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September 2007

The Archives

• 09.28.07
  New York, I’m Back
  My Experiences

  Unbelievably, I forgot to announce on this blog that I am moving back to New York. As of Sunday I will be based out of Brooklyn Heights -- returning to the city I left almost four years ago. With that said, here is an ode to my time in DC. When I arrived in DC I was doing securities litigation, studying for the LSAT and thinking I would join the ranks of K Street lawyers. I came to DC largely because I didn't know anyone here and I didn't want to do what all my other friends were doing ’“ ...
  
  
• 09.28.07
  Business Idea: Premium Email Addresses
  My Experiences

  Yesterday I started wondering what email providers celebrities use. Does Jessica Beil use Gmail on her Blackberry Pearl? Maybe she uses Yahoo? Based on the success of aSmallWorld, I see a great opportunity for someone to market a hot new ’premium email service’ that is invite only. It would have insane advertising opportunities and would be super viral. Uber premium, exclusive stuff such as the Amex Centurion (Black) card has a powerful stigma. I think this is an area to be capitalized on. Anyone know if such a thing already exists?
  
  
• 09.28.07
  Paul Kedrosky on Wallstrip
  Tech'nomics

  A few highlights from Wallstrip's Kedrosky interview: "Tech stocks are a heaven from subprime" "The only time the business works (venture capital) is when something is completely out of control" "I'm not that interested in the web2 stuff...I'm not convinced where the exits are. There is more money to be made in other places." See Video (once available on Youtube I will embed here)
  
  
• 09.25.07
  Valuations and Either Or Statements: MySpace vs. Facebook
  Social Networking

  There has been a ton of buzz the last two days over Microsoft's rumored $500M investment in Facebook (according to the Wall Street Journal). This investment would suggest Facebook’s valuation is now $10 Billion, a number Peter Thiel suggested earlier, but now may think is too low. The media has also been suggesting that logically MySpace, with momentarily more users than Facebook, must then be worth more than $10 Billion. This logic is flawed because from a valuation perspective (discounting forward looking future earnings) these platforms are mutually exclusive plays. The issue as I see it is that with social ...
  
  
• 09.25.07
  Does Gender Matter When You Start a Company?
  Entrepreneurship

  The Small Business Administration recently released a report titled: "Are Male and Female Entrepreneurs Really That Different?" The study's main conclusion is that, when other factors are controlled, gender does not affect a new ventures performance. However, the approach and type of business started is impacted by the gender of the entrepreneur. For example, women and men often decide to become entrepreneurs for different reasons: men are more likely to start a technology business and to start a business with a primary objective of making money. Women are more likely to operate in low risk and non-profit business sectors. Interestingly, ...
  
  
• 09.21.07
  Are NDA’s a Waste of Time for Startups?
  Entrepreneurship

  NDAs, Non-Disclosure Agreements, are (in theory) one of the small protections afforded to entrepreneurs looking to protect an idea. However, most VC's will refuse to sign them for a number of reasons. Entrepreneurs wrongly assume that venture folk are the most trustworthy people alive. Under this assumption, the same entrepreneurs will gladly fork over the 'secret sauce' during a pitch in hopes of securing funding -- this is a serious mistake. By not signing an NDA, a VC is simply making a weak promise not to disclose information. But, in actuality, VCs are the persons with the most reasons to ...
  
  
• 09.20.07
  The OC 2.0
  Pop Culture

  Just watched the series premiere of Gossip Girl, which is basically the OC '2.0' but with more sex, drugs and rock and roll and done' EC' style (East Coast, duh). The show takes place on the Upper East Side and is based on a book series. The Mysterious Gossip Girl posts and texts the latest updates of high school happenings to her blog. Maybe next she’ll start Twittering. Sadly, I think I'm hooked.
  
  
• 09.18.07
  Is Web 2.0 Relevant Anymore?
  Social Media

  Web 2.0 was a term coined about three years ago. The term was both ambiguous and timely ’“ so much so, that it quickly took a life of its own among various demographics. Since 2004, no one has been able to agree upon a standard definition -- but this is not surprising. 'Web 2.0' is really an encapsulation of the greater economy: major trends relating to the internet, human communication patterns and investment opportunities. As such, agreeing upon a definition would be impossible because the change means different things to different people. For entrepreneurs, web 2.0 represents a new movement ...
  
  
• 09.17.07
  A Word on Facebook Applications: Part 1
  Social Networking

  As reported from Compete.com, Facebook received 15.7 billion page views in August making it the third highest entity for page views online. The major catalyst for this run has been Facebook Applications. In fact, ’attention’ (a new metric) has grown over 50% since Facebook opened its platform to Applications. Attention combines engagement (measured by time) and traffic (measured by unique visitors) into a single, more holistic look at a website's value. During the month of August 14 Million persons interacted with Facebook Applications -- an incredible number especially considering that ~16 Million browsed photos in August. This means that nearly ...
  
  
• 09.16.07
  Mos Def(initely) Worth Thinking About
  My Experiences

  Generally I stay away from political commentary on this blog. However, the other night I caught the most recent Real Time with Bill Maher, featuring Professor Cornell West, and Mos Def. Mos Def brought forth an issue that I found fascinating and sad - primarily because it forced me to really contemplate the 'bubble' I live in, and the major divisions that continue to persist in this country (but which are constantly swept under the rug). As frequently happens, the topics of Iraq, Bush (show was taped September 7th) and Civil Rights permeated the debate. After Bill questioned Mos Def ...
  
  

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