Seeing Both Sides

AUGUST 3, 2012

Interestingly, the company’s founding vision was not a lean idea, but rather a big idea: to accelerate and manage Internet traffic on a global, highly scalable, highly distributed scale. The first year of revenue (1999) was $4 million – a remarkable achievement. Founding Akamai. Akamai found itself truly inside the tornado.

Distribution 49

Distribution Lean Massachusetts Cofounder 49

Hearpreneur

OCTOBER 30, 2015

In January of 1999, I co-founded a marketing agency with a former boss. I re-ignited Anvil as consultancy, but I wasn’t quite ready to hire employees yet. I was searching the internet for hours hoping to find the perfect gift to commemorate a special date in the life of my fiancé, Steve. 3 – I was Fired Twice.

Entrepreneur 48

Entrepreneur Australia Software Review LLC 48

ConversionXL

JANUARY 16, 2019

As detailed in a co-authored book , Brian Halligan, a recent MIT grad in 2005, observed startups failing with “‘tried-and-true’ marketing techniques that he had seen work throughout his career; techniques such as trade shows, telemarketing, e-mail blasting and advertising.”. An eponymous book (e.g. More than just ‘Content Marketing.’”.

Naming 119

Naming Conversion Flash Cofounder 119

Startup Lessons Learned

JULY 9, 2009

In the summer of 1999, I started working on a startup from my college dorm. Id been on the internet since I was playing MUDs as a kid, but by 1999 I felt Id already missed the boat. You can even see the humiliating evidence of my smug incompetence in this absurd article from 1999.) I pretty much missed all the trends.

San Francisco 94

San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment DC 94

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

I discuss category creation with one of the co-authors of Play Bigger , Christopher Lochhead, in episode #232 of Legends and Losers if you would like to really delve into that (it is a very important topic). We just hired our first in-house recruiter, Lisa Novak, and she is leading our team in this regard. it isn’t easy.

Software Review 48

Software Review Sales Cofounder Analytics 48

Reid Hoffman

MAY 16, 2020

At the same time, I was beginning to realize that the Internet was fundamentally different from closed, proprietary online services like CompuServe or eWorld. Because of the Internet — and especially because of the World Wide Web — things were starting to move very quickly in Silicon Valley in 1995. Trust your allies too.

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Internet Networking Salary 69

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 5, 2010

8220; His three things (worth reading his whole post anyway) are set vision/strategy and communicate broadly, recruit/hire/retain top talent, and make sure there’s enough cash in the bank. Not only does the country have a higher percentage of homes with high-speed Internet than the U.S. It’s great advice. Want to start up in France?

Technology 191

Technology Product San Francisco CTO Hire 191

VC Cafe

OCTOBER 18, 2011

He worked his way up the corporate ladder; in 1998 he became VP of the Digital TV platform strategy, which did not pan out, and in 1999 he found an opportunity in Microsoft Internet (MSN) international. His ability to lead large teams of engineers had made him one of the most influential executives at Microsoft and the world.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital New Zealand Startup 100

David Teten

FEBRUARY 3, 2014

Similarly, my research on venture capital portfolio operations found that Portfolio Operator VCs such as Andreesen Horowitz , First Round Capital , ff Venture Capital , and Google Ventures are hiring unusually large teams and structuring them in traditional pyramids. Deal origination is a slow, labor-intensive, frustrating process.

Private Equity 114

Private Equity Venture Capital Technical Review Equity 114

Scalable Startup

FEBRUARY 1, 2013

And now all of a sudden you have got this global market of all these early adopters that have smartphones connected to the Internet, and they can just pick up their things and run with them. So it would seem like they are an antidote to, or at least less offensive than, social/consumer Internet companies are to the public markets.

Software Review 22

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Stock 22

OnlyOnce

MAY 1, 2019

Today is a special day in my entrepreneurial journey and in the life of the company that I started back in 1999 (last century!), I’m not sure how many Internet companies started in 1999 are still private, backed and led by the same team the whole time, and generally in the same business they started in. Press release is here.

Syndicate 48

Syndicate Syndication Affiliate Cofounder 48

OnlyOnce

MAY 1, 2019

Today is a special day in my entrepreneurial journey and in the life of the company that I started back in 1999 (last century!), I’m not sure how many Internet companies started in 1999 are still private, backed and led by the same team the whole time, and generally in the same business they started in. Press release is here.

Syndicate 48

Syndicate Syndication Affiliate Cofounder 48

Cracking the Code

JUNE 24, 2021

Co-founder and CEO Nicolas Brusson spoke to me about BlaBlaCar’s early ambitions to be a European rather than local country winner and its progression to global player. But the Valley in 1999 was a new world of startups, venture capital, and stock options. How did you go from VC to founder?

Global 62

Global Europe France Cofounder 62

abovethecrowd.com

JUNE 2, 2021

This “gain” ($34B last year alone) is a result of a direct wealth-transfer to these individuals FROM the previous owners of the company — founders, executives, employees, and venture investors. Is it disrespectful to imply that the founders, executives, VC-backers, and the boards of these companies are gullible or naive?

IPO 82

IPO Customer Matching Silicon Valley 82