BLOG STARTUPS, VENTURE AND THE TECH BUSINESS
Author Archive
November 10 2010
by Scott Johnson
Appointment Viewing
Someone who’s opinion I highly respect posited to me that appointment viewing of video, except for live sports, was on its way to zero; that all pre-recorded TV would be consumed on demand. I disagree, and I say why below, but this got me thinking about how we will consume different types of video content ...
October 12 2010
by Scott Johnson
Why I Invested in Fashion Playtes (Again)
Fashion Playtes recently announced an oversubscribed up round led by our friends at Fairhaven Capital. The company has a platform enabling custom clothing design by tween girls (ages 6-12). It is a simple concept really. Girls can go on the web and choose different embellishments to be sewn onto dresses, shirts, pants, bags, etc. ...
October 4 2010
by Scott Johnson
The Future of the App Store
I have been trying to clarify my vision of the evolution of the mobile app ecosystem. As the handheld becomes our primary media and service consumption vehicle, a lot is at stake in becoming the app of choice for consumers in every category. The next five years are land grab time, and a lot of ...
October 1 2010
by Scott Johnson
Brain Snacks – Gaining User Addiction
When you think about it, Facebook, Zynga, Twitter and YouTube have one important thing in common: they are very easy to snack on and highly addictive. Kinda like chocolate – delicious and not too bad for you. Casually scrolling your FB feed, scrolling your tweets, farming in farmville, or browsing short videos are like a mini ...
August 19 2010
by Scott Johnson
August Slow Down, Where Art Thou?
In the previous century, the investment world took a mild breather in August ahead of the Q4 rush. I used to appreciate the slower pace as a time for unplugged reflection and time with family. But I have noticed an interesting shift in the last ten years. August is no longer sacred. You can’t blame ...
July 14 2010
by Scott Johnson
The Six Step Venture Capital Investment Process
Every venture firm has pretty much the same six step process. It is not hard to understand, and every firm puts their own spin on it. But you can pretty much count on these six steps occurring in sequence before you will see any cash in your bank account.
June 16 2010
by Scott Johnson
iPhone 4.0: This Must Be Important
I just read that early iPhone 4.0 sales are ahead of 3Gs sales. This is impressive, but I am not surprised. Anecdotally, I am hearing that iPhone owners all want this phone immediately. This is not just from well-heeled VCs. It is from babysitters and people in line at the bagel store. And it is ...
June 11 2010
by Scott Johnson
Arrogant Companies
If there is one thing that success inexorably leads to in a company culture, it is arrogance. Arrogance in turn leads to complacency, blindness to threats and a loss of touch with reality. Further, it motivates your competitors to join forces against you. I believe arrogance is a big part of why it is so ...
May 26 2010
by Scott Johnson
Brand Advertisers: Not Stupid At All
On the face of it, when you look at old vs new media ad spend, the big dollars go to the old media while the bulk of the time and attention goes to new media. “The advertisers must be crazy or stupid or both” is the quick, logical conclusion to this paradox. Not true!
April 15 2010
by Scott Johnson
When to Make a Lot of Noise
It seemed in the past that grabbing maximum investor mind share early was the best and only strategy. Maximize hype and valuation at every round of investment? Bad idea.
