This is my first post on the Skype blog, so I figured I’d introduce myself. I’m Rodrigo Madanes and I work at Skype as the Chief Product Strategist. Basically, I look at where we’re taking the products.

A few months ago, I was interviewed by Bradley Jones for a book he was putting together, titled “Web 2.0 Heroes”. The book consists of interviews with many figures in Web 2.0, each made into a chapter (mine was one of them). I wanted to share with you some of the things we discussed.

A nice part of the conversation was around whether Web 2.0 has real benefits for consumers. It was so easy for me to talk about real benefits, since I see them every day! My mom lives in Spain, and many of my friends live in Argentina. So I use Skype regularly to stay in touch with people that are close to me.

Another fun part of our talk was about what industries are being impacted by Web 2.0. It was interesting talking about Skype because I can see the beginning of a long term transformation in telecommunications. And it goes beyond free calling. It includes video and presence and the ability to migrate in a conversation between chats, and voice, and media sharing. These experiences are very liberating for consumers. I should know, since I am one of them.

Then we talked a bit about the other industries that are being impacted by Web 2.0. And it was interesting talking about various industries. Advertising, for instance, is in the middle of a tornado, as a vast amount of advertising money is being shifted to the internet. Television and media are still in the early stages of disruption, and we’re going to see a lot more impact in the years to come.

With the publisher’s kind permission, I’ve attached the chapter as a PDF in case you want to read further. If you enjoy the read, go buy the book, Web 2.0 Heroes.