10 Questions with Mike Rundle on 9Rules
Well I wasn’t planning on running this until next week but I couldn’t resist. This is a 10 questions interview with Mike Rundle, CDO at 9Rules Network. Right off the bat I have to thank Mike for the treasure trove of information in this 10 questions segment. This interview is a must read for anyone not matter what your area of focus is. So lets get down to what you all are here for.
How long ago was 9rules started and why was it started?
Well the original 9rules was started by Paul Scrivens (”Scrivs”) a few years back it was originally a grouping of the weblogs Paul started and wrote for in order to pay the bills. The nine rules referenced in our company name is an homage to the actual nine rules that Paul wrote as a type of governing bylaws standing behind what we believe in. This past March (2005) I was down in Tampa on a “business trip” to hang out with Paul, and he started pitching his idea to me for what he saw 9rules turning into. At first I was a bit skeptical because I didn’t know if any of our friends would want to be the first members of the 9rules Network, but once we made our way to Austin for SxSW a few weeks later and started talking to people, we got a lot of people onboard very quickly. The reaction from people in the industry to the concept of 9rules was extremely positive, so as soon as we got back from Texas we jumped in and started working on it.
What makes 9rules different then other blog networks like Gawker and b5media?
The biggest difference between 9rules and other weblog networks is that our members already have existing, independent weblogs, and we add those sites to 9rules instead of starting brand new ones. We don’t see a lot of value in starting a new technology or gadget site in order to compete with the thousands that are already out there, so instead we find the very best technology or gadget weblogs that are already established and bring them under the 9rules umbrella. Our competitors can launch a new gadget weblog with no content or backlinks to start out, but the very next day we can add 3 of the best gadget weblogs in the world into 9rules and go from there.
This membership-type strategy only works for us because we paid our dues in the blog world for years before starting the Network. The 9rules guys and I all started the same way, we started a site (or sites), concentrated on producing quality content, gained contacts in the web industry, and then worked extremely hard to earn the respect of our peers, many of whom turned out to be the first members of the Network. People want to join us because they see what we’ve done in the past and want to be a part of what we’re doing right now, and into the future. Some other weblog networks work in a similar manner to 9rules, but if John Smith sends an email to a popular weblog and asks them to join a fledgling network, what would persuade that blogger to actually join if they’ve never heard of Mr. Smith before? It’s difficult to make the 9rules-type of weblog network model work for just anyone, because bloggers won’t want to join you if they don’t share your vision nor believe you can add any value to what they’ve already created.
Does 9rules have an exit strategy? Do blog networks really need an exit strategy at this point?
We started 9rules not as a built-to-flip company, but as a company that brings more exposure and visibility to the independent web. The business plan behind 9rules, Inc. has been there from the start, however we’re working hard on growing the company and on lots of new functionality for 2006, so we don’t want to give our competitors any indication as to where we’re headed by divulging our plans too early. The “ace in the sleeve” effect is pretty interesting from a business standpoint because all people can do is speculate as to where we’re headed next. Take a look at Apple Computer — Steve Jobs never lets on where he’s taking the company, for all the public knows we could be thinking about an Intel iBook and then he might drop an Apple cellphone out of the blue and change things up once again. We like keeping the strategy of 9rules on the down low because it’s more exciting that way 
I think what people forget is that we also run a very successful design firm, so therefore you never see us having to rush or force anything on the 9rules side of things. Not many other blog networks have that luxury.
Believe it or not we do have an exit strategy, but we understand that what is currently viewable by the public won’t be enticing for anyone who might consider buying us out. However, I think the only reason we do have an exit strategy is because that’s what they taught us in school to have. We see ourselves doing this for a very long time so we aren’t concerned about how to exit this game just yet.
Looking back at the evolution of 9rules what mistakes has the network made and why do you consider them mistakes?
We started 9rules right around the same time that other web companies were starting out, and we had the luxury of growing slowly and steadily while watching others grow too fast and topple over. By observing the changes in the web industry the past year or two we’ve tried to anticipate missteps along the way that might throw us off-track. Luckily, we haven’t had any major mistakes happen for just this reason. We’ve had our share of smaller mishaps though — poorly written communication, incorrectly-timed PR, technology bumps — but those can be expected with any new company. Just like our friend Jeremy said in a previous interview, we’re learning as we go.
There is a growing number of blog networks out there what mistakes do you think some are making and why?
I think the biggest mistake that weblog networks are making right now is that they are all following the same path and business model as Weblogs, Inc., hoping for the $20MM+ buyout that our friend Jason Calacanis was able to pull off with America Online. Jason was pretty wealthy before starting WIN, therefore he had lots of money to self-fund his company with. Engadget and Autoblog are successful because they’re updated 20 or more times per day, so if you’re trying to follow in the WIN footsteps and you’re blogs aren’t staffed with 10 writers working all day long, you’re probably not going to get there. It takes a lot of money to pay a staff of writers to update a weblog all day long, and if you’re hoping to emluate the WIN model of a weblog network without that kind of staffing from the get-go, it’s going to be an uphill battle.
The reason that 9rules works differently than WIN or other traditional weblog networks is because we just couldn’t get excited about starting a new company that did the same thing as everybody else. The 9rules team is made up of pretty young guys (20-somethings) so we all left our day jobs in order to build something completely revolutionary, not just evolutionary.
In this same vein of differentiation, it’s disheartening to see so many weblog networks not care about their brand image or the look and feel of their weblogs. We spent a lot of time working on the branding for 9rules as well as our website look, and apart from Gawker Media, I don’t think any other weblog network cares much about how people perceive their company in a visual way. A great design and logo goes a long way in making your weblog network stand out amongst the dozens of others just like yours.
What makes 9rules stand out from other blog networks? What is 9rules doing that others are not?
One of the things that we really focus on is quality content that is our main selling point as far as what differentiates us from other weblog networks. The idea that we only select the very best of the best to join our network brings the velvet rope principle into play, and that’s definitely helped us distance ourselves from other networks who might just be going for topics that 1) pull them the most advertising revenue, or 2) can be slapped together without a lot of effort. Sites that do nothing but gossip about celebrities are easy to generate, but sites that talk about “web 2.0″ business strategy or full-length tutorials about Ruby on Rails are a different story altogether. We really appreciate the effort that so many bloggers put into their writing, and that effort is what drives us to make 9rules a better place for our members and the community that stands behind us.
Ok time for the hard question. What are other blog networks doing better then 9rules and why do you think that is?
Obviously the Big Two weblog networks, WIN and Gawker Media, make a lot of money and have a lot more pageviews than us. We haven’t even begun to implement our business plan as it relates to revenue generation, so their cash flow is definitely enviable. Nick Denton has a lot of ties to the mainstream media, and because of this, when he launches a new weblog or business venture the MSM takes notice and gives him a lot of traction from the start. We’ve been very fortunate to align 9rules with some great individuals in Silicon Valley (Om Malik, Tony Conrad, Dave Pell, and others) who really understand 9rules and where we’re going, so we’re excited to see how our next ideas for 9rules pan out from a word-of-mouth perspective.
We’ve sat down and spoken with Jason Calacanis in the past, and I really admire the vision he’s had from the start for Weblogs, Inc. When he started WIN there weren’t many other weblog networks, so he was standing on top of an unproven revenue model at that point, but he had a solid plan for his company and he executed it very well. We can only hope to achieve the success that Weblogs, Inc. has had.
Why should someone read the 9rules blogs?
9rules has always been about the idea that finding quality content shouldn’t be difficult, so if someone wishes to find some great philosophy, gaming, design, or technology weblogs, they can come to 9rules and find just what they’re looking for. Over seven hundred English and Spanish weblogs wanted to join 9rules after their latest submission rounds, however the percentage that make it in is very slim. That quality control is very important to us, and we hope it’s important to our readers as well.
What is the selection criteria when it comes to adding new blogs?
The selection criteria is pretty simple: a weblog author must be passionate about his or her topic, write often enough so that readers aren’t wondering where they went, and be committed to improving his or her weblog. Many people think that weblogs that aren’t designed by professionals won’t get into 9rules, but that’s just not the case. The reason that so many of our members have extremely well-designed blogs is because we started off by asking our friends to join 9rules and since most of our friends are web designers, it just worked out that their weblogs were beautifully designed. The 9rules team and I have very strong ties to the design community, so it’s just natural that many people who submit their weblogs are web designers. We’re trying to grow additional categories now besides just design and technology, but the instant we say that we come across a fantastic design or technology site that we feel would make an excellent addition to the 9rules family, so go figure
What else would you like people to know about 9rules that I might not have asked and they don’t already know?
Hmm, good question! Well I’m not sure if your readers already know this, but 9rules is a pretty new and small company. We just started 9rules this past summer, and besides myself, there are only a few other guys working (all co-founders) and we all work from our own homes/apartments. The CEO of the company (Scrivs) is 25, and the youngest member (me) is only 22. We’re also a proud east coast company 
Thanks David!
FYI: This is just the first of two interviews with Mike the next one will be coming out next week. (*crosses fingers*)