I had the opportunity to write a guest post on VentureBeat about the shift in power to consumers and why embracing social is going to be make or brake for many consumer brands. I’m excited [...]]]> This is a little late, but I had to take some downtime for my birthday. I know you understand.

I had the opportunity to write a guest post on VentureBeat about the shift in power to consumers and why embracing social is going to be make or brake for many consumer brands. I’m excited about the timing of the article. Moontoast is going to change things in 2012. We’ve been preparing for this for over two years. We have our team tuned up, and our platform is built and evolving VERY quickly. Now it’s time to implement the things that we have learned, and we’re ready to do that.

This post is a glimpse at our vision. We’ll reveal more soon.

Happy New Year to you all. I hope you’re as excited as I am for a magical 2012.

There is an opportunity for a media entity to cover the MusicTech space with in-depth analysis and consistency. The industry would benefit tremendously from a media source that was no bullshit and regularly delivered rigorous analysis [...]]]> To clarify, when I say MusicTech, I mean as in SFMusicTech, not MusicTech magazine.

There is an opportunity for a media entity to cover the MusicTech space with in-depth analysis and consistency. The industry would benefit tremendously from a media source that was no bullshit and regularly delivered rigorous analysis of the MusicTech Industry.

It’s expensive to be in the music industry and get a grasp on who’s doing what in the MusicTech space. The buyers and beneficiaries of all this technology don’t understand the technology, and the technologists don’t understand that. When the technologists realize the dilemma, they have already severely miscalculated the efforts required to effectively communicate what they do and why it’s valuable and different to the market. Game over.

There are only two conferences that seem to really generate solid information for the US MusicTech market: Midem (which is in France btw) and SFMusicTech (which is only one day and on a Monday this February). Neither is cheap or all that accessible for most people (I’ve never been to Midem and I’m not going next month).

The lack of good analysis is a problem no different from other industries, it’s just more of a problem in Music than most. There is so much to be made and lost based on how the Music industry leverages (or fails to leverage) technology because a large portion of the assets of the industry are digital and consumed via the Internet.

Back to the point…

The media sources for the MusicTech space just aren’t doing a very good job, and no one challenges them and calls them on it. In an effort to be able to look super knowledgable about a company, they box it into a simple term they have created or adopted and then move on. There are a short-list of journalists who put the effort in but do not have the resources to cover this vast, quick moving space with the rigor it deserves.

Without good information, the market makes bad decisions and assumptions about their options for MusicTech. And then, a pirate comes along and screws everything up by making all the technologists look like blood suckers. Most of the founders I’ve met in the MusicTech space have a genuine desire to improve things for the industry and create more value for all involved. They (and I) love music and want the industry to thrive.

If I were Forrester or Gartner, I’d up my ante in this space. NPD shows up at all the events, but the message is essentially the same (not a bad message Russ, just pretty much the same), so they could use some competition.

And if I were BillBoard, I would seriously double down my investment in MusicTech analysis. The opportunity is huge and the competition is a non issue.

The best line (spoiler): “I believe a startup only has one real competitor, indifference.”

http://davidcancel.com/true-startup-competition/

I’m working on an outline for posts that I will write on Founder Life, and I need some input. [...]]]> If you are a founder, I want to talk to you. I want to understand where you are in your startup. What you already know and what’s the most critical thing for you to learn, now.

I’m working on an outline for posts that I will write on Founder Life, and I need some input. Also, I might ask you to do a guest post on my blog. I want to aggregate the highest level of content for founders anywhere online. I’d like your help in doing that.

What are you currently struggling with in your startup? Are you having second thoughts? How’s your team? Is your message clicking in the market yet? Please let me know if there is something that you think would help you if you could just grasp and understand it.

Either sound off in the comments or send me your thoughts directly in this form. Thanks.

I had a conversation with a friend tonight about the NTC and the potential of it with its next leader. While talking to him, I found myself running down the list of things that you have done in your tenure as President of the NTC, and tears came to my eyes. You really [...]]]> Hi Tod.

I had a conversation with a friend tonight about the NTC and the potential of it with its next leader. While talking to him, I found myself running down the list of things that you have done in your tenure as President of the NTC, and tears came to my eyes. You really have done such amazing things in your role of leader and ambassador of Nashville’s technology community. No matter what anyone says, that is what you have been, and I for one already miss you in that role.

For anyone who doesn’t know, I want to just share a sample of the things that you did (with the help of the amazing team that you built, inspired and led) in your short time that were completely amazing:

• You showed up to Barcamp Nashville, and opened up to that community to find out how the NTC could serve that community.
• You opened up the board to startup founders.
• You created the Nashville Tech Awards.
• You brought wifi to Downtown Nashville.
• You brought Steve Ballmer here to speak.
• You created FirstCamp
• You brought out the numbers to show that Nashville has over 2000 open jobs in the tech sector.
• You connected people from all over the state, and organizations from all over the country to become more aware of the tech growth and opportunity in Nashville
• You were a member of the Leadership Music class of 2011 “Scrappiest Class Ever” and you represented the tech sector to that organization with vigor and passion.
• You connected the establishment and the startup sector in Nashville (to the best of your ability… ).
• You grew NTC membership and attendance at events to unprecedented levels.
• You were one of the most important forces in the creation of the Entrepreneur Center (I was there, this is a fact).
• You never dropped the ball with the NTC in terms of sponsorship and your fiduciary duties.
• You were present at EVERY event! Geek Breakfast, Barcamp, Podcamp, Startup Weekend, Golf Tournaments, etc. You were always there to support Nashville.
• You built the brand #techville.
• You helped form new startups like HealthDataSource.
• You were a founding member of Jumpstart Foundry.
• You travelled with the Mayor to every major city in the US to spread the word about Nashville’s tech future.
• You were (and still are) my friend, a coach and a mentor.

I know I’m not doing it justice at all. I know that any other member of the NTC would have an entirely different list of amazing things that you did. Maybe The Naked Hospital. Maybe InfoSec. Maybe the CIO dinners. Maybe the Technology Fund. Who knows, you have done so much stuff that it is overwhelming, and hard to know what to point out.

You’re simply amazing Tod. We are so lucky to have you here in Nashville, and the next NTC president has HUGE shoes to fill. Thank you for all that you have done. Nashville is now #Techville because of you.

- Marcus

I’ve been in Boston for 8 months now. Not full time, more like 15 days a month. The culture, social circles and most importantly weather have all been challenging to acclimate to. But that probably would be true anywhere, especially when you have spent the last decade in a city as embracing as [...]]]>

I’ve been in Boston for 8 months now. Not full time, more like 15 days a month. The culture, social circles and most importantly weather have all been challenging to acclimate to. But that probably would be true anywhere, especially when you have spent the last decade in a city as embracing as Nashville.

But it’s spring now, the bitter winter is starting to break, I’m figuring my way around, and I’m starting to meet people who have heard of me through their own network. Boston is not yet home, but it’s certainly no longer foreign.

And frankly, Boston is an amazing city full of amazing people. One of the most genuine, endearing and capable places I’ve ever lived.

Not quite sowing seeds, but certainly preparing soil, and grateful for the magic carpet that brought me here, and the mighty rock in Nashville that has my back during this journey.

Try it because you’re afraid…  thats the stuff you’ll love the most. [...]]]> Todays lesson comes from my youngest son, who agonized over coming off a ramp on his skateboard for an hour, but after trying (and falling) now can’t get enough of it and is trying to jump off of every ramp at Rocketown.

Try it because you’re afraid…  thats the stuff you’ll love the most.