BLOG STARTUPS, VENTURE AND THE TECH BUSINESS
October 18 2011
by John Backus
6 Ways to Build a Business: Go Big or Do it From Home
Build your small business around a successful big business and your odds of success are high. Not a week goes by when an entrepreneur pitching me to land venture capital funding tells me that they are going to be the next Google, Facebook and Apple. As a venture capitalist, I like and invest in ambitious ...
October 14 2011
by Todd Hixon
How Entrepreneurs Can Survive and Prosper In The Political Crisis
We’re in the midst of a political crisis that has been a century in the making: in the U.S. and Europe the bill has come due for a welfare state that demographic trends and escalating health costs make unaffordable, which has been financed with debt and future promises. The political system is mostly seeking ways to ...
October 6 2011
by John Backus
iPad vs Fire – The Winner may Surprise You!
As a VC, I felt compelled to write my first blog for Huffington Post – which I have also posted here - inspired by one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time: Steve Jobs. He was a brilliant inventor. His creations left an indelible mark on the world. And he left some important lessons to ...
September 27 2011
by Todd Hixon
What the Political Crisis Means For Entrepreneurs
The recent downgrade of U.S. sovereign debt, and the ongoing debt crisis in Europe stem from a century-in-the-making political crisis, which is creating big economic uncertainty: inability to borrow could throw major countries into recession, and interest rates, tax rates, and government spending will see major change that is hard to predict. The crisis will ...
September 26 2011
by Scott Johnson
My 5 Laws of Consumer Behavior
We are pitched with consumer business ideas all the time. Many of them are asking consumers to change behavior, which requires time and learning, which requires effort, which all consumers abhor. Only absurdly great value propositions can overcome this trait. The business ideas I like best recognize the following laws of adult consumer behavior: 1) ...
September 20 2011
by Thanasis Delistathis
Facebook launches “Subscribe” button: worlds collide
In a bid to stay ahead of competitors Twitter and Google+, Facebook quietly launched a new way to share and receive news on its network. It’s called the “Subscribe” button and allows me to follow “public” news updates of other Facebook users even if they are not friends in my network. That comes on the ...
September 19 2011
by Scott Johnson
Direct Marketing 3.0 – The Social Era
One place where there is growth aplenty thesedays is good old direct marketing, which search reinvented last decade. This decade, social media is reinventing it once again. Picture this: You’re playing a social game like Mafia Wars on Facebook and you want more “credits.” So you type “Drink Dr. Pepper” into a box, and then buy a ...
September 14 2011
by Todd Hixon
What the Downgrade Means for Entrepreneurs: Part 1, What’s Happening
A downgrade of the U.S. sovereign credit rating has never happened before, so it’s worth examining what it means for entrepreneurs. This is the first of three posts, focused on what’s happening. Part 2 will look at the impact on entrepreneurs and the venture market, and Part 3 will suggest how entrepreneurs can survive and ...
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 ...
August 8 2011
by Todd Hixon
Tablets Turn 18
We’re now 18 months post the iPad announcement. Like an 18 year-old, the tablet has matured a lot, but still has a way to go. Here are some key things I have learned. Tablets are a new, major segment of the mobile device market, 40-50 million units this year, a big fraction of the ~250m ...
