Can we compete with big websites

Abhi

Some of those big websites are pathetic, have an agenda and are full of ads. Can we start a web / mobile project and survive up to 4-5 years with that if you do it neatly. Not compromising the visitor experience by falling into those monetising pits.

I mean a forum or a blog or a web service which an individual or a group of talented people decorate as a startup.

phenomlab

Abhi Well, Phenomlab.com is into it's second year, and has a naturally grown audience. It's not huge, but still has a high visitor and hit rate - mostly thanks to the content it provides for free.

Abhi

phenomlab mostly thanks to the content it provides for free.

Nice to know 🙂

admin

Mostly no. I have seen many websites come up great. A talent at the head and a good team. In the end some giant shark will come and swallow them. Most of the time, it will destroy the product trying to monetise it in an aggressive manner.

Abhi

I think organic SEO is the deciding factor. If someone good at SEO is with you, there is a good chance that you will make it through.

admin will come and swallow them

That is one way of seeing it. Yes, you will get a lot of tempting offers and threats as well.

admin destroy the product trying to monetise it in an aggressive manner.

Even the team can do that. But sparingly. Most of the time the honour goes to the third party

admin

Abhi organic SEO is the deciding factor

It certainly is

Abhi If someone good at SEO is with you, there is a good chance that you will make it through.

Definitely. But remember, the other side is also capable of doing this

Abhi Even the team can do that. But sparingly.

There is a very less chance that an original team will break a successful project. An exception is Cynogenmod. The founders got into some issues with each other ( from what I read ). I will say that big companies will incite such unrest if you are not willing to part.