BLOG STARTUPS, VENTURE AND THE TECH BUSINESS
Author Archive
March 11 2011
by Todd Hixon
The Shape of VC Today
From its post-WW II beginnings to the mid ‘90s, small-to-medium size venture funds ($100m-$400m in today’s dollars) dominated U.S. venture capital. They launched much of the tech industry. Angel money was limited, and later stage funds were few. So VC was a bit like a prosperous gentleman: thicker in the middle, thinner at the top. ...
February 18 2011
by Todd Hixon
Positioning for On-Line Subscription Dollars
Apple’s announcement of its App Store Subscriptions revenue policy this week (link) has got a lot of people buzzing, tweeting, and thinking – usually not all at once ;-) – about the subscription part of the app economy. E.g., see my partner Scott’s thoughtful post about what it means for Android (link). The policy lays out Apple’s claim ...
February 3 2011
by Todd Hixon
When To Say Yes
2011 promises to be a good year for exits: economy healthier, stock market up, IPO window open, big tech companies with strong earnings and cash piles. Expectations for sorely-needed big exits are rising. I hope that happens. But let’s stay sober. I’m struck by how often venture boards overplay their hands in M&A negotiations. I’ve seen ...
January 30 2011
by Todd Hixon
The Hidden Truth About The Rich
Unless you are a media hermit, you have surely heard that: The distribution of wealth has become much more unequal in the last 20 years. Relatively few rich people control most of the world’s wealth, and this threatens to undermine democratic societies. “Rich” people means bankers, hedge fund managers, private equity managers, corporate CEOs, and ...
January 18 2011
by Todd Hixon
Honey Pots Wanted
We’ve made three investments in the business side of health care. We’re not a health care fund, not expert in treating disease or handicapping the odds of of new drug approval (except to say that they seem very poor). But we understand how new competitors using methods like eCommerce, software as a service, and new ...
January 11 2011
by Todd Hixon
Watersheds: Real & Wannabe
This is part 2 of my observations from CES 2011. Year of the Tablet: Not Quite Yet The media proclaimed 2011 the year of the tablet, and obedient to their editors’ direction, reporters found many tablets on the floor, e.g., HuffPost: 11 New Tablets You’ve Probably Never Heard Of From CES 2011. In truth, the ...
January 10 2011
by Todd Hixon
Rule The Air
CES 2011 is over, I write with relief as I await the plane home. Observations follow; this is part 1 of 2. It’s So Big! Various reports put attendance at between 140,000 and 160,000, up from 120,000 in 2010. The display floor was so vast (36 acres) and crowded that it’s hard to find what ...
December 8 2010
by Todd Hixon
What Are You Packing?
The Wall Street Journal recently ran a reader survey that asks, how many gadgets do you carry around with you [link]? They found one man who carries 18 gadgets weighing 26 lbs. in a backpack, including a full size laptop, an iPad, and a camera. WSJ reports his name is Phil Libin, and I think ...
November 30 2010
by Todd Hixon
The Back Waters of eCommerce
Internet retail sales are up 20% yr/yr for the four days after Thanksgiving, 2010. Mobile web and commerce have unprecedented momentum, argues Mary Meeker in yet another excellent Internet Trends presentation. [What a regret, by the way, that she is becoming a VC; it's like Alice Rivlin joining Fox News.] This has produced high-intensity conflict ...
November 12 2010
by Todd Hixon
Italy And The Long Tail
A recent trip to Italy made me think about the “Long Tail”, the name Chris Anderson of Wired coined for the many small, specialized producers in a market, who he argues benefit greatly from the Internet (original article here). Chris’ essay speaks mostly about media (movies, music, books), however, this idea has since been applied ...
