Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 24, 2010

What Quora has done is wrap social networking around Q&A with the more clever next-gen UX I’ve seen. I wrote the following update to my original answer to that question: Update: Social networking sites have an additional attribute in that they are communication vehicles as well as UGC sites.

Technical Review 294

Technical Review Distribution Social Network Networking 294

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 27, 2012

This was obviously prior to the Internet and everything that led to: (mobile smartphones, social networks, new payment technologies, etc.). It seemed like “all of the big ideas had been done” in technology. The future certainly looks brighter to me. “ And my fear?

Silicon Valley 299

Silicon Valley Technical Review Early Stage Cofounder 299

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 15, 2010

I think the best solution for the social networking era is “in-stream&# advertising. I know you could argue that YouTube was much broader but it was really popularized in the social networks. Now you follow people (publish & subscribe) and you click on the links they share. But I made it for a reason.

Venture Capital 271

Venture Capital Affiliate Valuation San Francisco 271

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 29, 2009

People mistook the fact that these text advertisements worked in Google to say they would work in social networks. So PPC (pay-per-click) advertising on social networks has performed poorly to date. After all, when I’m in Facebook they know one hell of a lot more about me than Google does.

Technical Review 286

Technical Review Advertising Early Stage Internet 286

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 26, 2015

On the one hand it denied Facebook from enormous amounts of web traffic that Google controlled at the time but in the longer-run due to network effects of social networks it made Facebook significantly more powerful. It is a really big historical decision that Facebook made not to have Google index its pages.

Oauth 150

Oauth Software Review Technical Review IPO 150

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

All of this has become a lot more relevant lately given social networking. He has founded a new social networking site called AnyBeat to take on this issue. And, harrumph, do I really want to go to another fucking social network. Social networks are like Iran. Think about it. It’s scary.

Social Network 329

Social Network Iran Naming Networking 329

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 16, 2011

After seeing “The Social Network&# there is an increased attitude amongst this generation (of women) that … why not go into startups? The current generation of college students want to be entrepreneurs more than rock stars - &# This next generation is going to be very interesting.

Startup 311

Startup Sales Database Community 311

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

Social Network s / Search / Blogs – Obvious, huh? I’m surprised at the number of people who aren’t good at tracking down relationships in social networks. &# Most important question – “do you know any other early-stage start ups that you recommend I talk with?&#.

Silicon Valley 291

Silicon Valley Ireland Technical Review Valuation 291

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 7, 2011

Commenting on topical blogs is a form of topical social networking in the same way that Quora is. They want to know about when my son scores a goal (ok, probably not) not when I’m debating somebody online about the future of social networks. TechCrunch switched from Disqus to Facebook.

Social Network 287

Social Network Reputation IP Audience 287

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

And social networks enabled rapid growth and also the ability to more easily find and play with friends or make new ones. Mobile really enabled the entire category and created the free-to-play powerhouses like Angry Birds, Words With Friends, Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, Cut the Rope, Best Fiends and others.

Southern California 150

Southern California Philadelphia Mobile Stock 150

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 20, 2011

I was asked to speak about the topic of “what is going on in the venture capital world and what is the next big thing after social networking?”. Early today I gave a keynote at the VCJ Venture Alpha conference here in San Francisco. Future of VC Internet – Tough topic, but what the heck?

Venture Capital 306

Venture Capital Internet San Francisco Social Network 306

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 13, 2009

I recently wrote a post about how to get access to people at conferences and how to connect with people on social networks. I got to thinking more broadly about social networks and the real-time web. Facebook has much more value to me as a networking tool. I’ve been thinking a lot about comments lately.

Social Network 276

Social Network Networking RSS Vertical 276

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2009

million for a social networking site 18 months ago. . - You have a “strategic investor&# who wants to invest in your B round as long as a financial investor will lead. Your A round investors are not stepping up. - You raised $1.5 Today you have 2,000 users. - Google has announced that they are planning to compete with you. -

Venture Capital 264

Venture Capital Due Diligence Flash Strategic Investors 264

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

We talked about how his new company, AnyBeat , will be a difference kind of social network. He’s back in the game as an entrepreneur and this time he wants to take on Facebook. Or does he? We had a chance to discuss many issues of our day.

Algorithm 269

Algorithm Social Network Video Networking 269

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 1, 2011

Our social networks are filled with our friends, sure. At the time I had young kids but my siblings didn’t. now we’re in the reverse situation). So I needed a place baby friendly but not too family focused. When we’re all 25, they’re all pretty much exactly like us.

Internet 309

Internet Iran Vertical Technical Review 309

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 29, 2010

In the era of social networking if you can’t figure out how to get intro’d to me you probably aren’t cut out to be an entrepreneur. I get them all the time and I try to respond to as many of them as I possibly can. But one of the things that VCs look for is how you get access to us. Tough, but true.

Venture Capital 282

Venture Capital Term Sheet Valuation Stock Options 282

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 23, 2010

Obviously it is build on a social network “follow people&# model that is asymmetric like Twitter. So in a way it has built in game mechanics. And they are trying to bake in user adoption into the design of the product.

Silicon Valley 301

Silicon Valley Pre-Money Valuation Technical Review Software Review 301

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 15, 2014

One really great experience was a discussion I had with the camera rolling with my good friend Dmitry Shapiro who founded the major YouTube competitor of its time (Veoh) that was sued into oblivion by Universal and who also founded a social network designed to promote pseudonymity.

Technical Review 329

Technical Review Reputation Naming Internet 329

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 24, 2016

So throughout 2006/07 when I had really young kids Facebook was truly a social network for sharing family moments. So by the time people started using Facebook for more business purposes or general “social networking” in 2010-2015 I really didn’t have any interest.

Social Network 150

Social Network eCommerce Conversion Networking 150

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 10, 2009

Tags: Social Media social networking Twitter.

Social Network 225

Social Network Social Media Naming Networking 225

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2010

Social networking meets online personal health management. When I ran the London Marathon I did this by raising money for Parkinson’s disease. Once I took $3,000 I had a bunch of people to monitor me and felt compelled to follow through. The part of DailyBurn can use the crowd to keep you motivated.

Technical Review 278

Technical Review Software Review Alabama Silicon Valley 278

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 14, 2012

…” I’ll write soon on my views of why I believe Instagram took off as a social network and what I think comes next. Instagram happens to be one of the few social networks I regularly use along with Twitter. Clichés abound about, “You know what would be cool? Just checked their balance sheet.

Valuation 316

Valuation Balance Sheet Dilution Term Sheet 316

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 22, 2011

It has to do with the future of social networking. He talked about what he believes will be one of the most important products in the next 5 years. It’s a topic I’ve not only been thinking a lot about over the past year but had been planning to write about.

Technical Cofounder 294

Technical Cofounder Austin Hosting Cofounder 294

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 21, 2010

I believe that many social networks confused this idea. Social networks continue to drive conversion of marketers. But more broadly I believe that you’ll see a lot more tools for helping marketers more effectively run, monitor and manage social media campaigns. Not necessarily in the shopping mindset.

Advertising 284

Advertising Las Vegas Affiliate RSS 284

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 2, 2009

On Facebook (and nearly all social networks that preceded it) the relationship was always reciprocal – if I accept your invitation to follow me then I have to follow you. Tags: Social Media social networking startup technology Twitter. Facebook.

Conversion 235

Conversion Management Social Network Philadelphia 235

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 6, 2019

“We are all now online and at significantly greater speeds with computers in our pockets that are one-click from purchasing anything and recommending the best products to everybody we know through social networks. As a result the best companies grow faster than any time in human history. And this is about to grow even faster.”

Venture Capital 292

Venture Capital IPO Mezzanine Early Stage 292

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 4, 2011

How many social networks, picture sharing sites, new aggregators or blogs can we really spend time on? Everybody thinks if I build this cool app people will come and use it. Sure, but will they still be using it in a year? In 6 months? In 3 months? The biggest limitation we tech consumers have is our time.

Metrics 346

Metrics Startup Acquisition SEM 346

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 5, 2010

This Saturday morning I’ll be giving the keynote presentation on “ The Future of Social Networking.&# (unfortunately they didn’t give this event it’s own URL so this link should only work until the day of the event.)

Baltimore 222

Baltimore DC Social Network Aggregator 222

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2010

Xobni “Social plug-in for Microsoft Outlook&# – As Enrique Gutierrez said on Twitter today, Xobni is “ the best damn thing ever for Outlook.&# Here’s the thing. Increasing this is also migrating to social network messaging but email is still king. The build “implicit social networks.&#

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Social Network Angel Investor Chad 265

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

The growth of Facebook and social gaming led by Zynga – Another obvious trend is Facebook. Notice that I didn’t say “social networking.” Much like iPhone is the only mobile platform in town, Facebook is the only “closed network” social networking platform in town. Seems an obvious fit.

IPO 255

IPO Investment Bankers Venture Capital Marketing 255

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 18, 2010

But I can always see the correlation between writing a blog or publishing on a social network and traffic. Finally, as with any great tool these days it can pull in information about who is talking about my blog in the social networks – mostly Twitter. You’ll see the shot below.

Analytics 287

Analytics Tennessee India Social Network 287

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 4, 2009

Tags: Social Media social networking technology Twitter.

Social Network 291

Social Network Social Media Valuation Naming 291

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 10, 2011

And as I’ve written about in the past, I truly believe that Twitter networks are significantly different from other social networks. If somebody wanted me to see something they’d @ message me, which I always read.

Finland 296

Finland Social Network Email Networking 296

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 28, 2013

Meanwhile while social networking was white hot 3 years ago it is now persona non grata unless your user numbers are insane. In the market we’ve seen the massive uptick of SaaS valuations in the public markets and commensurate attention on private market fundings and valuations. eCommerce was battered this year.

Valuation 288

Valuation eCommerce Revenue Social Network 288

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

It became a theme in my keynote at Caltech on the future of social networking. We then captured this conversation again on camera. It then permeated my thinking and I began to explore the theme more as I looked around at web properties. We then spoke about startups.

Connecticut 286

Connecticut Cofounder Silicon Valley Web 286

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 10, 2009

Tags: Social Media social networking Twitter.

Social Network 216

Social Network Social Media Search Naming 216

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Costs of product on YouTube content is literally 99% cheaper than traditional TV and; Distribution of content can now go viral and can predictably distributed via social networks. But audience size and consumption is massive and growing plus; Study Innovator’s Dilemma ( my cheat sheet here ).

Silicon Valley 374

Silicon Valley Los Angeles Distribution Java 374