BLOG STARTUPS, VENTURE AND THE TECH BUSINESS
August 2 2009
by Todd Hixon
Boston Innovation Culture — 2: Dean Kamen Speaks Out
In my last post I argued that Boston needs a stronger innovation and equity culture. Heroes and icons are a great source of that culture. Silicon Valley has a no shortage of icons (even if a few are a bit larger than life), eg:
Noyce, Moore, Grove, Kleiner from the Silicon era
Jobs, Joy, Clark, Ellison, ...
July 27 2009
by Todd Hixon
Boston Innovation Culture — 1
Last month (June) was Boston innovation month, a series of events, conferences, and seminars focused on innovation in the New England tech community.This is important. I had occasion last winter to take a serious look at the performance of Massachusetts versus Silicon Valley as innovation centers. This culminated in a presentation to the Oasis Group, ...
July 23 2009
by Stephen Marcus
Data: the new landfill
I’m currently out in Seattle at the 2nd Annual Tableau Customer Conference discussing tips and tricks on their software for the interactive visualization of data. Having been a customer for several years, I can honestly say that Tableau is one of the most useful pieces of software I’ve ever run across. Data is becoming a ...
July 16 2009
by John Backus
Where is the REFORM in all of the “Health Care Reform” bills being Debated in Congress?
I have a problem with the health care reform bills being bantied about these days on Capital Hill. Actually I have a few problems.
My problem with all of the “health care reform” proposals is that they don’t reform anything!
What do I mean by that? Let me count the ways:
1. There is no reform! All they ...
July 15 2009
by Tim Rowe
Non-compete agreements and trash cans
I wrote an article this morning for Xconomy about non-competes. A likened the way companies tie up employees to the way we Bostonians sometimes get it in our heads to tie up parking spaces with an old trash can. If you’ve spent hours digging out a parking space, by golly nobody else is going to park ...
July 15 2009
by John Backus
Why This? Why Now?
My partner Tim Rowe always asks in our investment committee meetings, “Why This? Why Now?”. It is a great pair of questions. And ones every entrepreneur should ponder when starting their business. It is really two separate questions, each of which I would argue needs a convincing answer to place the company in the category of ...
July 14 2009
by Todd Hixon
What The Financial Crisis Means For Entrepreneurs, Part 2: Course of Action
Part 1 painted a grim picture of the current state of entrepreneurial finance: reduced revenue for most companies, longer exit horizons, lower exit values, less venture money available from fewer funds, tough to raise follow-on rounds, and general uncertainty as the venture industry restructures. While revenues and exits should improve over the next several years ...
July 14 2009
by Thanasis Delistathis
Are we going to get our TV through the internet? Change is coming.
The internet is growing our entertainment choices and when we access it. Many of the shows people watch on TV can now be found on the internet. So why do I have a bill over $100 from Comcast for TV service in order to only watch 4-5 channels 90% of the time. Many other people ...
July 12 2009
by Todd Hixon
What the financial crisis means for entrepreneurs. Part 1: The Problem
The 2008 financial crisis had, at first, relatively mild impact on entrepreneurs. Ground zero for the crisis was the credit markets, but thankfully, start-ups seldom use credit. The economy began to slow but had substantial momentum through the end of 2008. The venture funds that fund start-ups had capital commitments that have been honored in ...
July 11 2009
by John Backus
Sell-To or Sell-Through?
Not a week goes by in our weekly investment committee meetings when one of us doesn’t ask the question, about a business we are evaluating, “Are they successful at selling through, or just selling to?”. The distinction may sound inconsequential. But I suggest that it is critical.
“Sell-to” means you are good at selling your product ...
