With Web 2.0, the open style, the modification of web services and the ability to put together applications through mashups makes the basic development costs much lower and time to market much quicker. More effort can be placed on making the tools actually serve business and consumer needs. Startups can also benefit from looking back at the mistakes and successes of the first generation. I think mashups, blogs and Wikis have got more press but mashups may end up having the most impact, especially within the enterprise. While good business execution remains key to any success, it seems that possibilities for internet visionaries remains greater now and opportunities are less likely to be science fiction.

This ease of development makes new visions more attractive to venture capitalists who can see greater potential and quicker pay-offs for their investments. There is also a potential parallel within the enterprise.

Another major difference is the rise of user-generated content, lowering content development costs and increasing participation at the same time. In Web 1.0 almost all content was created by organizations and fed to users. In Web 2.0 over 60% of content is developed by individuals. Now companies like IBM and Web Ex are moving to provide enterprise tools in this new space that should lead to much quicker and cheaper paths to the realization of visions.