Maven is a term popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point. These are subject matter experts who play a critical role in success or failure of a product or service. Mavens tend to kick start the word-of-mouth epidemic. They differ from paid consultants as they pass on their advice not for money or business, but simply for the love of it! This very zeal of these seemingly weird people adds a greater credibility to their opinion. In today's superbly connected world, mavens have acquired a force to reckon with. They have access to new information weapons - blogs, communities, newsgroups and innumerable other virtual networking opportunities to express themselves and extend their reach.