OpenSky Blog

There has been a lot of great discussion recently around the lack of innovation in ecommerce over the last 15 years.

Amazon and eBay both burst into our lives in the mid-90’s, completely transforming the way the world shops.  They invented ecommerce.  But its now 2010 and people still buy all of their day to day items on Amazon and their favorite antiques on eBay.  Nothing has changed.  Zero innovation.

Earlier this month, in a post titled “Change is coming to online shopping”, Josh Kopelman shared an interesting analysis:

More than half of today’s top 15 most trafficked websites today did not exist back in 1999.  That is not a surprise, as Facebook, Youtube, Wikipedia, Myspace, Blogger, Live.com and Twitter are all new — and are representative of the massive amount of innovation and disruption that has occurred in the last decade.

Yet, of the top 15 most trafficked eCommerce websites today, just one of them did not exist back in 1999 (NewEgg – which launched in 2001).  Which means that over 90% of the top eCommerce websites are over 12 years old! That is pretty remarkable to me — and reflects an amazing lack of external innovation (and disruption).

With all of the innovation in technology/the web over the last 10 years, only one of the top 15 ecommerce sites didn’t exist in 1999. One.  In a decade of incredible innovation on the web, that is a shocking statistic.

But while technical innovation has stalled, the market (and the consumer) have continued to grow.  In 2000, U.S. online retail sales accounted for about $25 billion (about 1% of total retail sales).  This year, Forrester Research forecasts U.S. online retail to be $173 billion (7% of total U.S. retail sales).

However, while online commerce continues to grow gang-busters, many online shoppers discover/learn about products online and then go to brick-and-mortar stores to make a purchase.

Many factors go into the reasons for consumers to prefer to go in-store to purchase items, but it is clear that today’s online shopping experience falls short.  Online consumers clearly want more.

OpenSky is changing all of that.  Amazon and eBay changed how the world shops by bringing product catalogs and credit card processing capabilities online.  OpenSky is again changing the way the world shops by bringing relationship commerce and thrilling shopping experiences to the web.

We are no longer stuck with endless catalogs of products, crummy service and faceless checkouts.  That’s so 1999.  Nope.  Finally, after 10 years, the future is here.

–kevin

I read a great article in the New York Times this week called “Honey, Don’t Bother Mommy. I’m Too Busy Building My Brand.” Great title (but hardly SEO-friendly as any smart mommy blogger would tell you) and worth the read.

This article touches on what’s most powerful about what we’re doing at OpenSky – empowering people to build both a brand and a business around their most important asset: themselves. The more I read, surf, engage, share and Tweet (okay, I don’t Tweet much, but I’m trying) the more obvious it is that the future media powerhouses won’t be companies, they’ll be individuals. Real people with real opinions influencing each other about all the things they love and consume.

The most amazing thing about this is that it brings so much power to the people. When I was growing up, if you got crummy service somewhere or bought a lemon of a product, you had no recourse. Sure, you could call the Better Business Bureau or the Chamber of Commerce (probably everyone under 25 reading this has no idea what I’m talking about) but let’s face it – you really didn’t have a voice.

Then came the internet.

The early days of the web gave everyone a voice, albeit a small one. If you didn’t like something, you could write a scathing Amazon review and a select few could vent on their blog, but still, yours was just a voice in the crowd.

Now, with twitter and facebook and wordpress, everyone truly does have their own soapbox(es). Are they speaking to the world? Hardly. But they can get the word out to their social network and now those words can spread pretty quickly.

While the last decade will go down as one where the little guy got a big voice, I think this decade will be known for giving the little guy (who quite frankly, isn’t so little anymore and is typically a gal) a shop of their very own. I predict we’ll have a world where everyday people can be e-tailers. They’ll be able open up their own shop dedicated to selling only products they love; a world where you never have to buy something from someone you don’t know or trust.

Imagine how great that will be.

Don’t have a great imagination? No problem. Just check out the Shops at OpenSky.

The future is here.

This week eleven more Shopkeepers opened their online doors and went live. I don’t think one Shopkeeper on this list neatly falls into one category, so I’m not even going to try to summarize the range of topics they write about. What they do all share, however, is a unique point of view, a passion for what they write about and a belief that OpenSky is a new platform for extending what they love to their audiences.

Tatyanna of Haute Mama

Tatyanna describes her blog as “a maternity style guide for the expecting urbanite.” Her Shop is functional and stylish, showcasing a range of unique, innovative products that help keep new mothers modern and trendy while still accommodating their daily needs.

Issa of Single Mama NYC and Your Single Parenting

Issa is a New Your City native balancing her career as free-lance writer with the demands of single parenthood.  She lives a fast-paced lifestyle in a fast-paced city and her Shop is a collection of her favorite products that make single parenthood a little easier.

Brandi of BranAppetit!

For most of her life Brandi lived a healthy life with regular, balanced home-cooked meals, but when she got to college she realized she didn’t know how to make these healthy meals for herself.  In the years since leaving home Brandi has learned the importance of healthy eating and exercise and has gradually begun learning her way around the kitchen.  Her hand-picked items are anything and everything that helps her to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Naomi of One Fit Foodie

As an ACSM certified personal trainer as well as a certified spin instructor, Naomi knows what she’s talking about when it comes to health and fitness.  She believes that healthy living through eating right and exercising is a way to not just stay fit, but to transform the mind, body, and soul.

Rick of Haute or Not? Pets

For quite some time Rick has been testing out and reviewing the latest pet products on his blog, Haute or not? Pets.  His Shop is the pet lover’s one stop destination featuring the latest and greatest products in pet care.  When Shopping at Haute or Not? Pets you can rest assured you’ll only find those items that get Rick’s “paw” of approval.

Jenny of Peaunt Butter and Jenny

Jenny is a college English major with a life long love of peanut butter.  Actually, it’s not just peanut butter she loves but all sorts of foods that help her stay happy and healthy. Peanut butter embodies the type of food she loves – those that both taste great and are nutritious.  Her Shop is stocked full of not just peanut butter, but everything else that this 19 year old college student loves and adores.

Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen

Winnie believes in being healthy and doing so in an environmentally friendly way.  She says her heart is in holistic health and wellness and her Shop is a collection of products that help her cook and live well while staying environmentally conscious.

Karen of Faith, Family, and Fibromyalgia

Because of Fibromyalgia and the constant pain it brings, for the past several years Karen has done 99% of her Shopping online.  For Karen, online Shopping is not just convenient but a real necessity with the power of changing her quality of life.  Her Shop is a natural progression, it allows her to share with others what she loves and what she uses and do so in a way that she couldn’t live without.

Leslie of And Her Little Dog Too

Leslie loves running, being healthy, and her little dog too.  Her Shop holds her must have products for cooking healthy meals and staying active.  She is just getting started so who knows, maybe down the road she’ll throw in a product or two that her little dog Jackson loves too!

Laura Violet of LV Loves…

Since childhood Laura has had a passion for fitness, health, and wellness but she became particularly involved in the Pilates method when she discovered relief in it from her lower back pain.  She is a Pilates instructor, massage therapist, marathon runner and overall fitness enthusiast with a personalized approach to wellness that she shares with her readers and students.

GC of Gliding Calm

As a retired competitive figure skater turned full-time student, CG’s blog chronicals a new chapter in her life.  While skating she used her blog as a way to write about her daily eating habits and the food she used to fuel her busy schedule.  But despite the career change, staying healthy remains an important part of her life and the products in her Shop help her stay that way.

It’s rare in life that one has the opportunity to do what they love to do and be paid to do it. Even rarer is to do something great with people you love working with. At OpenSky I have found this and more. There is an energy and excitement at OpenSky; come spend 10 minutes in our office and you will feel it. The team is passionate about what they are doing and the passion is growing.

OpenSky has assembled the strongest team I have ever seen at an early stage startup. Each member of the management team has excelled in their particular domain and exhibits youthful passion for doing it. This level of deep experience allows us to focus on building the business, which is hard enough without the distraction of trying to learn how to do your job as well.

The more time I spend at OpenSky, the more impressed I am. There isn’t a weak link in the chain, and when you combine this with a great idea, good things are bound to happen. I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this team working together to build the next great e-commerce revolution.

We are at a really good place right now. All startups begin with an idea, turn it into an experiment, and if that goes well, build a business around it. We are  at the exciting stage where the experiment was not only successful but exceeded all possible expectations. Now we get to go full speed ahead building a great business and all the technology and systems to power it.

We have the challenge and opportunity to build a modern scalable e-commerce system. We will be using the best open source software, libraries and technologies to rapidly develop this system.

I am looking for the best and brightest to come and join our great team of all star engineers. If you’re interested give me a shout out on twitter @spf13 or check out our jobs page.

To our Shopkeepers, stay tuned, we have some really exciting things in store. I think you are really going to like what we are cooking up.

If you are looking for something to do for St. Patrick’s day I say go shopping!

Go shopping with Happy Hour Mom…”There are so many fun ways to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day! We would like to off you a huge discount on a darling little chef set for your tots, available at our OpenSky store, plus a few recipes for the big day!After you get the Foundation Set their is an array of add-ons for other special projects. How many times are you forced to share your cooking utensils with your kids? Now they can have their own!”

Curious Chef 27 piece Foundation Set for 30% OFF, NOW AVAILABLE FOR $42.06 (normally $60.09)

Or

Go shopping with She Sez.. “We can’t do a fast-forward on Spring ladies, but we can get a jump on our St. Patrick’s Day sale.   Click here to go to Michelle Roy Designs Clover Collection at the SheSez Store for five versions of this fun, whimsical clover charm necklace at an unbeatable price.  Guaranteed to put a little spring in your step and who knows? You might also get a little luck to boot. On sale for 30-percent off now through March 18th. Enter coupon code:  30clover .”

It’s the end of the week and it’s time to take stock of our latest additions. This week 7 more Shopkeepers stepped into Live Status. So read their info and remember their faces because you’ll be hearing a lot more from all of them very soon.

Bobbi of N Her Shoes

Bobbi does more in one day than most people do in a week.  She is a wife, cook, runner, athletic director, registrar, blogger, small business owner, coach, and kickboxing instructor.  In her blog she shares some of her favorite recipes and work-out plans that help her stay healthy and happy.

Melissa of the Inspired Room

Melissa is an interior decorator, wife, and mom with a passion for what she calls “authentic living”.  For Melissa, part of authentic living is creating a home that works for and is unique to you – even if it never makes the cover of a magazine.  Her Shop is a collection of products that she has used to help decorate her home and the homes of others in her own “authentic” standard.

Lindsey of Saucy Glossie

Lindsey is all about looking great without breaking the bank.  In her blog she gives her readers tips on the latest trends, great pieces, and shows her readers that you don’t have to shop on 5^th Avenue to look Cosmopolitan chic.  She fills her Shop with products that look great and help you look great too!

Kimba of A Soft Place to Land

Ever think that a swinging door would make a great coffee table, or that an old shutter could easily be turned into a new headboard?  Well, Kimba has and in her blog she shares her creative ideas for refashioning old household items into new and completely unique pieces of furniture.  Just like the coffee table and headboard, Kimba’s Shop is a collection of pieces that she uses to give her home a personal touch.

Brian of Brian’s Backpacking Blog

As a kid, Brian remembers spending all day everyday hiking, climbing trees, and exploring nature.  That love for the outdoors has stayed with him throughout adulthood.  His Shop is like a backpacker’s checklist, it holds a collection of his favorite outdoor products and all the must-haves for when you leave city-life behind.

Judith of The Big Raw Vegan Blog

In her blog Judith showcases some of her favorite delicious vegan meals while advocating a low-impact green lifestyle.  As an advocate for animals and the environment, Judith’s Shop is a collection of products that we can all use to recycle, compost, and help us live a simple healthy lifestyle.

Morgan of Live, Love, Eat and Play

Morgan believes in healthy living by eating right, exercising, and maintaining healthy relationships.  From yoga mats to blenders to heart rate monitors, her Shop is a collection of products that she uses to do just that: stay happy and healthy while balancing it all.

I’ve been a “Big Retail” guy for most of the last decade.  Stores were measured in thousands, customers in millions and dollars in billions.  In many ways this was thrilling and challenging.  And to be honest, I’m proud of my work and the great companies I worked for.

But something was missing.  The distance between customers and the work of our day-to-day business was immense.  In that world there was only the most tenuous connection between what our customers valued and what we were working on.  Every decision was by necessity centralized and impersonal.  In short, the relationship between us and our customer was a mass relationship.

Of course this was by design.  The days of shopping at a store run by someone you know and trust passed away with vinyl records and Coke in glass bottles decades ago.  At least that’s what I thought.

Last Summer I met John Caplan and the OpenSky team and they shared the vision of a new way of buying and selling, one that was so retro it was novel.

They were building a platform that allowed people with existing relationships, blogger-to-reader for example, to do business together.  As simple as it sounds, I knew the concept had the potential to completely change commerce, assuming the team could execute.

And execute they did.  By Fall they had dozens of bloggers (Shopkeepers) selling on the site and had built a team of exceptionally talented people.  Over the subsequent months I came to NY and met the team in person.  The energy that was building was palpable and I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of.

Since I joined in January, this team has built even more momentum.  Shopkeepers and Suppliers are signing up as fast as we can add them and new ways of connecting Shoppers to the Shopkeepers they know and trust are pouring out of our creative team every day.

It’s exciting.  But what’s most exciting is, as this business grows, it’s clearer than ever that at OpenSky “getting big” never has to mean taking the relationship out of the shopping experience.  And I think that’s something that’s been missing for a long time.

-jamin

With the Internet came a transformational shift in the way we found and consumed information. Yahoo organized libraries of information through online directories we could easily navigate.  Then Google came along and changed the way we found that information through efficient search.

The last decade+ has also dramatically changed the way we interact with our social circles.  AOL enabled traditional 1-to-1 interactions with our friends to be efficient through personal email.  Facebook has changed this social conversation, shifting personal email to real-time sharing with our entire social graph.

Similarly, there was a powerful shift in the range of news and perspective available to us.  Wordpress and Youtube took the limited point of view (with heavy agendas) away from big media by empowering the individual to have their voice heard.  Twitter has now shifted the way we consume these perspectives by enabling real-time sharing and conversations.

Similarly, the past several decades have revolutionized how we purchase goods.  Amazon brought shopping online, replacing aisles with easily searchable online catalogs.  At the same time, eBay eliminated the middle man in classifieds by creating an open marketplace, connecting us directly to the seller of the goods.

We are now experiencing another transformational shift in how we shop.  OpenSky is replacing the ivory tower of retail with real-time conversations with those whom we have trusted relationships.

Gone are the days of b.s. corporate marketing and frustrating 1-800 customer service.  Today, we discover great shopping experiences through people that know what they are talking about and care about our satisfaction.  Shopping is no longer about an in-and-out transaction, but rather fulfilling interactions and experiences.

–kevin

I’m thrilled to be here at OpenSky!  As many of you know already, I’m a literary agent and publishing person turned OpenSky evangelist and VP of Development, meaning bringing in authors and brands, and brand-building with our Shopkeepers.  I’m here because I caught the vision in a huge way as I was exploring options for my own clients in the changing publishing environment.  I’m hugely passionate about choices, independence, and enterprise-building for authors and other talented people–and OpenSky is the place to find and build those things.

I wanted to share with you all a post I wrote for my personal blog explaining my OpenSky story.  Yes, I received one of those emails many early Shopkeepers also received (for one of my clients), and look how it changed my life…

So in the coming days, I can’t wait to meet as many of you as possible and create the future together.  Here’s that original post.  Let me know what you think:

Introducing OpenSky: A New Author Economy Opportunity

A few months ago, a client and I received an email from someone named John Caplan about a new company called OpenSky:

I’m the founder of OpenSky.  I was most recently CEO of Ford Models and President of the About.com network.

OpenSky is a new company that empowers personalities, authors, and media brands to build their brands and make money by leveraging their influence with e-commerce.  OpenSky is connecting consumers to influencers and the products they love and use.  These experts in turn provide consumers the most exceptional products, brilliant storytelling, and a lifetime of fun, informed and fulfilling shopping experiences.  OpenSky handles sourcing, fulfillment, customer service and marketing.

Take a look here: http://theopenskyproject.com

<http://theopenskyproject.com>

Let’s meet one another and I can share more specifics about OpenSky.

I was intrigued but skeptical.  After all, being an agent, I’m often on the receiving end of some pretty crazy pitches.  But I liked what the note said about the opportunity for authors, and I had been saying for months that new models for authors were right around the corner.  I Googled John, and what I read about his time at Ford Models was encouraging:  as the head of an agency, he was able to create platforms for his clients via the tools of the internet so that the models became brands instead of just runway-walkers.  Of course, publishing is a very different world than modeling, but one important thing is the same:  talent needs access to ways to build platforms and make a living—that’s the way to freedom.

I set up a meeting with John but before we met I studied the site.  It was fascinating.  Clearly it was early days for this company, but I could see that it had momentum, and I instantly saw that if it was successful, the opportunities for authors were significant.

At its heart, OpenSky is new e-commerce site but with an important difference.  On OpenSky, you buy things based on recommendations from people whose voices you already know and trust—what they call “relationship commerce.”  Who are these people?  That’s right—they are the authors, the experts, the amazing voices you are already reading every day.  Right now, the company is still building out the site, so it takes a little imagination to see the full picture of what it can be, but the key concept is in place:  this is about real people recommending products that they know and love—in other words, the recommendations are the result of personal passion for a subject or area.  I can see so many applications for this which I’ll discuss another day.  For now, the main insight for me was the fact that right now, in the environment of declining book advances and technological challenge, here was something that was set up to give authors and experts tools, support, and community in monetizing their influence and outreach.

The meeting with John Caplan was fun, leading to many philosophical and practical discussions about opportunities for my and my colleagues’ clients, and ultimately led to a special project for me:  to introduce OpenSky to the publishing community.  And so I am.  Consider the door open to talk about what this means for you, whether you are an author, an agent, or a publisher.

Here’s what excites me about OpenSky in a nutshell:

• This is a direct-to-fan tool all the way for authors and experts. Used in the best way, this model can be an important spoke in the author hub, enabling authors to earn money doing what communication-inclined authors and experts do best:  communicating.
• It’s personal and authentic: the OpenSky ethos is one of honesty.  Even in its contract, the authors and experts pledge to only recommend products they know and love.  The OpenSky founders recognize that this authenticity is of paramount importance to its business model.
• It’s Main Street in an era of the big box. Buying from an author or expert you already love is like supporting your local independent bookstore.  It feels right.
• The possibilities are open-ended. There are a lot of levels to OpenSky that aren’t built yet, but are going to be exciting for authors and experts.  I can’t wait.

There are already a few authors on OpenSky.  One of them is the wonderful food writer Michael Ruhlman, and back in November he wrote a post with his thoughts about OpenSky.  It is worth reading both to get more details about how the process works, but also to see how an author can have an OpenSky shop in a way that is completely authentic to who he is and what he communicates to the world.  The post is here: http://blog.ruhlman.com/2009/11/open-sky-a-new-ecommerce-idea-and-company.html.  Another great post is by Michael Laiskonis, the incredible pastry chef and blogger at Le Bernardin: http://michaellaiskonis.typepad.com/.  And of course, please check out:  www.theopenskyproject.com.

What do you think?

Today I’m incredibly excited to announce that Ted Rubin is moving into our offices. Already a member of our Board of Advisors, Ted is now spearheading OpenSky’s social media efforts.

Through the past few months, I’ve gotten to know Ted both in person and through his Tweets, blog and Facebook posts (where else?). Following Ted for just a day can be exhausting, as he has limitless energy; his ability to connect, respond and share with everyone under the sun is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. There’s no sense in describing it, it’s just something you have to experience for yourself (scroll down for a list of all his links).

As I’m no Ted, I’ll just do the boring part and wax poetic about our not-so-secret weapon. Ted’s most recent job was Chief Marketing Officer for e.l.f. Cosmetics, where he grew their collective Twitter following to over 50,000, doubled their membership base to two million users and grew an incredible blogger network through hands-on development, attention and nurturing. Under his tenure, e.l.f. became the most highly respected social media presence in the cosmetics industry, bar none.

Prior to joining e.l.f., Ted served as Senior Managing Director of Marketing and Business development for Eastern Union Commercial and led the development of RealProspex.com, the fastest growing and most innovative commercial real-estate-listing site in the country. Ted was also President and CEO of The Black Book and responsible for its turnaround and eventual sale to a private equity group, and has held senior level positions at 1-800-Flowers and Yoyodyne, in addition to running his own internet marketing and business development consultancy.

So as you can see, Ted’s a real slacker

Some recent media about Ted…
DM News: Customer Chatter for Cosmetics
Brandweek: How e.l.f. Became a Social Media Giant
Marketing Pilgrim: C Level Social Media Action from Ted Rubin
The Nhuch: The Beauty of Social Commerce
Advertising Age: Upstart Cosmetics Co. Driving Awareness with Social Media, Sampling

If you still have any doubts that Ted is a social media animal, follow him yourself. You’ll be glad you did (I know I am).

Ted’s Linkedin
Ted’s Twitter
Ted’s Facebook
Ted’s Blog

Again, welcome Ted. Can’t wait for you to lift OpenSky into the social media stratosphere.