Let's face it. No one wants to be thought of as a product

I just got invited to “the coolest party on the Internet” and I am psyched.

On August 7^th Ello launched in beta.  The last week in September invite-only social network was receiving more than 50,000 invite requests per hour.  Ello is hot.

Ello is hot because of the company’s manifesto:

“Your social network is owned by advertisers.

Every post you share, every friend you make, and every link you follow is tracked, recorded, and converted into data. Advertisers buy your data so they can show you more ads. You are the product that’s bought and sold.

We believe there is a better way. We believe in audacity. We believe in beauty, simplicity, and transparency. We believe that the people who make things and the people who use them should be in partnership.

We believe a social network can be a tool for empowerment. Not a tool to deceive, coerce, and manipulate — but a place to connect, create, and celebrate life.

You are not a product.”

Let’s face it.  No one wants to be thought of as a product.

People are clamoring to be invited to Ello, and investors want to invest. 

Companies would do well to take note of Ello’s popularity and remember that your objective is not to productize your customers, but rather to determine what you can to bring value to your customers.