There’s nothing like free marketing, really, nothing compares. On this note, I want to touch on something that is very personal to me and has relevance to free marketing. My husband, Steve, founder and creator of Digsby (digsby.com), is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. He got his BS in IT in 2004, and went on to do his MBA there as well. It was during his MBA that he wrote the business plan for Digsby for an Entrepreneurship class. He got his business funded by an angel investor, and moved into Venture Creations (RIT’s Business Incubator). Steve went on to hire a group of RIT co-op students, who eventually all came on full time and formed the backbone of the company. Steve speaks at multiple RIT events, and has even been the Key Note speaker at the opening of the Center for Innovation and Entrpreneurship at RIT.
Steve, and Digsby, have been written about in everything from PC Magazine, and TechCrunch to The Wallstreet Journal. Every interview and meeting Steve has – RIT is mentioned and shown in such a positive light as being the birthplace of Digsby and the center where the talent was found. Steve, and the Digsby team, are the best example of commercialized student innovation at RIT, I challenge you to find better. It is because of this that I am confused as to why RIT has yet to truly leverage this (Digsby, Steve, the team). Dr. Destler (the President of RIT) speaks often and highly of innovation at RIT. If this is the goal of the institute, why is there so little done in partnership or support of Digsby?
On every desktop at RIT, Digsby should be installed. Support a product that was designed on your grounds! You have AIM and other software installed, but not Digsby? Really?
The contacts RIT has are phenomenal, but so are the contacts Steve has. At the very least, RIT should be communicating with local journals, like the Rochester Business Journal, to speak of the success Digsby has had, because, well, the founder of Digsby does the same for you. Press releases should be sent out every time Digsby is featured in a leading magazine, hits a milestone, or is invited to be a part of an exclusive conference (ie. DEMO).
It won’t be forever that Digsby/dotSyntax will be located in the RIT incubator, but while it is, and while you have such a valuable resource, perhaps you should leverage it.
Loyalty is a two-way street.
Leave a comment