Huckabuck is a meta search engine, meaning they scrape the Google, Yahoo, MSN, Digg, Del.icio.us and Technorati for search results, and then return the data to you in a really neat way. Well, they’ve decided to sell their web application on eBay. I’ve really, really liked their interface and the thought they put into the search tuner, which is a sliding “scale of importance” that makes their appliction stand out from other meta search engines.
A screenshot of Huckabuck with the “search tuner” open.
Now, if only they had used my application List’d Express to create their eBay listing. Our templates would have spiced the layout up nicely. We might even have created a special template just for them.
Huckabuck for sale on eBay
Check out the Huckabuck blog too, a great example of viral marketing and customer interaction.
If you want to get your hands on a well designed meta search engine, this is a great opportunity. Sale of it means that they weren’t able to figure out a solid business model for it, but that doesn’t mean that something can’t be done with it that will create some cash flow. Depending on how much it goes for, anyone want to buy this with me?
August 31, 2006 at 1:09 pm
Hi Erik –
Thanks for the great write up and your thoughts on our going to auction. You are exactly right, we feel like we have built a great metasearch engine here, but we haven’t generated the traffic yet to make the business model sustainable. But it definitely could be done by the right team. We hope this auction helps Huckabuck find just that group.
On another note, I actually am a white african too. I was born in Nigeria, and grew up in Nairobi. Maybe that’s why we have the same sensibilities in our search engines. 😉
Thanks again. Cheers,
Chris
August 31, 2006 at 1:21 pm
Just another shout out from Huckabuck. Thanks for the mention. I echo Chris’ comments. We’re glad people are getting that this isn’t the end for us, or some signal of impending doom. We’re just moving on and getting ready for the launch of three new technology products later this year. We love Huckabuck, it’s been an amazing project and hope we can find it a great new home! bk
August 31, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Chris, very interesting! We’ll have to get in touch sometime. Two of us white Africans who grew up in Kenya that work in the web technology field in the US? There’s just not that many who fit that same mold. 🙂
Any company that puts out as good of an application as Huckabuck is far from done. There’s just way to much talent there. I’ll be standing by to see what you guys come up with next, I’m sure it’ll be amazing too.