BLOG STARTUPS, VENTURE AND THE TECH BUSINESS
Posts Tagged ‘Venture Capital’
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 8 2011
by Scott Johnson
Is The UnGoogle Economy Viable?
Is there enough market to sustain a startup that competes directly with Google? This is an increasingly frequent topic, as we find ourselves asking entrepreneurs and our CEOs “what if Google decided to do this?” Back in the mid nineties, we used to ask this same question about Microsoft, as the graveyard of companies ...
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 ...
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 28 2011
by Scott Johnson
Mobile Clicks Are Garbage!
Most mobile advertisement banner clicks are accidental. The Harris group published a study yesterday saying this. Surprised? I’m not! Has anyone actually clicked a mobile banner on purpose? Really? I can’t imagine doing so – the experience is so bad. I think Shakespeare might have been thinking of mobile banner ads when he quipped “It is ...
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 18 2011
by Scott Johnson
Mobile Monetization 2.0
Mobile monetization 2.0 is going to happen in 2011. Marketing budgets against mobile are showing up in the hundreds of millions, some new monetization schemes (CPL and CPD) are paying good eCPMs, 4G is coming, and this is all really great news for entrepreneurs and mobile app publishers as everyone everywhere taps into mobile apps. ...
December 3 2010
by Scott Johnson
“Do Not Track” – Some Predictions to Guide Investment
Congress has proposed an opt-out capability for user tracking. Much has been written about Do Not Track, and I won’t rehash all of that. I will simply say I think it is a good idea, and in general expecting that any industry will effectively police itself is naive. What has not been widely discussed is: ...
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 17 2010
by Scott Johnson
Expanding “Opt In” to include “Claw Back.”
My partner Thanasis wrote a thoughtful piece about the trade-offs between privacy and convenience. Since I am a table pounding “opt-in” zealot, I felt compelled to weigh in. Opt-in is why Pontiflex is taking share so rapidly from legacy “email list brokers”. Opt-out is the reason Facebook got kicked in the gut when they launched Beacon, and how ...
