---
title: "Trends at SXSW 2011: RWW Founder Richard MacManus Interviewed by WebBeat.TV"
date: 2011-03-18
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2011"
    url: "/tag/2011.md"
---

# Trends at SXSW 2011: RWW Founder Richard MacManus Interviewed by WebBeat.TV

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20111227065641im_/http://rww.readwriteweb.netdna-cdn.com/images/webbeattv_sxsw11.jpg)At the end of [SXSW Interactive](https://web.archive.org/web/20111227065641/http://sxsw.com/interactive/), I was interviewed by [WebBeat.TV’s Pelpina Trip](https://web.archive.org/web/20111227065641/http://webbeat.tv/webbeat-tv-077-readwriteweb-com%E2%80%99s-richard-mcmanus-talks-about-web-trends-at-sxsw-2011/). We discussed what was, in my view, the main trend of the event: group messaging. The ReadWriteWeb team tested a couple of these products, [Beluga](https://web.archive.org/web/20111227065641/http://belugapods.com/) and [GroupMe](https://web.archive.org/web/20111227065641/http://groupme.com/). We ended up using Beluga for the duration of SXSW, to keep in touch with team members in real time (see also [Mike Melanson’s analysis](https://web.archive.org/web/20111227065641/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/group_messaging_why_now.php) of these apps). I also discussed with Pelpina the story that ReadWriteWeb’s Marshall Kirkpatrick broke at SXSW about[ a new social networking product from Google](https://web.archive.org/web/20111227065641/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_to_launch_major_new_social_network_called_c.php). It was arguably the biggest tech story published during the event and continues to generate discussion to this day. Full video below!

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/trends_at_sxsw_2011_webbeattv_interview.php))*