The end of the road

The end of the road

Urgent Survival Procedure

President/CEO/Top Dog, alone or with immediately available support, should:

1) stop doing virtually everything except raising money;

2) create a 'value package' consisting of advertising, sponsorship, apple pie, future trade show space. Do not sell this as charity but as cash in exchange for something in return;

3) make a list of the most appropriate donors such as IBM, Sun, Red Hat, even Microsoft (they bailed out other competitors in the past and they could stand the favourable publicity);

4) make another list of LWN contacts ideal to put the touch on these prospective donors;

5) follow up with personal letters to all prospects identified and contacted by the 'mutual friend';

6) enlist and engage everyone else in the organization to do likewise;

7) solicit specific people at computer vendors, software developers, Linux companies, LUGS, et al about corporate memberships for a single corporate fee so that all interested members could be emailed their customized copy of LWN;

8) plan (& announce the possibility) a 'virtual trade show' demoing various products in a uniform protocol so many user prospects could simultaneously participate. I suspect that Boardwatch (in its day) and PassageMaker (presently), both print magazines, generate(d) more revenue from trade shows than the publications themselves by employing their recognition. Sell position or space there;

9) plan (& announce the possibility) a real trade show and sell position or space there; and,

10) fight the good fight to survive.

Good luck.

Regards.

ddw