Category: The Future

The myth of “everything” – Responses to my view of Track

My post yesterday – specifically regarding the Great Track Debate – received several responses on Twitter, identi.ca and friendfeed. Many of these – really all of them were positive – but the debate is far from settled. I learned something very important from one discussion in particular – that there is a myth that permeates… Continue reading The myth of “everything” – Responses to my view of Track

The evolution of FFStream and the Great Track Debate

As those of you who follow me on twitter or friendfeed know FFStream – which I began discussing in this post – has evolved into FF-Filtered. The changes are not dramatic, but they are significant. FF-Filtered is now focused on providing “your friendfeed – filtered” – and as that implies what it does is filter… Continue reading The evolution of FFStream and the Great Track Debate

Pandora joins the 15% club (layoffs)

Pandora announced today that they have laid off 14% of staff in reaction to the state of the economy. Via TechCrunch: Music-streaming service Pandora joins the growing list of startups laying off employees to survive in a worsening economy. The company let go 20 people yesterday, or 14 percent of its staff. Founder Tim Westergren… Continue reading Pandora joins the 15% club (layoffs)

Paul Graham’s Advice to Startups

TechCrunch published a post referencing Paul Graham’s (of Y Combinator) advice on why you should start a company now. He makes some great points. I would argue that Mr. Graham’s advice should apply in any economic environment. A financial nuclear winter may be upon us, but many startups will still survive and even thrive in… Continue reading Paul Graham’s Advice to Startups

Can we please stop talking about monetization?

I can’t take it anymore – I just can’t. NOTE – this post was triggered by a fine post (and subsequent FriendFeed discussion) by Mark Evans – which you can find here. The idea that you can create a “cool” service, attract massive numbers of subscribers, and then monetize the subscriber base is insane. Always… Continue reading Can we please stop talking about monetization?

Only 55 VC Funds Raised Money In The Third Quarter (Down 29 Percent).

From TechCrunch. This pretty much speaks for itself. The important note is that all of this happened before the last 3 weeks during which the dow has fallen ~ 3000 points. This is not about doom and gloom for startups – it is about understanding the environment you are operating in. The third quarter saw… Continue reading Only 55 VC Funds Raised Money In The Third Quarter (Down 29 Percent).

The financial crisis – Finaly a levelheaded assessment: Fareed Zakaria GPS – Interview with George Soros

This morning I watched Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN. He interviewed George Soros who presented the most intelligent and balanced view of the current financial crisis I’ve seen yet. Soros – a free marketeer – points out that free markets are human constructs, just like governments – as such both are imperfect. His stance is… Continue reading The financial crisis – Finaly a levelheaded assessment: Fareed Zakaria GPS – Interview with George Soros

More articles predicting doom for startups

I feel like the grim reaper here… really I’m not throwing myself out a window. So why am I posting these? it is important for entrepreneurs to NOT bury their heads in the sand. I would also take a moment to point out that the majority of this news is coming from Silicon Valley –… Continue reading More articles predicting doom for startups

Turns out Angel Investors do not make much on investments…

From AZCentral’s Innovator’s Circle blog by Andrew Johnson: Fledgling companies often turn to “angel” investors when they’re trying to fund start-up costs. The term refers to individuals who invest small amounts of money – typically under $2 million – in early-stage firms. They hope to get a return on their investments once the firms start… Continue reading Turns out Angel Investors do not make much on investments…