Originally Posted by MisterPeabody

I was sitting here thinking about all the changes I've seen in this Industry since January , 2009 (that's when Mister Peabody World, the network, was born). Seems like such a short time ago, barely 2.5 years, and yet I've seen:

The ePassports debacle
Countless programs closing left-and-right
Visa changing its' regulations so no more over the limit purchases, etc
The end of Xsells (and those tiny pre-checked boxes of gold)
Charlie Sheen cavorting with porn stars - and giving porn stars a bad name
The rise of "free porn"
The decline of the "little guy" affiliate, formerly the backbone of most programs
Piracy on a level never before seen
Paysites being sold and consolodated into larger programs
Less and less content being shot
DVD sales dying
New technologies emerging and, while creating new, untapped revenue streams, has also left a lot of programs in the dust, unable to adapt to rising technological demand...

...and I'm sure I'm leaving out all kinds of "big" (and terrible) things that have happened in the last 2.5+ years.

So after the sale of YouPorn and Twistys to Manwin, AVN's purchase of GFY (and other acquisitions) it got me wondering:

What is still possible in today's porn climate? Is growing a company even possible any longer? And, if so, how big could one get today?

We're not talking Manwin-sized companies, either. They have the capital and footprint to squash anyone, if they wanted to. No, I'm talking about a small-to-mid-level company (under 2 million in gross rev, let's say) being able to grow to even the size of a Twistys, let alone a Hustler or Penthouse.

The future looks bleak for established companies but what about the "little guys" with dreams of becoming one of the "big guys"? Is it all a pipe dream or is that kind of growth and success still possible, even today?

Your thoughts kindly welcomed.