A YouTube for documents?
What does this mean exactly, and how can this benefit the end consumer? Jason Nazar is the CEO of Docstoc.com, an online community allowing users to upload and share their documents with the world. Jason talks about the intensity of working in a start-up environment and the importance of staying focused on the “why” rather than on the “what” or the “how”.
Getting his start following his MBA, Jason realized that there was a unfilled need in the marketplace for a repository of document knowledge: term sheets, business plans, offering memos.
The Idea
Docstoc sprouted from this idea. It’s a fast, easy and free solution that allows users to find information in the public domain. It is positioned as “free marketing” for the user, a chance for you to extend your digital identity by allowing others to preview and learn about some of the work you are producing. Their value proposition is three fold:
1. Reciprocity: sharing your documents encourages more users to share theres
2. Marketing: including information about yourself in your docs and use it as lead generation or to build new professional relationships
3. Feedback: get an engaged population of users viewing, downloading, rating, and commenting on your documents
Targeted Library of Knowledge
Ostensibly DocStoc provides a more targeted library of knowledge that can help young companies perform more competitively. The quality of the content and credibility of the source are sometimes questionable, but users are able to rate and monitor profiles of the authors who have uploaded documents. Topics range from business and legal to fashion and education. Docstoc attempts to appeal to the largest possible audience and can, if used correctly, become a very powerful tool.
