarchy is not scalable and it will fail.
It Does Not Serve a Purpose That is Good – People consume stuff in order to feel good. When it comes to this type of website, people join for a sense of community. But since everyone is a target, it is unlikely people will stay.
Who’s Buying? – Another problem with anonymous postings is that you don’t know who is using your website. It literally could be a team of weirdo’s from Russia or Shanghai. When it comes to selling ad space to sponsors, it is going to be a real tough sell.

There’s a saying in the media industry that goes, “If it bleeds, it leads.” Juicy Campus is thriving on this, but it won’t be around for the long. For now, though, the media is all over it. But just like any other spectacle, this too will die out.

There is an entrepreneurial lesson here and you can exploit it. Initial success is all about being different and being the first. Juicy Campus nails both of these. It is truly different from anything else out there, and therefore demands our attention. Also, it was the first site of its type to come out, so it grabbed the media attention. Those two things offer a powerful opportunity to get immediate exposure and rapid word-of-mouth growth.

In my opinion, however, they are also making a critical mistake that will prevent sustained growth. The site serves no decent purpose. Since it helps no one and makes no one feel better… it will ultimately die out.

What can you do that is different and unique, just like Juicy Campus? At the same time, how can you do it while serving a good purpose? One that really helps people, not hurts them, like Juicy Campus.