19 Year Old To Buy Out Digg
January 27, 2008
Ok, so Big Brother contestant Liam Young, 19, may not have gone so far as to say he was going to buy out Digg. But some of his entrepreneurial claims have sparked a witchhunt among members of Digital Point Forums. You can check out the thread here.
Liam claims that he started Oxy-Uk, his web design and hosting company when he was 8. By the age of 16, he employed 12 people and now has a turnover of £250,000. But, Digital Point members suggest that Liam has exaggerated his success and they point out many holes in his story.
So what if he exaggerated? He hasn’t done anything to harm anyone - he is simply promoting his business in the best light possible. Lets face it, people go into the Big Brother House in hope of publicity and fame; and a modest wallflower just isn’t going to make it.
Have you ever exaggerated in business? I’ll be the first to admit that I have, and I know many others who have too. And if you want to market your business effectively and get a heap of free PR, you need to tell a story that will stand out.
Which Of The Following Claims Would Be More Likely To Get Your Attention?
A) Coffee House Sells Out Of Special Ingredient Coffee on First Day Of Trading; And Sets Up Waiting List For Addicted Customers.
B) Coffee House Sells 40 Cups Of Coffee on First Day Of Trading.
A) Our Cakes Are Made Using A Secret 200 Year Old Recipe - Known Only To Our Chef.
B) Our Cakes Are Made With A Delia Smith Recipe - We Just Add Extra Nutmeg.
A) Local Entrepreneur Launches Business After Overcoming Severe Alcohol and Gambling Addiction.
B) Local Man Launches New Business After Cutting Down on Bingo and Trips To The Pub.
A) Hordes of Customers Travel 200 Miles To Eat The Best Curry They Ever Tasted.
B) Yorkshire Businessman Always Visits This Curry House When He’s In Plymouth on Business. It’s The Best He’s Ever Tasted.
A) Aftershave Company Issues Press Release After Man Threatens To Sue. They Deny Using Addictive Ingredient Which Caused The Man To Be Mobbed By Women.
B) Aftershave Company Claims That Men Get More Dates, After Using Their New Product.
So what would you rather do? Hang out in Digital Point forum complaining because you feel that someone has exaggerated their success. Or create your own success story, and exaggerate a little to make sure it’s something the world wants to hear?
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19 Responses to “19 Year Old To Buy Out Digg”
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I take the exaggerate option.
I’m tired of bitchers, whiners and jealous people.
Period.
Exaggeration I can live with — to a point. If the exaggeration is so extreme that I perceive it as false or lying, then, as a consumer, I’ll go out of my way to NOT buy from that source. Perception is very, very important.
I’m personally not comfortable with exaggerating anything, so I guess I wouldn’t do very good at marketing.
Since I’ve never heard of Digital Point, I guess I wouldn’t be hanging out there, either.
Mike Goad’s last blog post..A trail to an arch
It’s a bit sad that people are attacking someone so young and just starting out.
I really wonder why people can find so much time to waste on proving somebody wrong.
What a negative waste of time? What will it accomplish?
I wish anyone who has a go at chasing a dream good fortune. If they work hard, make the mistakes they inevitably will before success, and come through it in the end, then great.
If we all just pursused full time employment, who would create the jobs?
If the lads from Google has decided to go and work for someone else, we’d have nothing to talk about when we hear about their thousands of employees roller-skating around their office with their pet ferrets.
If Richard Branson had got a jobn selling records in a shop, we’d have had no balloon flights across the Atlantic.
Here’s one for you:
How International Plumbing Chain Made The Stereotypically Late, Overcharging Plumber, A Dim And Distant Memory
Ian Denny’s last blog post..Want A Better Business? Build A Better Mousetrap
Ian you’re right - it is v sad. Hopefully the extra publicity will have a positive impact for him.
I see examples of exaggeration online, all the time. And while I would love to use some as examples to show readers how it’s done, I would hate to blow someone’s cover.
Now that one could be a bit dangerous for me personally Ian as we’d struggle to travel to the other side of the globe. But, there’s certainly no harm in exaggerating an international demand!
I guess I’m like Mike it’s something I don’t do however, I am confident in my businesses and skills. I do a great job of marketing myself.
I don’t write too much about my businesses success I don’t want people to think I’m exaggerating at one time I used to show proof of my online earnings but I stopped that. I don’t go around asking to see other peoples paychecks.
The times I do write about my online accomplishments I make sure I mention the amount of work it took for me to get to that point. At times people think it’s “easy” or you have to be lying mainly because they are getting the same results. My websites aren’t making money online websites, but they do well.
I hope people get the idea of the amount of work is involved to become successful. I’m also quick to point out the areas where I’ve failed. I’ve found out that people really appreciate that.
That should have been…
At times people think it’s “easy†or you have to be lying mainly because they aren’t getting the same results.
As for exaggerating. I have noticed that you and Mike are both skilled at telling a story. Someone less skilled would not be able to make the same topics sound so interesting.
Thanks Catherine!
Someone once told me I should have been an English major, but I couldn’t afford the pay cut.
Mike Goad’s last blog post..A trail to an arch
Hi Catherine
Exaggerated headlines will get a readers attention, but it depends where a person goes from there.
With me, I might write a catchy or funny title, however, within the first few words of my post, I try to get to the actual subject matter. I don’t claim to know it all. I continue to learn more every day. My blogs reflect what I have found works for me (at that time of my life), and they are my opinion only.
You raise a great point., and I, too, have seen sites where the author has projected themselves as “seen it all”, done it all”, “I’m only 21 but if you give me all of your money, I will make you a multimillionaire”. I laugh to myself, shake my head in disbelief, say “whatever” and move onto a reliable site.
I think anytime exaggeration is used to promote ones abilities, you have to “be on your toes” 24/7, as others will be waiting to “catch you”. And when they do, you have a lot at risk, to lose….your integrity, credibility, reputation, and money.
If you are honest from the beginning, life becomes much easier.
Barbara’s last blog post..What if Google Added “This†To Determine Page Rank
It is the old axiom of Marketing:
It is all about sincerity…and once we can fake that we’ll have it made
RacerX’s last blog post..Weekly Top 5 Personal Finance Articles
And as you point out, exaggerating that you can provide a service that you simply can’t is just plain stupid, as you risk your reputation.
That isn’t the same as exaggerating to get attention. If your product or service is good, most customers won’t mind what lengths you went to to get their attention - within reason.
I suppose that how far you push it depends on what you’re comfortable with. And also knowing where to draw the line.
Now I could provide a long list of celebrities that we’ve done work for - and I might get into trouble if it wasn’t true. But, on the other hand, it might be ok to say we do work for many celebrities. That would appeal to plenty of customers who want a plumbing company that celebrities trust. And naturally, we’d provide them with a great service.
The trouble is, someone else has already done that one - and it even got them on a TV program. So, we’ll have to come up with something else.
I was just reading through your blog a little and i get the impression you really like lists.
Guitar Hero 4’s last blog post..Guitar Hero and Rock Band Drive Music Sales
Catherine,
I started writing stories when I was a child. I laugh at it now because well at eight years old I guess I really hadn’t lived but in my eyes I lived enough to write about my adventures. I still have those stories.
One of my nightly duties is to make up a story for my daughter. She will get upset if I forget. I need to start writing those stories down.
I agree Mike is a great story teller.
Depends on the exaggeration. I don’t mind creativity, fun, hyperbole and that kind of thing. If it’s something which can mislead people (especially financially) as to the truth, then there might be a problem.
For example, not a fan of Robert Kiyosaki for many reasons–but most particularly because his “Rich Dad” is a fictional construct. And because he doesn’t seem to have made any real money (as in millions) until his book became popular.
So I wonder if the book is actually at all useful or if it’s just a clever vehicle for him. It’s not like he or “Rich Dad” actually got rich using the principles. I am a suspicious “hamster” (oh, that’s the other reason…I don’t like being belittled for not being an entrepreneur if I’m happy where I am.).
Hi Mrs M - I have often wondered about the Rich Dad books. They’re interesting, but as you mention, it is difficult to find much info on what Kiyosaki was successful at before them.
He mentions having a business which went broke. But, what did he do after that? Did he start another business, invest in properties or whatever - or did he just write the books?
Does anyone else know?
Catherine Lawson’s last blog post..19 Year Old To Buy Out Digg
By the way, the headline I wrote in the previous comment wasn’t meant to be true now. It was a prediction.
Bookmark it!
Ian Denny’s last blog post..Cashflow Nightmares Solved On Back Of An Envelope