In a post wondering what’s going on with PodTech.net, TechCrunch claims to have spoken to CEO John Furrier who admitted they pink slipped a few employees, were refocusing on “syndicating third party stuff” and moving out of the content creation business.

Scoble’s still there, Feldman is hanging on. I think we’ll know when the iceberg of podcasting has fully pierced the Podtanic when those two scramble for the life boats.

Of Podtech’s new direction, Techcrunch postulates:

Their new model, which finds and signs talent for guaranteed revenue, and then aggregates sites to advertisers, is a good one. They need to continue to cut staff and get their burn rate very low - they will effectively become a production house and ad sales team for their partners. If they can complete the transition before they run out of cash, Podtech could still have a bright future ahead of it.

The magic words: if they don’t run out of cash.

Scoble left a hint in one of his recent posts about just how much time it might be before Podtech completely implodes. On a post July 19 titled “Changes at Podtech”, he wrote:

Just for the record, I’m 100% committed to PodTech and the moves that John Furrier and the executive team is making and won’t reevaluate my career until Spring of 2008.

Summer of 2008, Scoble heads back to Microsoft? Becomes Apple evangelist? No odds will be given on Scoble replacement at Podtech when that happens.

Scoble and wife Maryam are having a baby in a couple months and they have racked up some new bills with an expensive house. Take it from a guy with three boys, kids ain’t cheap. I hope Scoble lands on his feet somewhere else with a good paying gig when — not if, it seems unfortunately — Podtech tanks. Scoble is one of the nice guys out there, contributing a mountain of neverending raw tech footage with some gold in them thar hills. Sidenote: no clue if the Podtech budget cuts mean that Scoble’s editor got the axe too.

As for the other content created at Podtech? I’m sure many outside Podtech are saying: “what content?” because they haven’t had a single Rocketboom to their credit. Too bad with talented, but marginally focused guys like Loren Feldman they couldn’t generate a breakout title. Video and podcasting isn’t nearly as easy as it looks. Speaking of Feldman, check out how he artfully calls out Nick Douglas at Valleywag’s negative Podtech coverage because Podtech said no to Look Crappy, er Shiny. More proof that Feldman has comedy chops? Check out his Om Malik impression below

Funny stuff, but something your company can build a business model around? Probably not unless you’re Loren’s company 1938 Media and doing direct ad deals. Doubtful that Podtech can do anything with this type content that they haven’t already done. And don’t even get me started again on mixed message shows like the one hosted by Jennifer Jones. Not a tech audience? I’m still chuckling over that one.

Mixed reviews of Podtech’s future direction
You’ve probably figured out that I’m not in agreement with TechCrunch that it’s a good move to focus on finding other Ze Frank’s and Rocketboom’s out there especially with Steve Gillmor as their new VP of Creative Development. Gillmor is one of the most obtuse guys I’ve ever listened to or read. Some think he’s genius like professors at conferences who rattle on about the long tail but he’s failed keeing this writer’s attention for longer than a few minutes.

Raise your hand if you can actually understand most of what Gillmor is saying. If he’s your company talent scout, you might as well pack in the production now, tickets are going to cry dust. Gillmor could be a really swell guy in person, as Kent Newsome has met him and recounts, but I’d much rather follow what his much more coherent brother Dan is doing on the web. Crap dice, Podtech.

Again.

Personally, I think PodTech would be smarter to fold up shop early while they still have money and pick another niche. Perhaps build some killer app with the remaining funds and ride that pony. Beating the dead horse of monetizing podcasting is a noble goal, but doesn’t seem to hold much in the way of a true business model. Many have tried to monetize podcasting and failed. I know we all want to believe that citizen journalism and radio is the new frontier but, you know what, it’s not. I believe anybody can be a talent, but it takes time, effort, money and lots and lots of practice. You don’t just turn on the cameras and microphones and become the next Larry King or Oprah Winfrey.

A good day for reflection surrounding goals of amateur content creation. If you produce a podcast and/or videoblog, who is your audience? Why are you doing it? What are you hoping to get out of the experience? If you’re looking to learn a new skill, hone an existing one and/or broaden your publishing horizons more power to you. That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing with the weekday Hmmcasts. I don’t have any lofty goals for the production and think it’s fairly clear that I’m experimenting and learning a heck of a lot about the skills that go into the ongoing production and publishing of a videoblog. It’s never a bad thing to increase your skillset and I know that time is the most powerful ingredients in any venture.

At Podtech, and in the immortal words of a great Iron Maiden song, the sands in the hourglass are running low. Running lowwwwwwww.

Did this post make you go hmm?

Maybe Related Posts (plugin generated)

• The downside of embedding video posts from third parties using third party hosting
• Feldman’s Kramer-Imus-like meltdown results in PodTech separation by “mutual agreement”
• Kottke thinks the word “syndication” in RSS is wrong
• Quick and easy voting on claims
• Podtech sheds famous Scobleizer troll Coulter, beds Feldman
• Again Techmeme Gabe shows he is smarter than the ad-verage bear