Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
Image courtesy of the awesomely cool Russell Beattie I remember in 2001 when I first heard about RSS. Back then, we still called them weblogs, and there were so few blogs that it was news when a new one started. For example, I distinctly remember reading excitedly about a promising new VC blogger named Jeff … Continue reading The Death of the Feed
The US spends more on healthcare than any other nation. We spend more on education than all but Switzerland. Yet the results we get are poor because our approach is wrong. So why would things be any different for your average startup? Money is a turbo booster. It allows you to get to your destination … Continue reading Money is not the answer
My sincerest apologies, dear reader, for having neglected you for so long. I’ve been extremely busy with work, and I’ve finally come up for air. The ironic thing is, I actually have tons of blog posts already loaded in the system–I’ve been so busy, I haven’t even had 90 seconds to send them out. My … Continue reading Blogging Update
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” –Mark Twain
I recently ran across this post from Justin Vincent, where he argues that entreporn–the overwhelming focus on chasing “the next big thing”–holds developers back from their full potential. Instead, he writes: “The absolute truth is that each and every one of us can build a business that can support us.” That’s bullshit. While Vincent makes … Continue reading What If Every Developer Focused On Lifestyle Businesses?
Start thinking of investors as job applicants. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of investor promiscuity–they’ll get in bed with anyone with an open wallet. You need to be as picky with potential investors as you are with potential employees, if not more. Remember, you can’t fire your investors. Conversely, investors should figure out how they … Continue reading Investors Are Job Applicants
One of the things Jason enjoys is making up fake song titles. Here the list he came up with today: Granpa [sic] was an apeBoringLovely SpleenI twink – Mel GibsonSour BartyLunch MeetGookySon of a, Diddle, Exhausting, Stinkin’ EggsSunk BatBonyMagical Thieves – Return of the LeanMini Ha Ha (The Joke is on you)Matter Bald TopMr. RevereMebaWhat?Anything … Continue reading Jason’s Made-up Songs
This insight comes from famed TV producer Stephen Bochco (Doogie Howser, NYPD Blue) by way of Neil Patrick Harris, who told the story on Kevin Pollak’s chat show.Harris became a TV star at a very young age, thanks to Bochco, but after his run as Doogie Howser ended, he went through a long dry spell. … Continue reading The Parable of the Waves
My recent post on the diatom bloom in the startup ecosystem prompted calls for me to dig deeper and provide more data. Far be it from me to disappoint! Chris Tacy asked, are we seeing too many startups? It’s a loaded question, but a good one. My instinctive reaction is that it’s always good to … Continue reading Can We Ever Have Too Many Startups?
You can think of the startup ecosystem as a food chain, with different species fulfilling different ecological niches. Angel Investors feed on tiny early-stage deals, while VCs gobble up bigger deals. Private equity, corporate buyers, and the public markets make up the higher reaches of the chain. What we’re going through now is the equivalent … Continue reading The Diatom Bloom in Investing