Ideation on social media, venture capital and startups 
Leveraging Ideas
June 2008
The Archives
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06.30.08Not to be Crude, but This is Reality Speaking
Tech'nomics CommentsI found a link to a new report from CIBC Word Markets that really made me pause to think. In the June 2008 issue of StrategEcon, Chief Economist, Jeff Rubin raised CIBC’s target for West Texas Intermediate by $20 per barrel to an average price of $150 in 2009 and by $50 per barrel to an average price of $200 per barrel by 2010. According to Rubin, “Under prevailing refinery margins that should translate into a near-$7 per gallon pump price within two years, a 70% increase from today’s already record levels.” Furthermore, Rubin says, “Over the next four years, we are ...
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06.27.08Could Anything Disrupt Google?
Social Media CommentsGoogle seems to be on a tear. The 100 pound gorilla in the technology space. Unstoppable. But… Storage space is increasingly a commodity as evidenced by Google's Gmail. What happens when a user can download the entire Internet? Searches could then be conducted instantaneously. Advertisements would be unnecessary. Thoughts?
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06.26.08What’s This Blog All About?
Social Media CommentsI started this blog back in 2006 with the intention of educating young people on technology and finance as well as to highlight the trends and experiences I was witnessing personally as an entrepreneur. Over the last two years, I've realized that I'm more interested in focusing on the environment of early-stage companies. To clarify, an early-stage company may or may not be a startup. Likewise, startups do not only need refer to technology-focused companies. Even the definition of early stage is disputed. What;'s considered early stage in Boston is likely very different from what's considered early stage in the Valley. So ...
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06.24.08Hybrid VC: The Preemptive Buyout Model Revisited
Venture Capital CommentsLast February I suggested a possible hybrid-model for venture capital firms: locating pre-VC backed technology plays, buying them on the cheap, then augmenting the companies with a pre-assembled all-star team of managers. Looks like Austin Ventures was listening: Today, Austin Ventures announced its second $50 million investment to back a seasoned entrepreneur to head this very model. Austin Ventures entered into a partnership with Sherman Atkinson to form ATCOR Holdings, Inc. The new company will focus on acquiring and operating businesses in high-growth sectors of online advertising, marketing and digital media. AV has committed $50 Million of equity capital to support management’s ...
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06.23.08How to Validate a Startup for Investment
Venture Capital CommentsThe early life-cycle of a startup is all about validation. Especially for first-time founders, the struggle is often to figure out what's missing or what can be done to convince an investor to take a chance and invest. Whether looking for funding, or convincing a prospect to become a customer, startups must provide outsiders with 'reasons to believe'. Unfortunately there are only a handful of ways this can be achieved. In this case I have made an attempt to highlight a hierarchy of validation points for startups during the fundraising process based on my own personal experience. It's my belief that ...
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06.19.08Inspiring, Teaching, Leading
My Experiences CommentsLast weekend I had my ten year high school reunion. Over the weekend I heard an amazing story about a well known faculty member. I want to share the story because to me it is the absolute definition of leadership. [Note: I have purposely decided against publishing this professor’s name for privacy reasons] I attended a boarding school in Connecticut. While I was there -- and for years before and after my own graduation – one professor stood out among the rest. Over his tenure of 49 years, he served as an inspiration in the classroom, on the playing field and in ...
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06.19.08Social Media Deal Flow Continues
Social Media, Venture Capital CommentsPaidContent has released its second installment of the Social Media Deals Report. The team analyzed deal flow a 15-month period starting in January 2007. Some highlights... Venture Investment in Social Media: Total number of investments: 400 Total number of disclosed investments: 341 valued at $2,763,715,000 Average investment size: $8,104,736 Best estimated value of overall investment in the space (disclosed and undisclosed): $3,074,215,000 total invested Acquisitions in the Social Media Space: Total number of acquisitions: 131 Total number of disclosed acquisitions: 41 disclosed valued at $13,422,310,000 Average acquisition size: $327,313,415 Click here to download a free executive summary
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06.18.08Personal Relationships Drive Investment
Venture Capital CommentsThe old adage for raising money is that investors invest in the team first and the product or service second. Therefore, if investors primarily invest in people, then what they are really investing in are relationships built on trust. This is why entrepreneurs tend to raise money from friends and family first – they know you best and trust you most. Though it's not easy, trust can be created from scratch. That said, if you've quickly burned through all your immediate prospects with whom you have significant pre-existing trust and relationships, you need to must be prepared for the consequences: fundraising ...
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06.16.08The Role of Tipping Point Marketing in Web 2.0
Brands and Marketing CommentsIn my last post I alluded to something I called tipping point marketing. This is a phenomenon that is hugely relevant to web 2.0 and well worth considering in early stages, in particular around a launch strategy. It's something I am currently thinking through with Workstreamer. There are a number of key industry events that have become literal ‘launch pads’ for new products and companies to debut. The best known is probably Techcrunch50, but others include DEMO, Web 2.0, and even South by Southwest. The idea behind tipping point marketing is straightforward. A startup *could* spend $50,000 over five months attempting ...
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06.15.08Get Your Viral On
Brands and Marketing CommentsSo you want to make your product or company go viral. The first thing to know is you don’t choose viral; viral chooses you. The best you can do as a marketer is position something to have viral potential. This is accomplished by positioning your product in three ways: Psychological Undercurrent Social Value Proposition Maneuverability Psychological Undercurrent. Sounds almost military, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. Psyops and captology relate to the art of influence. If you want something to become viral you need to appeal to that which is cool, unique, novel, sexy, exclusive or shocking. These are the things that make an ...
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