I've noticed a pattern in my own behavior recently. I find myself being more stringent with how I use the multitude of press releases I get in my inbox every day. I've always tried to use them well. I know I fall into patterns of posting those that seem important or are pertinent to companies I think are leaders or innovators. Even so, I find that sometimes I dig in and try to explain why I think a press release is important, while at other times I simply repost and point attention to some bit of news.

Today, one press release that came my way really struck a nerve. I won't share it, but you'll understand why. It spoke of creative innovation by providing a hosted VoIP PBX solution to support teleworkers. My immediate reaction was ho hum.

There's a syndrome in the industry that some of us who watch and write have talked about a lot. We call it the me too syndrome. Easy enough to understand. There's a plethora of companies in the marketplace right now that truly aren't innovators, leaders, or noteworthy in any way. We distill their solutions and find what they really say is "you know that commonplace stuff everyone else does? Me too, me too me too!!!"

Worse than that, the me too players often seem to differentiate themselves by shrieking their message, because the shrillest voice wins the market. Or perhaps the waller of investors. This grated on me because while some see a few recent venture capital investments as signs of a healthy market, when I look closely, I see what looks like investors being duped by the shrill voice of enthusiasm, drowning out healthy skepticism and sucking investor money into me too foolhardiness.

I'm not sure overvaluing a me too company does the investors any good. I can see how in some instances it might stimulate some small segment of the industry, but for the most part it just seems unwise.

There are a lot of companies I simply don't mention or write about because all I see is another me too play that doesn't differentiate itself from the rest. Every now and the I point one out. Sometimes I even ask them to help me see the value. One such company just closed a $105 million deal, and for the life of me, I can't see that kind of valuation being prudent in any way. I mean it's great for the small company, but what good does it really do the acquiring company or the investors?

If the press and news releases seem to be going through a light cycle here, it's for a reason. I've refocused on where the value is, who the leaders are and where the interesting things are going on. Me too simply isn't interesting or newsworthy.

The industry is filled with shining bright lights doing wonderful things. It's also rife with companies no more substantial in vision than magicians flash paper. We need to focus and be attentive to real advances, real solutions and real value without the distraction of flash, smoke and mirrors. Me too has neither substance nor merit in the business marketplace.

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