VRW: There was a boom in web publishing business in the mid-2000s. With excess supply, however, there had been an issue in quality (i.e., content farms, link farms and the like). This skewed the web a bit toward poor quality copycats, that Google eventually had to react. What do you think is the next big trend in publishing, whether positive or negative?

ND: I really think PR and SEO are converging. Ever since Matt Cutt’s outlash on guest posting, smart SEO and content marketing agencies started rethinking their strategies to better service their clients. The key concept here is developing high quality content and engaging in meaningful partnerships that will lead to brand awareness and lead generation. You have to target top marketers and publications to have a positive effect. The days of link building from “good PageRank” websites are over – It’s all about quality over quantity now.

VRW: Going beyond the web, what is your opinion on connected devices, Internet-of-Things and such technologies? Will the likes of smartwatches, smart glasses, wearable computers, self-driving cars, connected home appliances, eventually change the way businesses connect with customers or other businesses (B2C and B2B) online?

ND: Yes and no. While we might use different tools to connect with our customers, one thing always stays the same, and that is personal service. I personally think that it doesn’t matter if you use email, phones or glasses. In the end, if on the other line is another user waiting for a certain service and if you aren’t able to provide great service, it really doesn’t matter how the user connects with you because you probably lost him.

VRW: What is your opinion on last-mile Internet, such as services that Facebook and Google want to provide emerging markets on a cheap, subsidized or free basis? Will free Internet access eventually improve lives of people in emerging economies who have no other means of getting online?

ND: I think these countries have bigger problems. This might not be a popular opinion, but I think that some emerging markets, as you call them, have more urgent issues than internet connectivity. Running water, electricity for all — these are much more essential to help improve the lives of people. Having said that, it’s definitely still a step in the right direction. Everything that can help is more than welcomed.

VRW: If I’m an entrepreneur or aspiring founder, what business should I get into at this time? How do I cultivate my ideas into a viable business?

ND: My best advice would be to solve a problem nobody has solved before, or find a problem and solve it better than others. Got competition? Good, because it means that this niche is saturated. I would be more afraid of zero competition than some competition, unless your startup/idea is really revolutionary.

Never shy away from competition, unless we’re talking about a tycoon or a giant you can’t defeat, then, it would just be outright stupid to challenge. Another piece of advice would be to learn how to delegate, which is still an issue to me, but I’m getting there. Often entrepreneurs trust only themselves, which can be good at the beginning, but at a certain point you have to have talented minds around you and there is simply no other way to scale up.

VRW: What is your favorite thing about being in this line of business?

ND: I’ve been doing this for seven years — I consider myself a dinosaur! I love the fact that I have my own business and I get to be my own boss, choosing when to wake up, how many hours to work every day and the sense of freedom I have.

Featured image credit: Social connections / Shutterstock