Former Sun CEO launches new startup using just Twitter

Sun Microsystems co-founder and former CEO Scott McNealy is taking an unconventional approach to launching his new startup: He’s using little more than Twitter to publicize it.

McNealy’s new startup is called WayIn and the company’s website is essentially barren of information outside of a few job postings. However, it does tell visitors to follow the Twitter accounts of @wayin and @scottmcnealy for updates.

McNealy used Twitter on Wednesday for a “live” Q&A session that included vague information about what WayIn actually does and explained why the startup would be based in Colorado instead of a traditional Silicon Valley locale. The tweets suggested WayIn would have an environmental focus, would sell its services to enterprises, and that they were currently looking to hire engineers, programmers, and mobile developers.

While WayIn’s mission and purpose are unclear, McNealy is doing his best to promote the company through social media and to drive conversations about his new company. If a generic startup tried to work this angle, it probably wouldn’t have a chance of generating buzz. But McNealy has a reputation as an experienced, well-versed businessman, so he’s one of the few people uniquely qualified to leverage the power of social media so it can cut through the noise and attract potential investors and employees.

What do you think of solely using Twitter to launch a new startup?