Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

The browser and thus the WWW and the first Internet businesses were born circa 1994–95 and there was a golden period where anything seemed possible. I have often thought that creative endeavors where one has a quick turn-around between idea and realization of one’s work as one of the more fulfilling experiences in life. It was 1991.

Valuation 466

Valuation San Francisco Ratchet Liquidation Preference 466

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

Internet scale. The first company represents a normal software company that sells its products directly (either via sales staff or directly off of the internet). In many Internet startups 80% of the operating costs will be people. Let’s call it the “super high growth” Internet company. Growth matters.

Startup 418

Startup Revenue Technical Review Flash 418

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 29, 2009

Advertising has driven the majority of Internet innovation. Users were outraged. “The Internet is free, you can’t make money off it! I know that it sounds weird to those that don’t remember those days but people were pissed off that the Internet was becoming commercialized. It’s for all of us.

Technical Review 286

Technical Review Advertising Early Stage Internet 286

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

And if you accept that premise then you have to accept that the future of the Internet will be dominated by video. Think of the Internet, short-formate equivalent of Discovery, NatGeo, E! People aren’t going to fundamentally change their media consumption patterns just as consumers don’t fundamentally change their diets.

Video 339

Video Technical Review Distribution Aggregator 339

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2013

The future of the Internet is video. 10 signs Internet TV is Ready to Disrupt the Industry. If you want to understand my thesis behind Maker you can read this article that outlines the trend , but in summary: People watch 5.3 hours of TV / day. They read less than 30 minutes. You can’t change media consumption patterns easily.

Video 320

Video Los Angeles Technical Cofounder CTO Hire 320

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

There was a lot of consumer internet activity again…resurgence of things, but it was still mysterious, venture capital was still kind of closed, 1st time entrepreneurs had a lot of questions that were unanswered, and there was still some sort of hand waiving around all the financing stuff and so we took it on….”. was starting.

Technical Review 288

Technical Review Venture Capital Silicon Valley Software Review 288

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

Everything we were taught pre-Internet is still relevant. And you thought the Internet was a meritocracy where the best ideas win? We all use the Internet and our mobile phones everyday and it seems open and fair. Link has a summary of his argument plus a great video). Underbelly. You know that deep down.

SEM 379

SEM Viral Marketing Widget 379

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 15, 2014

As the old joke goes, “on the Internet nobody knows you’re a dog.” In short I ended up having to deal with what is affectionally called on the Internet – trolls. And I accept that anonymity is inevitable on the Internet. ” So I have gotten comfortable with pseudonymity. But context matters.

Technical Review 329

Technical Review Reputation Naming Internet 329

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2015

As the desk-based Internet emerged it was initially sold through telecom carriers (after players like AOL and EarthLink innovated the market). Although the carriers made a lot of money initially by selling dial-up Internet services, customers never took their software because, well, it sucked.

PR 150

PR Early Stage Software Naming 150

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 12, 2011

He added that current Internet trends favor NYC, given the reliance on creativity, design, and the importance of consumers – all areas in which NYC excels. 8. In closing, Chris said he believes in the future there will be a data services layer to the Internet, and he hopes that Hunch is the one predicting people’s preferences.

Technical Review 281

Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Cofounder API 281

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

it is also the title of a fabulous book from Internet 1.0 In startup world low GM almost always equals death which is why many Internet retailers have failed or are failing (many operated at 35% gross margins).

Burn Rate 383

Burn Rate Balance Sheet .Net Valuation 383

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

It is also a function of the stage of much of our careers where we aren’t interested in playing small ball with incrementalism on how to squeeze out an extra 5% of margin by optimizing the Internet slightly better.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review Due Diligence CTO Hire 418

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2016

We believe that it is incrementally harder to differentiate on simple Internet products or mobile apps and while great companies are built doing this, our goal as a fund is to try and fund things that can be 100x returns if they work. We’re not Pollyannaish about this. In short, we’re after venture returns.

Cofounder 207

Cofounder Differentiation Hosting Design 207

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 16, 2011

“The Internet saved my life. The Internet really re-connected Joanne with her former working self. I didn’t think about who was going to put food in the refrigerator.&#. I needed something to find my own identity.&# She went to work running sales for Jason Calacanis at Silicon Alley Reporter (mid 90′s).

Startup 311

Startup Sales Database Community 311

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 12, 2010

There is an industry changing shift going on in the internet and mobile-based IT space for sure. Dan believed that consumer internet entrepreneurs have a choice now: traditional VC vs. super seed investors. But this gets all the space on prominent blogs because it’s what bloggers like to cover.&# It’s self selecting.

Seed Stage 232

Seed Stage Valuation Private Equity Venture Capital 232

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 19, 2013

The era of VCs investing in successful consumer Internet startups such as eBay led to a belief system that seemed to permeate many enterprise software startups that hiring sales or implementation people was a bad thing. This article initially appeared on TechCrunch. “We want low-touch or zero-touch businesses” was the mantra.

Technical Review 403

Technical Review Software Review Startup API 403

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

Before we filmed the segment we had the chance to chat over lunch over the direction of the Internet and how social was changing the fabric of the web. Mobile is another very important distribution place for the internet and Meebo is on the iPhone, Android, and BB. He’s open and insightful with his knowledge.

Connecticut 286

Connecticut Cofounder Silicon Valley Web 286

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 22, 2009

will be a prosperous addition to the Internet ecosystem. but also because I care deeply about innovation and the evolution of the Internet. But if someone that I have chosen to follow has an ad I am ok with that if it’s labeled. Let innovation happen and the market decide - I don’t how all of this will end up.

Advertising 277

Advertising Technical Review Affiliate SEM 277

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2014

We did a full-court press led by Steven because once we decided this was the team we wanted to work with and this opportunity mapped to our belief system that content + tech will build a generation of great Internet companies.

Technical Review 373

Technical Review North America Los Angeles Cofounder 373

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 5, 2010

Recently — in the name of censoring pornography — China blocked access to Google and demanded that computers sold in China come supplied with an Internet nanny filter called Green Dam Youth Escort, starting July 1. He stated: “China is also courting trouble. Green Dam can also be used to block politics, not just Playboy.

Technical Review 282

Technical Review Green Canada South Carolina 282

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 18, 2010

We have amazing large companies that are an important part of the future of the Internet such as Disney, Warner, Fox, Universal, etc. Sometimes the times where I have deep thoughts about what is going on with the Internet is when I give myself 2 hours to just play around with shite for a bit.

China 374

China Asia Email Technical Review 374

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 22, 2011

Or how about the inventor of the Internet? It is called, “ the new rules for the Internet bubble &# and he just nails it. You couldn’t help but seeing Uber Pedicabs all around town. But you also wouldn’t have struggled to share one with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. No, not Al Gore. He was there. And accessible.

Technical Cofounder 294

Technical Cofounder Austin Hosting Cofounder 294

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2013

There were online tools to book this stuff but the Internet booking sites were early. Yet I was a foreigner so I got away with being different. I used to ask Deborah to book my travel plans in France and Germany were I went 1-2 times / month. I would tell Deborah, “I found this hotel near the Champs Elysees for 170 Euros.

Sacramento 416

Sacramento Baltimore Germany DC 416

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

It is highly dependent upon many factors: experience of the team, type of opportunity (a big biotech or semi-conductor A round is likely to look different from an Internet A round), geography, etc. So the ranges you would expect can be highly imprecise.

Pre-Money Valuation 336

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Silicon Valley Stock 336

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2013

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” Apparently Zig got that from Theodore Roosevelt if the Internet is to be trusted. .” Or in words that I first heard from one of the greatest sales gurus of all time, Zig Ziglar. But it is so true.

Sales 367

Sales Software Review Social Media Customer 367

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2011

The opportunities for tech startups today are more immense than they’ve ever been with billions of people now connected to the Internet nearly all the time. Some are going later stage to not miss out on hot deals. I call this “stage drift.&#. But … Downsizing Venture Capital.

Venture Capital 289

Venture Capital Early Stage Valuation Angel Investor 289

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 11, 2015

If you want to understand the cesspool that it Internet comments you only need to look at this picture and if you have a heart take two minutes to watch this movie trailer a “A Brave Heart” from a truly inspirational woman who decided to fight back against online bullying (including people actually telling her to kill herself).

Social Media 150

Social Media Media Technical Review Viral 150

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 25, 2011

And anybody who follows this blog knows that I believe television disruption has already begun and it is more likely to resemble Internet content than streaming long-form content to our living rooms. But when you produce on Internet you can test your content in the same way that Silicon Valley firms test early versions of their software.

Silicon Valley 291

Silicon Valley Los Angeles Distribution Internet 291

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

The fact that today’s Internet bubble does not represent all companies does not disprove its existence. Ah, but today’s Internet companies have real revenue! But they also often have a rippling effect on broader markets as all of our economies seem to be intertwined these days. I said that at the Founder Showcase, too.

Saudi Arabia 309

Saudi Arabia Valuation IPO Technical Review 309

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2010

The VC industry grew dramatically as a result of the Internet bubble - Before the Internet bubble the people who invested in VC funds (called LPs or Limited Partners) put about $50 billion into the industry and by 2001 this had grown precipitously to around $250 billion. Here’s my take: 1.

Technical Review 311

Technical Review LP Early Stage Silicon Valley 311

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

So you tell me what the future of the Internet will be? Ironically in Silicon Valley consumer Internet business have become hits driven businesses. A very senior executive in this town that everybody knows still privately told me that he saw the Internet as “dumb pipes” and “just the latest last mile like cable.”

Silicon Valley 374

Silicon Valley Los Angeles Distribution Java 374

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 15, 2010

You go onto the Internet and can control what people hear on terrestrial radio. It offers Internet radio targeted advertising and is growing really well. I especially like Jelli , which is user power radio. It’s sort of Jack FM meets Total Request Live meets UCG/Social Gaming (at least in the future).

Venture Capital 271

Venture Capital Affiliate Valuation San Francisco 271

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 11, 2014

See the Internet and now the mobile ecosystems are one, big competitive playground where globally some of the smartest minds are focused on how to make money by driving user growth better, faster and cheaper than others. What I mostly see are companies trying yesterday’s playbook trying to drive extra-ordinary performance today.

Technical Review 384

Technical Review Hockey Stick SEM Channel 384

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2014

Yet somehow many people think that startups intended to operate at massive, Internet scale can be casual affairs. I don’t believe it’s possible to compete at Internet scale and have balance. I’m not making a qualitative statement that I believe obsession in startups is necessarily a good thing.

Founder 394

Founder Non-Compete Venture Capital Leadership 394

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2010

And as we know that means your device is with you at all times, is location aware, has advanced features such as a camera and accelerometer but also has the drawback of having short battery lives, slower bandwidth than our typical Internet consumption and importantly smaller physical screens / real estate for content.

Mobile 282

Mobile Management Application Development Southern California 282

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2013

In 2010 the City of Los Angeles started trying to crack down on tax receipts of Internet startups allocating them to the least favorable gross-receipts tax bracket taking up their city tax by 500%. Consider the case of LegalZoom, one of our cities great startups. The result? LegalZoom moved from Hollywood to Glendale.

Los Angeles 325

Los Angeles San Francisco LP Austin 325

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 12, 2010

I used to work for Andersen Consulting (for > 8 years) – mostly building computer systems for large companies in the fixed telecoms, mobile and Internet sectors. I suppose there’s some truth to that but of course it’s an over simplification.

Startup 288

Startup Merger Technical Review Framework 288