Following Web 2.0...as it happens

There was a GREAT movie a few years back called "Startup.com" that followed the rise and fall of a company called govWorks in the Internet boom and bust era. It was quite good.

Now, in a tribute to the Web 2.0 world of user-generated content and an "as it happens" approach, there's a real-time web documentary of the startup PayPerPost.com (I'm a big fan of these guys as I've written before here).

They've got YouTube videos of themselves as they progress through the stages of building their business (visiting a VC, going to a tradeshow, etc.). It's pretty cool, particularly for those of you with a fond appreciation of what goes into a start-up and remember Web 1.0 with fondness.

What I particularly like about this approach is that it's a subtle, viral, and very cost-effective way to build awareness. Think about it. They create the video (free), they post the video (free), the video gets shared (free), and people come to their site (free). They then convert people from browsers into customers (free) as either advertisers or publishers. The ROI on this baby is infinite since their not spending anything (unless you count the opportunity cost of their time).

Plus..it puts some faces and names behind the company. Now, instead of just a website, you get a feeling for the type of people who are running the show. In fact, you may even start to like them, and WANT them to succeed. That's powerful stuff.