Just when you think a startup stuffed with talent is destined for big things, they Pull a Patzer (a move where a very promising company sells too early to a bigger, cash-rich suitor.) I had such high hopes for Push Pop Press and I thought they could redefine the idea of publishing. Anyone who saw Our Choice (an amazing iPad book-app) could easily see what I meant — these guys could have been the next big thing. John Gruber in his review put it best:
Push Pop’s concept strikes me as far more ambitious: What can we do with the idea of a “book” if we eliminate the limitations of ink and paper, rather than mimic them? E-books that aren’t merely rendered by software, but rather e-books that are software.
Instead they are now going to be acquired by Facebook, where in all likelihood, they are going to work on photo albums or something similar. Mark’s baby might be the world’s largest social network, but it is not exactly known for its design powers. On the flip side, Facebook bought FriendFeed and Beluga and put the apps on a path to nowhere but put the founders of those start-ups to good use.
Nevertheless, my congratulations to team Push Pop Press. I am going to miss your amazingness!
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