Millenium Development Group

From the beginning Wired Ventures Limited, the parent of Wired magazine, has explicitly sought to push beyond accepted business models and to make innovative decisions quickly. Wired is a first mover ahead of the pack. The original business plan called for the magazine to go monthly at the beginning of the second year. However, Wired went monthly in November, 1993, three months ahead of schedule.

As an innovative first mover in the "New Media" world, Wired Ventures is exhibiting a behavior and momentum that would suggest that the magazine was only a first step to something much larger. HotWired's business plan was drawn up by April, 1994, and the newborn 'cell' was launched by October, 1994, nearly two months before Netscape appeared. HotWired was the first commercial site on the Web funded by advertising. This move was both difficult and dangerous due to the Net's hyper-sensitivity to commercial activity and the relative corporate ignorance of the Web in late 1994.

During the first half of 1995, Wired Japan and Wired UK have begun publishing localized editions of Wired. In June, 1995, Wired Ventures started a book publishing company, HardWired. Peter Rutten, a founder of the Netguide book series, was chosen as President of this new venture. According to Jane,

"HardWired will bring to the world of books what Wired brought to the world of magazines: new thinking and an enthusiastic appreciation of the new culture, economy, and society being created by the Digital Revolution. It will also maintain our commitment to journalistic, literary, and design excellence and innovation."
As the next millenium approaches, Wired's aspirations of becoming a "New Media" empire are becoming more apparent. With the public announcement of the Millenium Development Group [MDG] in July, 1995, Wired has formalized an internal organization whose sole purpose is to research, plan and implement a growth strategy to take Wired into the next millenium. MDG group members include:
John Battelle - Director
Lawerence Wilkenson - Chief Architect/Master Planner
Jane Metcalfe - Builder
Angela - Research Associate
Lawerence Wilkenson is the co-founder and managing director of Global Business Network, a future-oriented think tank and consulting company. He will be concentrating on strategic-positioning issues and on product, service and venture development.

MDG will investigate new products and services, such as television, new magazines, foriegn editions, online services and merchandise. In fact, Wired has already copyrighted the name "WiredTV".

John explains the significance of this move,

"The editorial-driven process that made Wired and HotWired great has become our model for building new companies. This group is clearly the next step in Wired's development."


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last updated 4 April 96 SJS - shannon@well.com