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Post by ronmiller on Jun 17, 2020 13:12:48 GMT
And now that former success is still struggling after roughly 52 days to fix its site in order to remain in operation after an upgrade that was supposed to take a weekend.
Had that upgrade been adequately planned, had enough research and testing been done to properly identify and eliminate potential issues beforehand, Lulu Press wouldn't have so many unhappy clients now because they'd have been busy for nearly two months using a functioning site and doing their thing.
As an example, if I have to have an operation, I want a surgeon who has done their research, studied and worked hard to get where they're at in their field, and is steady enough to see the project through without killing me. What I don't want is someone working on me who simply has a passion for medicine, has never studied medicine, and never researched the difference between a hangnail and tonsils.
Yes, sometimes passion pays off but a lot of times it doesn't. Sometimes a person can succeed despite the odds, but most people don't. Yes, the company was a success and others emulated it but that was then and this is now. The longer it takes for Lulu Press to fix a problematic upgrade that never should have been rolled out before every potential issue had been discovered and taken care of the less likely it is to remain a success story.
Success for 16 years counts for something. But I can see your point. Success in one business doesn't necessarily mean one is a genius at everything.
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Post by Retread-Retired-Cameron on Jun 17, 2020 16:00:52 GMT
Success in one business doesn't necessarily make someone a genius for that matter.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2020 16:25:21 GMT
Success for 16 years counts for something. But I can see your point. Success in one business doesn't necessarily mean one is a genius at everything. I actually do think he's a genius. To start something that enables so many people and to keep it going for 16 years? That's amazing. They have made a mess of the website and are disrespecting users by not responding to tickets, and they are employee centric indeed, but I would not have started all this publishing were it not for Bob Young. And because of his daring and innovation, we now have options: mybestseller, KDP, Ingram Spark, Streetlib, Bookbaby and a dozen others. So, my hat off to him, still. Just fix the site and treat every user like they're gold.
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Post by Retread-Retired-Cameron on Jun 17, 2020 17:06:37 GMT
I've known and known of people who were pretty shrewd at the ins and outs of the businesses they were in, and they ran those businesses exceedingly well. Some were innovators, but none of them would qualify as a genius. I've also seen businesses go under due to once shrewd leaders mentally declining or just getting arrogant due to past successes.
While he started a platform to make it easier to get a book into print, I didn't start writing because of Robert "Bob" Young.
Yes, Lulu Press came along in 2002, but Create Space was founded in 2000 while Lightning Source was founded in 1997. Ingram Spark was founded in 2009.
Create Space was absorbed by Amazon, and now functions through KDP. Lightning Source and Ingram Spark still function as part of Ingram Industries.
Create Space started 20 years ago. Lulu Press started 18 years ago.
Sounds to me that like many business geniuses Bob Young was actually following someone else's lead. His business might have added some new features, but he had an example to emulate.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2020 18:43:03 GMT
I've known and known of people who were pretty shrewd at the ins and outs of the businesses they were in, and they ran those businesses exceedingly well. Some were innovators, but none of them would qualify as a genius. I've also seen businesses go under due to once shrewd leaders mentally declining or just getting arrogant due to past successes. While he started a platform to make it easier to get a book into print, I didn't start writing because of Robert "Bob" Young. Yes, Lulu Press came along in 2002, but Create Space was founded in 2000 while Lightning Source was founded in 1997. Ingram Spark was founded in 2009. Create Space was absorbed by Amazon, and now functions through KDP. Lightning Source and Ingram Spark still function as part of Ingram Industries. Create Space started 20 years ago. Lulu Press started 18 years ago. Sounds to me that like many business geniuses Bob Young was actually following someone else's lead. His business might have added some new features, but he had an example to emulate. Lightning Source involves bigger costs. I had no idea Createspace existed before Lulu. Bad marketing on their part, I guess.
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Post by Retread-Retired-Cameron on Jun 17, 2020 18:55:38 GMT
Lightning Source is geared more for mid-range publishers which tend to have bigger budgets. Ingram Spark is geared more for the smaller publishers / self-publishers.
Create Space was headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, and whether on its own or after it was acquired by Amazon it functioned until July 2018 when its content was merged with KDP.
Create Space might not have been marketed like Lulu Press, but when Amazon went looking for for a self-publishing platform to acquire, Amazon picked Create Space. The company was acquired by Amazon back in 2005 so perhaps it didn't need quite the same level of marketing.
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