I mean that's also why I reached out to photographers. I wanted their opinion.

I mean that's also why I reached out to photographers. I wanted their opinion.

You got lots of opinions, but you keep hoping someone will agree with you, which isn't the same thing. Just the same way as you are desperately quoting old internet blogs and articles which happen to support your opinion.
Honestly, you'd need to have plenty of experience yourself first. That fact that you don't even know what 'creative' means in a stock context says it all.
Ha, but goodness only knows what 'creative' means on Alamy. 

Well, if no one likes the idea of a new marketplace. What about making a platform for photographers to make educational videos. I saw Shutterstock do this: https://www.skillfeed.com/. I could make a similar platform, as I have the technical skills. Sorry, I really want to do something innovative in photography.

Is Skillfeed successful with millions of backing from Shutterstock? I dont think Skillfeed is a success. Why copy that idea? You are not being innovative, you are looking for other's ideas. Come up with something new with the prospect of potential and people will jump in.

I'm not trying to copy the ideas.

I had this idea, along with my social network + marketplace idea, and then noticed there were some competitors, even after I did a lot of research on landscape.

I'm not looking for people to agree by any means. I'm just looking for people's feedback.

My initial thought was making a social network + marketplace, and letting contributors keep 70+ percent and branding it sort of like an Apple model, would resonate will in some regards, to the community.

You are too late, its already out there, Symbiostock, and we get to keep 100%.

There is nothing innovative about what you are coming up with. You need to think outside the box.

I don't really understand Symbiostock. Do photographers like it? Why? Do they think it will succeed? How much do the websites cost per year for the photographer?

I'm just asking around, b/c I do have the technical background to make a very complicated product and I want to do something in photography. You guys should want me to try something, as I actually have the background.

I think you are taking the piss reading the parts in bold. This is where I go in lurker mode.

Bottom line is you have to offer the contributors something to make it worthwhile for them to join you in your new venture.

The top four or so microstock agencies offer a customer base.  This is what they offer in exchange for their cut.

Symbiostock offers the chance to keep all of the profit at the expense of not having an established customer base.

What would this new company offer? 

How does symbiostock make money then?

@chromaco,

So you're suggesting making Stocksy or something similar?

I have several years of making web apps, I have the skills to make this.

To be honest with you, I could make something like SymbioStock in less than a week, to give you an idea of where my skills are.

Pity you came late to the party, then.

To be honest with you, I could make something like SymbioStock in less than a week, to give you an idea of where my skills are.

I haven't read this entire thread but I think I got the idea. You want to build something innovative and feel you have the skills.

A lot of people here are pessimistic because every week someone comes here with an idea to build a site. They have no funding, no buyer base, no unique selling proposition, nothing attractive for contributors, and on and on. There's a whole laundry list of startup sites that contributors have invested time in that have failed so maybe you can understand the pushback.

The microstock distribution model is mature and in decline. To compete with the existing model you will need business experience in this industry, a massive amount of money, and a technical background.  You have one of those which is a good start. I believe Shutterstock's financial report said their annual sales and marketing costs are $33 million.

I think the opportunity is beyond just building a site. The next big thing will be a disruptive change in licensing and distribution.

@PaulieWalnuts


I think the opportunity is beyond just building a site. The next big thing will be a disruptive change in licensing and distribution.


Care to elaborate on this point? What do you mean by this? I don't know. I mean Thomas Hawk has argued that individual licensing could be huge: http://petapixel.com/2012/10/22/the-next-big-thing-in-the-photo-world-is-individual-licensing/


No one here seems to agree though?

You can already do that via many sites. I've had an individual person and a magazine licence photos I have on Flickr, and I'm not in any way touting them as being for sale.

 5 pages of nonsense

To be honest with you, I could make something like SymbioStock in less than a week, to give you an idea of where my skills are.

No one here knows you, your name is anonymous on here (mine is for a reason), people are giving you advice based on their experience, you do not seem to be offering anything innovative or unique. You keep quoting other companies that have tried and/or failed previously. You offer no credentials or supporting evidence of your abilites.

Whilst this forum can be negative and very clique based, the responses you have had have come from a wide variety of people and experience. It seems as though you are not saying "I have a great idea...." but more "What would be best for me to copy....."

Present an idea and then canvas opinions or support, even funding.

Leo brought Symbiostock to this forum, others have brought different reporting/submitting tools or other tools to make life easier for photographers, and received voluntary funding from the people using the services/tools.

Offer something different or substantative and the responses will be different.

Good luck anyway.