BLOG STARTUPS, VENTURE AND THE TECH BUSINESS
Author Archive
September 2 2011
by John Backus
AT&T’s Sneaky Pricing: Customer Service #Fail!
If customer service matters, then the DOJ should block AT&T’s purchase of T-Mobile. OK, a bit draconian, but, now I have your attention. I have been an AT&T wireless customer for a long time. In fact we have 3 AT&T wireless accounts in our house, all with pricey iPhone data plans. I also have the ...
July 30 2011
by John Backus
Worst Analysis of Entrepreneurship and VCs EVER!
Wow. It isn’t often that I drop everything after I read and article and feel compelled to respond. But I was dumbstruck when I read this piece in the Washington Post today. It was titled: Five myths about entrepreneurs. In around 1000 words, he went on to trash the National Venture Capital Association, Peter Thiel, ...
May 12 2011
by John Backus
E-Commerce 2.0: The Birth of Companies Worth $50B in Market Value
A new wave of e-commerce is upon us, but most people do not yet understand it. No, I am not talking about fashion flash sales here (though Gilt, Moda Operandi and Zulily are building very valuable businesses here.) And no, I am not talking about the wave of discount group buying that Groupon, LivingSocial and ...
March 10 2011
by John Backus
The Best Place to Set-up your Startup
VentureBeat recently ran an article I authored that looked at the investing trends on the East Coast. Please check it out here: What fascinated me was that for the last 10+ years, Silicon Valley and the East Coast I-95 corridor have accounted for for 2/3 of all US venture investments. And in any given year, ...
February 9 2011
by John Backus
Verizon’s Sneaky iPhone Data Throttling Strategy: Can You Hear me Now?
I think the Verizon iPhone is going to be big, for Verizon as well as for Apple. While it is not going to derail the proliferation of Android phones, I do think it will slow down the Android penetration, for a while, at least in the United States. But is Verizon trying to pull a ...
February 1 2011
by John Backus
Startup America: Where’s the Beef?
At age 84, Wendy’s pitchwoman Clara Peller introduced Americans to the phrase, “Where’s the beef?” As I read the much-hyped announcement from the Obama Administration about Startup America, I felt as if I was channeling Clara Peller. Where’s the beef, I ask? I love entrepreneurs. At New Atlantic Ventures we see entrepreneurs every day who ...
January 24 2011
by John Backus
What’s your Rx for Health Care?
While we watch legislators attempt to repeal health care reform, I though it was about time I express my personal frustrations with the system, make some suggestions, and start a productive discussion about big opportunities for entrepreneurs. On Tuesday January 25, 2011 President Obama will give his State of the Union address and will no ...
January 21 2011
by John Backus
There’s a Slide For That!
The purpose of this blog post is to help entrepreneurs avoid looking “canned” when they pitch VCs. Every entrepreneur is passionate about their business, and a pitch to a VC is an important moment in the life of most startups. I hope that this post helps entrepreneurs see their pitches through our eyes – and ...
January 6 2011
by John Backus
Why NAV invested in HealthWarehouse – prescription drugs online
Sometimes an investment opportunity comes along which seems so compelling, so obvious, so right, even if it bends or breaks a few traditional venture capital rules. HealthWarehouse is one of those companies. HealthWarehouse is a public company. Call it an accidental public company – one that merged into a public shell in 2009. HEWA is ...
October 15 2010
by John Backus
2 Ways to Build a $1 Billion Business from Scratch
(Read on: $40 Wine and Clothing discount codes inside!) At New Atlantic Ventures, we see over 1000 quality new business ideas each year (I don’t say business plans because I can’t remember the last time someone sent me a classic “plan.) We meet with a few hundred and we fund half a dozen. Really, not ...
