> Is this really that important to MandrakeSoft? Don't get caught up in
>allowing Walmart to dictate the terms. What is more important stable
release
>or Nov 1st target. If Walmart won't take it past a given date,
politely
>remind them about how well the product is selling at Staples. (Yes lie,
make
>up imaginary sales figures, whatever).
As someone who has dealt with Wal-Mart in the past I would be willing to
lay a few house payments on the line that:
1) The Wal-Mart Channel *IS* that important to the revenue stream of a
small company like Mandrake.
2) You can't lie to Wal-Mart. They've got way more resources than you or
Mandrake or the two of you and my small company put together. You can
bet you butt that someone inside Wal-Mart knows *EXACTLY* how well
Mandrake sells.
and
3) When you deal with the largest retailer in the world (Wal-Mart) you
deal with them on their terms, not yours. They make or break you, you
don't make or break them.
So Wal-Mart bullys MacMillian, MacMillian bullys Mandrake, and we suffer
because Wal-Mart forces the Mandrake publish date to fall early exactly
the same way they were able to push the Play Station 2 release date
before the manufacturing failities were ready. (Do you really think
anyone wanted the Play Station 2s to be scalped on eBay for the
outragous prices we see. Hell no, but they *SURE* didn't want them to be
excluded from the Wal-Mart Christmas sales!)
Keep in mind that Mandrake is really just a small company with a handful
of people trying to break into the big time. They've already landed a
few big fish (Macmillan, etc.) and now have to play by the real world
market rules. I sure hope they make it, but I'm clearly aware that the
highway is littered with bodies of other companies on that same route.
The only one who can bully Wal-Mart is the consumer.
Michael
