http://webfugitive.posterous.com I help startups you've never heard of become companies you know. posterous.com Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with PlusmoSubscribe with The Free DictionarySubscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with NewsAlloySubscribe with Live.comSubscribe with Excite MIXSubscribe with Attensa for OutlookSubscribe with WebwagSubscribe with Podcast ReadySubscribe with FlurrySubscribe with WikioSubscribe with Daily RotationEntrepreneurship: The relentless pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:50:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/6yC3NUJQ9xE/bad-form-employer-makes-applicants-tweet-abou http://webfugitive.posterous.com/bad-form-employer-makes-applicants-tweet-abou <p> <p>A colleague sent me <a href="http://www.jobhost.org/jobs/viewjob/community-manager-9127075ba66f605d?source=indeed&amp;medium=organicia" target="_self">a link</a> to a job opening he was initially considering applying for. Inside the job ad, it listed very sketchy application requirements, as seen in the picture below:&nbsp;</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Twit_pic_habitat" height="141" src="http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-02-13/dhqpECyxfnmucFbtkeoGFuHhrjhFBybcimiibGzhiEHtFerBqxutbudlscdb/Twit_Pic_Habitat.PNG.scaled750.png" width="684" /> </div> </p> <p>Now, while this colleague of mine <em>would have</em> been the perfect candidate for this position, his experience and online etiquette steered him away from applying. He wrote to ask me "<em>what do you think about this ? Am I out of line thinking this is soooo wrong</em> ?" To be honest, I am disgusted that a company would resort to using applicants with measurable online reputation as a medium to promote their brand if that is their intention here.</p> <p>In addition, I would assume that the candidates that Habitat for Humanity <strong>does </strong>provoke to jump through their marketing hoop will be severely less qualified. If anything, this should be a test to see if any applicant does this behavior, and then throw their resume in the trash. They have clearly demonstrated the opposite set of knowledge that you should be seeking.</p> <p>If you are a frequent reader of this blog you expect data, so here it is for this one :&nbsp;</p> <p>Most jobs average around <strong>80</strong> applicants. Each is expected to do <strong>3</strong> tweets. I would assume that anyone applying would be in the C+ or B- range of online influence ... so lets guess here and say most have <strong>2k</strong> followers.&nbsp;</p> <p>A (possible) online reach of 480,000 ... but its more likely somewhere in the 150,000 + retweets range.&nbsp;</p> <p>What do you think ? Mis-understanding ? Bad form ? Or a non-profit's way of leveling the marketing playing field ?</p> <p><strong>[12:58 EST] UPDATE</strong>: &nbsp;rep from Habitat tweets the following (and also the comment below)<div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Habitat_tweet_response" height="217" src="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-02-13/kudwijFpCeonncCauFubJAsFpfwzIwegFCpwhxtnJiCcHmDsofHuIvmfsrIw/Habitat_Tweet_Response.PNG.scaled750.png" width="540" /> </div> </p> <p>Also; the listing has been changed to read "<strong style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">and examples of a creative Facebook post and 3 tweets pertaining to Habitat Greater San Francisco&rsquo;s work".</strong></p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/bad-form-employer-makes-applicants-tweet-abou">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/bad-form-employer-makes-applicants-tweet-abou#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/DebVlPyQKqedqk5E1HY1q3MB0Dc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/DebVlPyQKqedqk5E1HY1q3MB0Dc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/DebVlPyQKqedqk5E1HY1q3MB0Dc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/DebVlPyQKqedqk5E1HY1q3MB0Dc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/6yC3NUJQ9xE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/bad-form-employer-makes-applicants-tweet-abou Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:27:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/ag-iKFGrPo8/most-venture-concepts-dont-suck-your-pitch-do-97576 http://webfugitive.posterous.com/most-venture-concepts-dont-suck-your-pitch-do-97576 <p> <p>When was the last time you heard "<em>Oh, it was so funny ... you had to be there</em>" when someones joke or story telling obviously falls short of the build-up or intended outcome. Yes, it likely was funny ... but because you're shit at telling me how it went, I am robbed of enjoying it along with you.</p> <p>Telling someone your venture is almost <strong>ALWAYS</strong> like that.</p> <p>I mentioned this because often times people come to me and say "<em>Anthony, I'd like to get your thoughts on [insert venture concept here]."</em>&nbsp;It should be noted here that I've noticed in the past few years I've began to stray away from the word "IDEA" mainly because of the connotation that it has to people that don't understand the startup culture. To most people, an idea goes all the way until it becomes a business. Its at that same time that a "dreamer" (another word I hate) becomes a "success" and I think its a terrible environment to be inspired in ... but I digress.</p> <p>I would like to demonstrate the above point by showing you the way that most people go about telling someone their new venture concept. True visionaries see things before everyone else right ? Thats what makes them a visionary. You could then assume that they will know when something is going to be a hit before you will; and even see the potential before anyone else. The "dreamer"&nbsp;is now you for having your head in the clouds and not being self-aware enough to discover potential before HIM in the first place.</p> <p>Lets take Twitter for an example. Surely Ev or Biz once upon a time said to someone<strong> "<em>So I think we should make a site where people go to and say what they are doing in 140 characters or less</em>."</strong>&nbsp;Now, if someone said that to me 6 or so years ago I would have thought it was the dumbest thing I had ever heard. I wouldn't invest. I wouldn't get involved. I think you can agree.</p> <p>A few <em>"here is my idea"</em> tips:</p> <ul> <li>Instead, tell a story. Talk about the needs. In fact, tell me WHO needs it and why. Let me know how it is going to be disruptive. Give me an example of a time that I might use it or a point in my life where it aligns with what I'm doing.</li> <li>Statements like these begin with "<em>have you ever found yourself </em>..." or "<em>when was the last time</em> ..." or another, "<em>if you're like me you probably</em> ...". Creating ties into someones own life can help show them the value.</li> <li>If your goal is not to show them how to use it, but how much money it is going to make, instead focus on how your target market is already dying for something like this to exist and if it did, how it would make a lot of money.</li> </ul> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/most-venture-concepts-dont-suck-your-pitch-do-97576">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/most-venture-concepts-dont-suck-your-pitch-do-97576#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/30CAtQv7MwE5p1qFuIsXei1r72o/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/30CAtQv7MwE5p1qFuIsXei1r72o/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/30CAtQv7MwE5p1qFuIsXei1r72o/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/30CAtQv7MwE5p1qFuIsXei1r72o/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/ag-iKFGrPo8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/most-venture-concepts-dont-suck-your-pitch-do-97576 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:00:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/DI0eAKIOWOo/the-startup-basics-cap-table http://webfugitive.posterous.com/the-startup-basics-cap-table <p> <p><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">I'm always happy to give out advice. However, anyone who knows me personally can tell you that I talk fast and usually don't slow down enough to ensure that the beginner understands some of the key terms I'm using before moving forward. SO, I wanted to put together some key vocabulary words on the that I get asked about while talking to people. That way, if they get confused I can tell them "its on my blog" and move on if there are other things to discuss in a little space of time.</span></span> <p /> <div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">&nbsp;A big one I run into a lot is a<strong>&nbsp;"cap table"</strong>.</span></span> <p /> <div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Generally speaking a cap table is simply an overview of who owns what in a company. If a piece of paper says John owns 50% and Mike owns 50% that is, in essence, a cap table. It also shows shares, but most shares don't really mean anything until later. Two people could have two shares at one share a piece or a billion shares at 500m shares a piece. The number is entirely arbitrary.</span></span></div> </div> <p /> <div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">Early stage cap table is usually a division of the founders, maybe a board member or two, the employees, and also potentially angel investors.&nbsp;</span></div> <p /> <div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">Later stage adds an option pool of maybe 10% (most VC's won't invest without one ... you need top talent and thats how you get it), additional board members, and VCs. If you're super lucky, later an IPO stage.<p /></span></div> <div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">Cap tables go in your business plan, investor presentation and will generally show a before and after investment scenario. (This is called pre-money and post-money). &nbsp;They are an integral part of discussing and negotiating with investors when it comes time to make a deal.</span></div> <p /> <div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">I would strongly advise anyone who wants to learn more about cap tables to go to this link and just play around with this free super handy tool :&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.startupnetwork.com/captableEntry">http://www.startupnetwork.com/captableEntry</a></div> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/the-startup-basics-cap-table">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/the-startup-basics-cap-table#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VMCgSOS7cQawUbNyUQK-BeRaKBg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VMCgSOS7cQawUbNyUQK-BeRaKBg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VMCgSOS7cQawUbNyUQK-BeRaKBg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VMCgSOS7cQawUbNyUQK-BeRaKBg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/DI0eAKIOWOo" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/the-startup-basics-cap-table Sat, 10 Dec 2011 11:36:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/UggRlNUwJAs/the-norte-photoblocker-can-protect-your-onlin http://webfugitive.posterous.com/the-norte-photoblocker-can-protect-your-onlin <p> <p>So ... wow. I came across this awesomeness earlier today and I had to write about it. As a champion of online brand reputation management this product is completely incredible.</p> <p>What does it do ? It blocks people from taking (possibly incriminating) photos of you by ruining them with a bright light the moment before the cameras flash goes off.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can certainly see the benefits of co-branding the technology with a beer company (also, kudos to them because I've never heard of them and learned more due to this product) but I would love to see this in other forms of technology. A watch ? A shirt ? Perhaps something you could sell to celebrities to combat the&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">paparazzi</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;? Sunglasses ?</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">How do you keep your online image tidy ? Would you use something like this ?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gPm7iWo0Tg4" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe></p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/the-norte-photoblocker-can-protect-your-onlin">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/the-norte-photoblocker-can-protect-your-onlin#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_Rj-cM6PkU5SJiyS4B4Z4ktuwEI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_Rj-cM6PkU5SJiyS4B4Z4ktuwEI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_Rj-cM6PkU5SJiyS4B4Z4ktuwEI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_Rj-cM6PkU5SJiyS4B4Z4ktuwEI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/UggRlNUwJAs" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/the-norte-photoblocker-can-protect-your-onlin Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:35:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/GiSpNLlKUmM/for-me-klout-is-out http://webfugitive.posterous.com/for-me-klout-is-out <p> <p>So yesterday a few people asked me to write about this - so I am. I want to make it clear that I am not utilizing my soapbox to slam a company, especially a startup. I'm not that kind of writer. I believe that in certain cases Klout is spot on. However, in their last format I have severely disagreed with what I have seen - not only for my results but for others. So I started asking around with colleagues about their experience and oddities they have noticied. The below is a reflection of many of those findings and experiences.</p> <p>Moving forward, and to the point of the title, I have recently realized that Klout is not for me. It appears as though there are several other people I respect that agree with me as well (one fine example: @LizStrauss in her article from the 5th "<em><a href="http://www.successful-blog.com/1/klout-my-story-why-opting-out-was-my-only-choice/" target="_self">Klout, My Story and Why Opting Out Was My Only Choice</a></em>".) Similar to Liz, I went through a lot of the same emotions while I stuck with it, hoping that it would eventually pan out.</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Kloutaccountnumber" height="275" src="http://getfile9.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-12-07/jJjwusfewHsjjFnogpzsebCAzbmhDbwDmmysGgtwocfljiIbBlscjmrzEdDg/KloutAccountNumber.PNG.scaled750.png" width="695" /> </div> </p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>HE WHO IS NEW</strong></span></p> <p>... until one day a&nbsp;friend of mine signed up to twitter <strong>for the first time </strong>and his Klout score was higher than mine after the second day. With 4 followers, 2 tweets 2 replies and one retweet I'm sure he had risen to a very high level of influence. Of course why wouldn't he be far greater in the eyes of Klout judgement than the 6000 tweets I have made since 2007.&nbsp;</p> <p>Why ? It was something Klout called "<strong>The Equality of Networks</strong>" as cited in their <a href="http://corp.klout.com/blog/2011/11/understanding-the-klout-score-parti/" target="_self">November blog pos</a>t. Apparently, the reason my friend had a higher score was because he ...</p> <ol> <li><span style="">attached all of his networks. Most people that I asked said that whenever they attached a new network, even ones they were not utilizing for brand growth and simply as placeholders, their score went up. As many of my readers know, I don't use Facebook (another story for another time) and apparently I have taken a hit because of it.</span></li> <li><span style="">had only a few friends on Facebook, and they were all highly influential themselves.</span></li> </ol> <p>So ... long story short I created a fake twitter account and a face Facebook account as a test. In about two weeks (from purposefully gaming the rules of the system) it soon rose to a higher prominence in a short amount of time as well.&nbsp;</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Kloutpuppy" height="421" src="http://getfile0.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-12-07/sAEscgmajrudukfodgknwlGFwFpyrmDDtsFygIJDBDzdtmicseiuzxdowntm/KloutPuppy.PNG.scaled750.png" width="291" /> </div> </p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>PERHAPS. AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">What I am about to say may not be entirely true but please be aware that I have tried my best to research in order to turn a hypothesis into a statement.</span></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps ... </span><strong style="font-size: small;">CONSISTENCY REIGNS SUPREME</strong><span style="font-size: small;">. If you miss a single day tweeting or heaven forbid a weekend, you are going to drop significantly. The reason is, just like in High School if you missed a test, you got a ZERO for that day (unless of course people are talking about you while you are not in the room ... a likely possibility for many). I checked a twitter account that merely streamed tech news through an aggregator looped through Yahoo pipes and it was in the 50's. How influential is that ?</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps ... </span><strong style="font-size: small;">YOU MUST BE AWESOME RIGHT NOW</strong><span style="font-size: small;">. I believe there is a window that gets measured. Picture a timeline in your mind ... If this window was to read left to right, every day that it moves to the right a piece of your awesome gets forgotten about on the left. What I once was, is no matter to what is.&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style=""> </span>Perhaps ... <strong>THERE IS A +K "KULTURE"</strong>. I noticed that many people who were giving out +Ks were for people who gave them a +K. Perhaps I didn't jump in and start drinking the coolaid ... because it seemed as though +K's mattered for how "influential" you are. Which is entirely wrong. Also of note: prior to deleting my account I was influential on the topic of "Bedroom." While this is certainly true, but not accurate to my public brand.</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style=""> </span>Perhaps ... <strong>YOUR PLAYGROUND NEED ONLY BE ROCKSTARS.</strong> I try to follow a lot of people back. I don't get to everyone. However, I have noticed that some of the algorithm favors those who only follow a limited amount of people with high influence. A further addition of the "kulture". A marketing tool to be envious of.&nbsp;</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>IN CLOSING. I CLOSED IT.</strong></span></p> <p>So, therefore I believe it is not an accurate representation ... for now. If I see a turnaround perhaps I will give it another shot. PeerIndex does seem to have it down more accurately. However, don't make the mistake of comparing PeerIndex scores to Klout scores as they are Kapples to Poranges.&nbsp;</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile7.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-12-07/uaqCeEEttFxjGFBBkuJqEclqHqcjDsDCuvCsyCJnFtlimiFfxpuhDernfCof/KloutAccountDelete.PNG.scaled1000.png"><img alt="Kloutaccountdelete" height="236" src="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-12-07/uaqCeEEttFxjGFBBkuJqEclqHqcjDsDCuvCsyCJnFtlimiFfxpuhDernfCof/KloutAccountDelete.PNG.scaled750.png" width="750" /></a> </div> Above you will find a small picture on where to delete your account. It is rather difficult, and in an obscure location.&nbsp;(I'm sure that was an overlooked accident) OF COURSE&nbsp;"Use of Data" is the place everyone thinks to go to ...&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/for-me-klout-is-out">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/for-me-klout-is-out#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D4szrLdYYbCM1Lk_TH93I4lwhvQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D4szrLdYYbCM1Lk_TH93I4lwhvQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D4szrLdYYbCM1Lk_TH93I4lwhvQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D4szrLdYYbCM1Lk_TH93I4lwhvQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/GiSpNLlKUmM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/for-me-klout-is-out Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:02:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/etfyfiPiOsE/techventure-2011-hard-rock-cafe-orlando-flori http://webfugitive.posterous.com/techventure-2011-hard-rock-cafe-orlando-flori <p> <p><span style="">TechVenture 2011 is a first look at disruptive technology companies and cutting-edge entrepreneurs. Showcasing progressive, thought leaders, new concepts, tools and resources.<p />The third annual event brings together technology enthusiasts, innovators, entrepreneurs, mentors, developers, designers and social media mavericks from across Florida.</span></p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Techventure2011_logobox-2" height="175" src="http://getfile7.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-11-29/etfAlwqdGjafJpifHuJcqFJbFGCaGAyjdqturyzExjCuaoowlytlfxuncDGz/techventure2011_logobox-2.jpg.scaled750.jpg" width="175" /> </div> </p> <p><span style=""><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><strong>When/ Where</strong>:</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">December 5-6, 2011 at Hard Rock Live @ Universal Orlando Resort</span><p /><strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Event Activities:</span></strong><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">* AT&amp;T Hackathon</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">* App Launch</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">* Networking Opportunities with Tech Leaders</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">* Florida's Top Tech Startups Demo</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">* Interactive Discussions on Growth Strategies, Creating Workforce, Design Thinking and more!</span><p /><strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Featured Speakers:</span></strong><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">* Mike Yavonditee, Founder &amp; CEO, Hashable; Investor in Klout, Meetup.com and many other internet brands.</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">* Marc Canter, Co-founder, Macromedia</span><p /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Learn more, see agenda and <strong>register free</strong> at&nbsp;</span></span><a href="http://www.techventure2011.com/" target="_blank" style="">http://www.techventure2011.com</a><span style="">&nbsp;</span><span style=""><p />Have questions? Contact David Glass at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" style="color: #1155cc;">(321) 800-5220 x 301</a>&nbsp;or e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:dglass@floridatechnologyjournal.com" target="_blank" style="color: #1155cc;">dglass@floridatechnologyjournal.com</a></span><span style="">&nbsp;</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/techventure-2011-hard-rock-cafe-orlando-flori">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/techventure-2011-hard-rock-cafe-orlando-flori#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/78wsVZmAGIFM0Aq_9DqJ7Te0IYU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/78wsVZmAGIFM0Aq_9DqJ7Te0IYU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/78wsVZmAGIFM0Aq_9DqJ7Te0IYU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/78wsVZmAGIFM0Aq_9DqJ7Te0IYU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/etfyfiPiOsE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/techventure-2011-hard-rock-cafe-orlando-flori Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:53:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/hpH7xKyfgn4/your-customer-knows-what-double-shopping-is-d http://webfugitive.posterous.com/your-customer-knows-what-double-shopping-is-d <p> <p>How many times have you said ...</p> <p><span style="color: #808080;"><em>"I bet its cheaper online."</em></span></p> <p><em>"<span style="color: #808080;">I wonder what kind of reviews it has."</span></em></p> <p><span style=""> </span>Yesterday I shopped at a local (insert giant hardware store chain here). While there, I saw a clearance sign for an item I was interested in: "Black Friday weekend deal 30% off." Now, I happened to need the item on sale; in fact thats why I came in. I knew in my mind that it was a great deal and likely a limited time offer. An obvious response would be to grab the item, walk over to the register and purchase it it.</p> <p><span style=""> </span>But I didn't do that. I <strong>double shopped</strong>. That is, I shopped while I was shopping.&nbsp;</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Scanningmobile" height="333" src="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-11-28/yEgiArjdkGsuIeigqlrdzwhaDtAwsfdGtsJyHkbzajkvfhkHwEtDctGHjFet/scanningmobile.jpg.scaled750.jpg" width="500" /> </div> </p> <p><span style=""> </span>I reached into my pocket, opened up my phone and started taking a look around the internet. I needed more information than I could find where I was standing and it was readily available to me. Apps that allowed me to scan the barcode made quick work of finding the product, comparing the competition, and learning more. In 3 short minutes I knew enough to decide not only that I wasn't buying it here, I wasn't buying it at all.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style=""> </span>Here is where you say, "<em>So why are you telling us about a time when you didn't buy something Anthony </em>?"&nbsp;</p> <p><span style=""> </span>Because in that very short amount of time I completely changed the direction of my money out of the hands of two separate companies. The same thing could be happening to your company if you're not getting ahead of your customer, actively listening to the internet and being adaptive. There is a single window of time where even your customer will change the direction of his money. This window is growing larger every day. You identify it and you win. Failure to do that and you will lose. Simple as that.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Consider this:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; color: #993300;"><strong><span style=""> </span>70% of consumers ages 22-38 look at product reviews before making any "unfamiliar" purchases.</strong></span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/your-customer-knows-what-double-shopping-is-d">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/your-customer-knows-what-double-shopping-is-d#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KPPhJroJc5BPJKlV7tOyCfXjbQ0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KPPhJroJc5BPJKlV7tOyCfXjbQ0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KPPhJroJc5BPJKlV7tOyCfXjbQ0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KPPhJroJc5BPJKlV7tOyCfXjbQ0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/hpH7xKyfgn4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/your-customer-knows-what-double-shopping-is-d Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:57:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/192nawadgcM/my-guest-post-5-ways-to-grow-your-online-comm http://webfugitive.posterous.com/my-guest-post-5-ways-to-grow-your-online-comm <p> <p>Thanks to the Wave Accounting team, specifically Sara, for reaching out to me to contribute on their blog for their Entrepreneurship Week series.&nbsp;</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Capture" height="192" src="http://getfile7.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-11-22/FfpmmjIkoafGmBjfdIpnDvJJxhBmnDoyGglwGzeyIttIzuJAmaFnAhatuuGB/Capture.PNG.scaled750.png" width="652" /> </div> </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>My post entitled "5 Ways to Grow Your Online Community" can be found here:&nbsp;<a href="http://waveaccounting.com/tips-for-building-online-communities/">http://waveaccounting.com/tips-for-building-online-communities/</a></p> <p>While you're there be sure to check out Wave Accounting. An awesome resource that takes all of your accounting needs and makes it super simple. Best of all, its free.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/my-guest-post-5-ways-to-grow-your-online-comm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/my-guest-post-5-ways-to-grow-your-online-comm#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/asatfuUfkYpLwc2OeyzWiY4_m6g/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/asatfuUfkYpLwc2OeyzWiY4_m6g/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/asatfuUfkYpLwc2OeyzWiY4_m6g/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/asatfuUfkYpLwc2OeyzWiY4_m6g/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/192nawadgcM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/my-guest-post-5-ways-to-grow-your-online-comm Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:54:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/4YjF2nAFAAc/one-of-the-biggest-startup-failures-the-busin http://webfugitive.posterous.com/one-of-the-biggest-startup-failures-the-busin <p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span>ake the next few moments to consider what processes you would take before an important first date. Perhaps you will take about twice as long in the shower. Your hair would be perfect. Your clothes would likely be new and even if they're not they are surely pressed and clean. Even more, the clothes would be your best possible outfit. Your teeth would be brushed, flossed and mouth washed.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">N</span>ow, which of these processes would fall to the side if you were on a 10th date. How about a 100th date ? These are all items of adaptation. You understand exactly what is needed to make yourself valuable given the current situation.</p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span>he same goes with writing business plans. <strong>The biggest startup failure is</strong>: (after all thats why you're reading this post isn't it ?) sticking to the business plan. Don't do it.</p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">S</span>o wait. You're supposed to make a document filled with promises and projections ... then not to even follow it ? Yes thats exactly what I'm saying. A business plan is merely one of many things in life which are not built out of expectational realism.</p> <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote"> <p>"<em>Here is a piece of paper outlining my idea with a lot of fluff surrounding what I believe will make you either (a) believe in the concept enough to get involved or (b) believe in the financials enough to provide us with investment.</em>"&nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>Not until you gain traction does a business plan actually mean anything, and even then it will generally continue to change over and over again. Its as worthless as a Facebook friend.</p> <p>Looking for another example of bad realism ? Job references.</p> <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote"> <p>"<em>Here is a list of people who will say great things about me if you call them because I have carefully selected them based on their ability to do so.</em>" is the truest statement.&nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>You have to admire the game for what it is. If A is an illusion and B is reality. A+B = success.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/one-of-the-biggest-startup-failures-the-busin">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/one-of-the-biggest-startup-failures-the-busin#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hMtYfjc3tnQjeX1w2InTOxV74Po/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hMtYfjc3tnQjeX1w2InTOxV74Po/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hMtYfjc3tnQjeX1w2InTOxV74Po/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hMtYfjc3tnQjeX1w2InTOxV74Po/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/4YjF2nAFAAc" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/one-of-the-biggest-startup-failures-the-busin Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:41:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/KEv-VkGhoYo/announcing-florida-venture-sourcing http://webfugitive.posterous.com/announcing-florida-venture-sourcing <p> <p>Any cause that supports increasing the culture of entrepreneurship and startups has my full support. Therefore, I would like to announce my involvement as a local startup mentor working with a new social entrepreneurship platform called <a href="http://www.FloridaVentureSourcing.com" title="Florida Venture Sourcing" target="_self">Florida Venture Sourcin</a>g.<div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Fvs" height="301" src="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-18/yejwCeIdduHjDnmbfJtxvnlbojufkAAjvJjlcdeqgBozByHnDJkawrgzJFul/FVS.PNG.scaled750.png" width="598" /> </div> </p> <p>The site will work as an intermediary between local investors, mentors and startups to create opportunities for guidance and growth.&nbsp;</p> <p>To quote from their own content:</p> <blockquote> <p> </p><ul style="color: #333333; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;"> <li style="margin-left: 15px; font-size: 10pt;">For Startups:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=t7jx88gab&amp;et=1108128873080&amp;s=1768&amp;e=001RVCSwYt0ECrojll8gG0zNLlQ23CMgk0EjeU605k65jmg6daZzD2E504uqRDDMIiFXXEUGeY3MaZHMzlEJNgSsvSx1DzTAY6QkU6btYr3hNDyp8jKYK1rwQIU2kEhpuVmwAYqBoaNQS54Vav6l_8yqL17D1Q2ZYK3BPKSKZiwqXU=" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">Post a profile of your company</a>. &nbsp;Tell us about your product and the market opportunity you are addressing [cont] ...</li> <li style="margin-left: 15px; font-size: 10pt;">For Investors:&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=t7jx88gab&amp;et=1108128873080&amp;s=1768&amp;e=001RVCSwYt0ECqWa0AXhnrzTKFjSU4qX0rHKhMyNUAAFwYOXmBqFRlYtFiSbUKJUOHv03c2jEWqDx5TbhK8IHPQRLxoPa2sKGL1YPrb9Rgcrcd8eq9GDLbSUVdyntSVKULabEFeF5TsaqffBL_DPClzJEu6ijiPoIH6hFjgU0EPexA=" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">Post a profile about yourself</a>&nbsp;or, if you are a member of an Angel group, an Angel fund, or a VC fund, about your group or fund. &nbsp;[cont] ...</li> </ul> </blockquote> <p>I think that it is truly a great concept and also a much needed catalyst for creating new opportunities here locally. As such, it has my full support. It should also be noted that I have no ownership nor am I being paid in anyway for my involvement.&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/announcing-florida-venture-sourcing">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/announcing-florida-venture-sourcing#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HoaMuGvEr-7uyFOztdrdzK5fRJY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HoaMuGvEr-7uyFOztdrdzK5fRJY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HoaMuGvEr-7uyFOztdrdzK5fRJY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HoaMuGvEr-7uyFOztdrdzK5fRJY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/KEv-VkGhoYo" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/announcing-florida-venture-sourcing Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:29:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/1BwZdtZLPG8/moneyball-a-film-about-a-lean-startup-team http://webfugitive.posterous.com/moneyball-a-film-about-a-lean-startup-team <p> <p>I was fortunate to recieve some pre-screening tickets for an upcoming film "Moneyball" starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. It was a fantastic movie that was based on a true story of the Oakland A's and follows their 2001 and 2002 season that utilized a completely new management style that uses numbers and facts to create wins.&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AiAHlZVgXjk" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p> <p>In an attempt to not reveal too much about the film I will break it down thusly: Pitt is the general manager of the Oakland A's and they have a 40M budget. For perspective, the Yankees have about 120M in the same year. Pitt runs into Hill at a meeting. Hill is an economics graduate from Yale working for the Cleveland Indians. Pitt recruits him. He creates a software system to rank a players likelihood to contribute to a win by giving each them a finite number. This number indicates their sum potential to get on base and prevent others from getting on base.</p> <p><strong>Why this is relevant:</strong> Some players who are being paid millions of dollars per year have a significantly smaller "win" potential number than for example, individuals who are being paid in the 250k per year range. So they take a big risk, make massive changes based on this system and have a go at it (that was intended to be vague to prevent spoilers).</p> <p>HOWEVER, during the entire film the new look at their "old school" operation made me see parallels about building a startup lean. Essentially as the story goes in either case "Look at what we can achieve with so little." Startup companies need to focus on spending their money on what makes wins ... and nothing else. If you can determine using science and numbers what specific event causes you to have a direct growth, aim your entire budget at the bullseye and pull the trigger. Not much else matters.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/moneyball-a-film-about-a-lean-startup-team">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/moneyball-a-film-about-a-lean-startup-team#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tFp9uYuKAutUtRiIWPiJtg8qdLI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tFp9uYuKAutUtRiIWPiJtg8qdLI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tFp9uYuKAutUtRiIWPiJtg8qdLI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tFp9uYuKAutUtRiIWPiJtg8qdLI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/1BwZdtZLPG8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/moneyball-a-film-about-a-lean-startup-team Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:24:37 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/8m--aH6miTU/apple-theres-a-job-for-that http://webfugitive.posterous.com/apple-theres-a-job-for-that <p> <p>Even though my daily existence entirely hovers around the internet technology industry, unlike most of my colleagues, I've never been much of an Apple "fanboy". In fact, I will be the first to admit that I've had several long-winded <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">arguments</span> discussions with <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">damn near anyone</span> friends and family regarding the <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">frequent absurdity</span> performance, price, and merit of Apple products in comparison to the competition. An iPhone ? I'll take the Android please. A Mac ? I'll stick to my PC thank you.&nbsp;Even iTunes was never a welcome addition to my software catalogue. I wouldn't call myself a die-hard Microsoft-ist either, but if there was a scale it would certainly point towards the latter.&nbsp;</p> <p>Perhaps this has always been a citation on the case of me being a contrarian. Perhaps Apple became such a generic "tech nerd" brand to me in the past few years that it was almost cool to be on the outside of it, looking in <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">judgement</span>&nbsp;curiosity of everyone else in their consumer choices. Perhaps I've always been a numbers and data person; comparing them side-by-side and making my decisions from there. Perhaps I digress ...</p> <p><em>However</em>. I would like to say something on the record. This is for all the on-lookers that have ever heard my positioning regarding my personal lack of affections towards the brand and its products:</p> <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote"> <p><strong>Even with Steve Jobs now resigned, he is still the greatest businessman, CEO and innovator on the planet, and will likely continue to hold that accolade in my mind until the day I cease to exist. As a human being I wish him the best and as a technology entrepreneur and business-minded individual of this century I stand up and applaud everything that he has achieved.</strong></p> </blockquote> <p>Quote me.&nbsp;</p> <p>I hope that clears things up. Thanks for everything you have taught us Steve.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/apple-theres-a-job-for-that">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/apple-theres-a-job-for-that#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nf8aVn5FhYAsoWSXMIIOknmT1uM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nf8aVn5FhYAsoWSXMIIOknmT1uM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nf8aVn5FhYAsoWSXMIIOknmT1uM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nf8aVn5FhYAsoWSXMIIOknmT1uM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/8m--aH6miTU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/apple-theres-a-job-for-that Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:44:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/wU9jjYMFVj8/a-look-at-startup-control-and-venture-capital http://webfugitive.posterous.com/a-look-at-startup-control-and-venture-capital <p> <p>For every Zynga, Facebook, Twitter etc.. there are quite literally hundreds of fledgling startups that are raising millions at steep valuations in order to come out and play in todays fast moving world of internet entrepreneurs. With venture capital breaking back into the swing of things, according to last quarters&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nvca.org/index.php?option=com_docman&amp;task=doc_download&amp;gid=783&amp;Itemid=93" target="_self">National Venture Capital Association Benchmark Report</a>, the supply of money is inevitably inching closer to the demand. As I have said before however, most VC's chase deals first and get influenced into deals 10th ... but there is hope.</p> <p>The young entrepreneur with a degree of startup traction is an ideal target for VC's while they are not off hunting the big game. These entrepreneurs, new to the game, are significantly more likely to play ball the way that the investors like; by their rules. Wet-behind-the-ears, and reckless makes for a great combination of green enough to accept terms that bend control out of their direction and motivated enough to push a startup to a degree of mutually beneficial success. The alternative ? An entrepreneur that understands the game and is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain control ... because last time didn't play out so well during his (her) younger, i.e. "learning" years. An experienced entrepreneur gets better returns for companies in general. However, the big gamble that some VCs love to make is young entrepreneurs that play the game that make it big on their first time out. Lower risk, higher reward.</p> <p>Now of course I'm not saying that all VC's push people around because they like to. I'm saying they do because they can. Anytime you ask someone for money, you're at their mercy. Game. Set. Match. Forward thinking should remind you that the first paragraph of this article said that VC's chase deals. That is the boat you always want to be in for the most part. However, I will say that if you're just starting out ... make the deal. Take what you can get. A bird in the hand and all that noise. Maintaining your C.E.O. position is more important in this writers humble opinion.&nbsp;</p> <p>It is also important to note that angel investors haven't been mentioned in this article. If you lose control to angel investors you either have too many of them or signed papers that you didn't read fully.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Additional Reading:</p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/let-venture-capital-find-you" target="_self">Let Venture Capital Find You</a></p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/startup-ceo-monday-understanding-investors" target="_blank">Startup CEO Monday: Understanding Investors</a></p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/a-look-at-startup-control-and-venture-capital">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/a-look-at-startup-control-and-venture-capital#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EkdOxIEIvDX73WTIxVHzApo_HUw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EkdOxIEIvDX73WTIxVHzApo_HUw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EkdOxIEIvDX73WTIxVHzApo_HUw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EkdOxIEIvDX73WTIxVHzApo_HUw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/wU9jjYMFVj8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/a-look-at-startup-control-and-venture-capital Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:43:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/91bohLzEJgA/online-reviews-and-dishonesty http://webfugitive.posterous.com/online-reviews-and-dishonesty <p> <div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span> <div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="">The problem that I've always seen with online reviews is the potential for fakes (good or bad). Any online company that makes their dollars from providing a space for consumers to give their opinoin, simply cannot filter all the real from the spam. It seems as though eveything has a review site now.</span></div> <p /> <div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="">My small blog post today was inspired truly by this article via MediaPost</span></div> <div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style=""><a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&amp;art_aid=155604&amp;nid=129710">http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&amp;art_aid=15...</a></span></div> <p /> <div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="">I do however wish that the article would have mentioned the name of the students and or their business platform so I (and others) could learn more.</span></div> <p /> <div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="">Why this is awesome:</span></div> <div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="">1. New use of online listening that combats a challenge that many businesses are facing.</span></div> <div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="">2. Entrepreneurship at work. Young students create platform to solve a much needed growing issue.</span></div> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/online-reviews-and-dishonesty">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/online-reviews-and-dishonesty#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YqdC9soFxo_n-Auvdhh8aZopyeo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YqdC9soFxo_n-Auvdhh8aZopyeo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YqdC9soFxo_n-Auvdhh8aZopyeo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YqdC9soFxo_n-Auvdhh8aZopyeo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/91bohLzEJgA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/online-reviews-and-dishonesty Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:55:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/33IdSNBDD_U/my-take-the-new-missouri-law-that-prevents-st http://webfugitive.posterous.com/my-take-the-new-missouri-law-that-prevents-st <p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">As many of you know, I'm originally from St. Louis, so I wanted to share this little bit of information from the place I used to call home. In Missouri, starting August 28th it will now be <strong>against the law</strong> for students to be Facebook friends with their teacher (<strong>edit:</strong> or ANY social media for that matter) In addition, the legalese makes it sound as if teachers cannot even be part of any online social medium that could potentially have their students in any part of their user-base.<br /> </span></p> <blockquote> <div><strong>Missouri State Bill 54:</strong></div> <div>"..... teachers cannot establish, maintain, or use a work-related website unless it is available to school administrators and the child's legal custodian, physical custodian, or legal guardian. Teachers also cannot have a non work-related website that allows exclusive access with a current or former student.&rdquo;</div> <div>The bill goes on to say that every school must also submit to the state a formal, written verbal (and non-verbal ?) communication policy.</div> </blockquote> <p>The "Amy Hestir Student Protection Act," named after a girl who was repeatedly harassed and sexually abused by a teacher, also discloses news regulations that state a school is liable for not disclosing any prior events of sexual abuse by teachers or other employees, particularly bus drivers .... ew.</p> <p>Thoughts ?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>(<strong>sidenote</strong>: Who the hell would want something like this named after themselves ? Quote me on this one, if they find me dead somewhere ... because I was sodomized by wild, rabid monkeys or something remotely as crazy; please don't make a law about it and call it the Anthony Richardson Primate Protection Act of 2183. Okay !? Okay.)</p> <p>(<strong>sidenote 2</strong>: Uh, yeah ... 2183. I would have lived forever if it wasn't for the monkeys.)</p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/my-take-the-new-missouri-law-that-prevents-st">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/my-take-the-new-missouri-law-that-prevents-st#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S5pS0GqgudyUgtcdZ8_RzgbTvkY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S5pS0GqgudyUgtcdZ8_RzgbTvkY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S5pS0GqgudyUgtcdZ8_RzgbTvkY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S5pS0GqgudyUgtcdZ8_RzgbTvkY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/33IdSNBDD_U" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/my-take-the-new-missouri-law-that-prevents-st Fri, 01 Jul 2011 09:28:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/5QhHd7tWiT0/google-plus-works-for-me-for-now http://webfugitive.posterous.com/google-plus-works-for-me-for-now <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Google-plus-360" height="225" src="http://getfile9.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/webfugitive/JnrAVlJq10rQ6EUru4AZPMHza6U6WSKS8U1qqK7luYO3mgltNVrfM5UQpFFc/google-plus-360.jpg.scaled750.jpg" width="360" /> </div> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">If Google Plus can somehow stay pure, I will undoubtedly use it. For me, the most truly positive aspect of social media is, and always will be:<strong>&nbsp;the&nbsp;discovery of new people and the possibilities that can come from consistently harvesting social relationships.</strong><p />I had this article that I wrote for MyVenturePad that I later republished on my blog,<br />essentially outlining the evolution of online conversation mediums.<p /><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/screw-growth-or-social-media-evolution">http://webfugitive.posterous.com/screw-growth-or-social-media-evolution</a><p />I would assume that this medium, due to it's overwhelming potential for rapid growth, will very quickly jump through the previous barriers established in the article.<p />If one more "social network" is created, even if it is not this one, I hope that it primarily focuses on keeping the conversations between real people moving.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Connect with me on Google Plus:</p> <p><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/107726416948898089158/about" title="Anthony Richardson Google Plus" target="_blank">https://plus.google.com/u/0/107726416948898089158/about</a></p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/google-plus-works-for-me-for-now">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/google-plus-works-for-me-for-now#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4euJIqL8PS04LtqRe7TA0-QLAcM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4euJIqL8PS04LtqRe7TA0-QLAcM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4euJIqL8PS04LtqRe7TA0-QLAcM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4euJIqL8PS04LtqRe7TA0-QLAcM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/5QhHd7tWiT0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/google-plus-works-for-me-for-now Tue, 14 Jun 2011 09:52:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/DlNFwjjL9pk/too-fast-or-too-slow-how-to-know-when-to-laun http://webfugitive.posterous.com/too-fast-or-too-slow-how-to-know-when-to-laun <p> <p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Startup failure can happen even before you have your first customer. Even seasoned startup founders will find&nbsp;speed bumps as they progress forward in their venture. <p /> <div><strong>Too Slow</strong></div> <p /> <div>Generally speaking, this is the more common of the two outcomes. There will always be a reason to delay your launch, but that is the nature of the beast. A startup is, after all, both a finished and unfinished product. Especially in the case of running lean, you will always have things that you think you need to have complete and ready when you take your product to market. In addition, startup founders are human and as such are prone to mistakes, procrastination and time hindrances of everyday life.&nbsp;</div> <p /> <div>Fear is another notorious culprit of launching too slowly. Fear of failure. Fear of dealing with your customers. Fear of not having enough to offer everyone. These fears are normal and it is important to remember to get something out there. Start somewhere and make proof.</div> <p /> <div>Unless you're strategically launching your startup for a specific need at a specific time, backed by market research, launching quickly will always be a better blind choice. This criteria forces you to maintain the harsh truth of finished or not finished. Remember my three rules of a startup; "Move fast. Spend little. Get it in writing."&nbsp;</div> <p /> <div><strong>Too Fast</strong></div> <p /> <div>Have you finished the initial goal that you set out to accomplish ? If not, you're not ready yet. Most ventures start with an idea. First make that idea useful. Then, when that idea is built and ready to be presented to one person it is a prototype. When that idea is built and ready to be presented to a small group it is an alpha, and a everyone (generally speaking) a beta. The people that use it during this stage are not expecting the world as long as you don't say you're going to change the world.&nbsp;</div> <p /> <div>The only reason you should slow down a launch is to make sure all of your work is protected and legal. Get out there and get it done.</div> <p /> <div>Comment ?</div> <p /> <p /> <p /> <div>Related Posts</div> <p /> <div><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/one-is-the-loneliest-number-in-startups-top-5">One is the&nbsp;loneliest&nbsp;number in startups. The Top 5 Reasons to Have Co-Founders</a>.</div> <p /> <div><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/10-budget-friendly-marketing-tips-for-startup">10 Budget Friendly Marketing Tips for Startups</a></div> <p /> <div><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/startup-ceo-monday-understanding-investors">Startup CEO Monday: Understanding Investors</a></div> </span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/too-fast-or-too-slow-how-to-know-when-to-laun">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/too-fast-or-too-slow-how-to-know-when-to-laun#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YbL42z7U0LL86ZWF7ZpitVS7eWU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YbL42z7U0LL86ZWF7ZpitVS7eWU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YbL42z7U0LL86ZWF7ZpitVS7eWU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YbL42z7U0LL86ZWF7ZpitVS7eWU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/DlNFwjjL9pk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/too-fast-or-too-slow-how-to-know-when-to-laun Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:21:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/oN3l9cjOF3g/one-is-the-loneliest-number-in-startups-top-5 http://webfugitive.posterous.com/one-is-the-loneliest-number-in-startups-top-5 <p> <p><span style="font-family: arial; color: #000000;">Think for a moment on the number of really successful startups that have been started by just one person and it may take awhile. Even most of the thoughts that are swimming around in your head right now are likely to not fit within this category. Google ? 2. Apple ? 3. Facebook ? 4. (debatable). Oracle ? 3. etc.. etc.. Below, you will find the top 5 reasons to have co-founders instead of going at it alone.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; color: #000000;"> </span></p> <p /> <div><span style="color: #000000;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Lonelynumber" height="157" src="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-06-13/nEbhxkwkfvtqBhzafCdAsxFmunaekcysezyaHpnHEzmggHfHouiCkzprypFs/LonelyNumber.jpg.scaled750.jpg" width="320" /> </div> </span></div> <p /> <p /> <div><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;"><strong>1. Two heads are better than one.</strong></span></div> <blockquote style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; padding: 0px;"> <div><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;">Having someone to bounce ideas off of and brainstorm with is key. Sure you have great ideas and a fantastic understanding of how you want your product to launch, but you will overlook things. Some of your ideas&nbsp;<strong>will&nbsp;</strong>be dumb. The faster you face facts on this one the better, and a co-founder may be just what you need to set you straight.</span></div> <p /> </blockquote> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;"><strong>2. Distributed work-load.</strong></span></p> <blockquote style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; padding: 0px;"> <div><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;">Don't let the name fool you; I'm not saying there will be less work. There will always be an unlimited amount of work. What I am saying is that the work will be distributed to feel like there is less work. Believe me when I tell you that when you're pushing really hard at something and getting nowhere, it is an awesome feeling to see that someone else had a win for the team that day.</span></div> <p /> </blockquote> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;"><strong>3. Socialization.&nbsp;</strong></span></p> <blockquote style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; padding: 0px;"> <div><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;">Starting a company is an emotional roller-coaster that requires a lot of mental fortitude. You will be more likely to throw in the towel by yourself. Having someone around that is in the same boat as you will keep your spirits up and make you push forward on the dark days. Also, if worst comes to worst, somehow saying "we failed" is better than "I failed".&nbsp;</span></div> <p /> </blockquote> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;"><strong>4. Work-debt.</strong></span></p> <blockquote style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; padding: 0px;"> <div><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;">Work-debt was a term I came up with years ago that basically means the psychology behind being more motivated and working harder simply because someone has expectations of you. If you start a company with someone and you are busting your hump to get it done, you better believe that you expect the same thing out of your partner.</span></div> <p /> </blockquote> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;"><strong>5. Confidence.</strong></span></p> <blockquote style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; padding: 0px;"> <div><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;">Want to test your nerves ? Sit across from a table of venture capitalists by yourself. You will always feel much better if you have a friendly face in the room. Speaking of confidence, the investors and everyone else you deal with will prefer you to be speaking about your company as "we" over "I". Why should they trust you if you're the only one that trusts your company and the promises you're making.&nbsp;</span></div> <p /> </blockquote> <p /> <p /> <div><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;">A startup is a very trying time for anyone, even industry veterans. If you were stuck on a deserted island would you prefer to go it alone ? No. Especially if you've never been on a deserted island before. Yes, it takes more to feed two people but the other benefits involved outweigh the negatives.&nbsp;</span></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Related Posts:</p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/10-budget-friendly-marketing-tips-for-startup" target="_self">10 Budget Friendly Marketing Tips for Startups</a></p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/a-startup-ceos-job-description" target="_self">A Startup CEO's Job Description</a></p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/how-to-get-hired-at-a-startup" target="_self">How to Get Hired at a Startup</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/one-is-the-loneliest-number-in-startups-top-5">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/one-is-the-loneliest-number-in-startups-top-5#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wSQYVB6wKN8LmEld2nXg4xdfLMM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wSQYVB6wKN8LmEld2nXg4xdfLMM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wSQYVB6wKN8LmEld2nXg4xdfLMM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wSQYVB6wKN8LmEld2nXg4xdfLMM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/oN3l9cjOF3g" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/one-is-the-loneliest-number-in-startups-top-5 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:54:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/eSfNtACJgX8/what-harry-potter-can-teach-us-about-entrepre http://webfugitive.posterous.com/what-harry-potter-can-teach-us-about-entrepre <p> <p>The final film of the Harry Potter series will be released July 15th, undoubtedly marking yet another amazing success in the franchise as a whole. We all understand the "wizarding world" so much that it is possible to forget where it all came from; a simple concept, initially building something small and a desire to make something happen regardless of the results.&nbsp;</p> <p>In order to better demonstrate my point, lets work backwards from today.</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Harry_potter" height="217" src="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-06-10/emtvHgoFIEedkuuhExdJyhcsjzzcclacBnDwIlpjHjyIbkfliHucaaHgDpgj/harry_potter.png.scaled750.png" width="325" /> </div> </p> <p>The Harry Potter Brand is currently worth approximately $16+ billion.</p> <p>All seven of the currently released films are within the top 30 highest grossing of all time. The first one was released in November of 2001. Likely written, produced and discussed in 2000.</p> <p>In June of last year, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park was opened in Universal Studios, Florida citing record breaking numbers in both attendance and on-site merchandise sales.</p> <p>There have been eight harry video games and several hundred licensed Harry Potter products.</p> <p>The first Harry Potter novel was complete in 1995. To date, the books have sold over 450 million copies. Many of the books have broken their own records in most copies sold within 24 hours of release.</p> <p>In 1990, a woman by the name of Joanne Rowling sat on a delayed train from Manchester to London and conceived the idea of a "<em>scrawny, black-haired, bespectabled boy who did not know he was a wizard</em>". She shopped around the concept for several years, while living on welfare, to potential agents and publishing companies, <strong>almost</strong> giving up; citing depression and even thoughts of suicide.</p> <p>Even though our heroine in this story is worth over a billion dollars now; entrepreneurship is not all about making money. Entrepreneurship is about creating something new and unique on your own; just because. As I stated earlier, "<em>a desire to make something happen regardless of the results.</em>" Start with creative inspiration and passion. Make it small at first. Rome was not built in a day and all that. Add hard work and ingenuity. Finally, trust your instincts and keep pushing until you make it happen.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>(diclaimer: I haven't read any of the books ... and I think I've only seen one or two of the films. I'm much more impressed with Mrs. Rowling's rags-to-riches story.)</p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/what-harry-potter-can-teach-us-about-entrepre">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/what-harry-potter-can-teach-us-about-entrepre#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fkwYTPr_h7ue0YaDWtyly-7CwIE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fkwYTPr_h7ue0YaDWtyly-7CwIE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fkwYTPr_h7ue0YaDWtyly-7CwIE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fkwYTPr_h7ue0YaDWtyly-7CwIE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/eSfNtACJgX8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/what-harry-potter-can-teach-us-about-entrepre Thu, 12 May 2011 14:25:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebFugitive/~3/NTdxJXSVHrI/what-the-finance-in-response-to-the-skype-mic http://webfugitive.posterous.com/what-the-finance-in-response-to-the-skype-mic <p> <p>So, I have had lots and lots of people asking me what I think about Skype's recent buy-out by Microsoft. I'll make this quick and dirty for those that are just looking for my opinion: If Microsoft has some kind of awesome plan attached to their recent purchase then we should all wait to see it. If not, it makes entirely zero sense to me for them to buy it as a long-term asset considering how easy it is to make voice calls over the internet with other services. (and how much easier it will undoubtedly be in the future).</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Skype" height="300" src="http://getfile9.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-05-12/jIaJnnsvquDJfpBijvyEnfuybeosIFftrkFzEfsHjDppvcvwvnmyznajitxu/skype.jpg.scaled750.jpg" width="500" /> </div> </p> <p>I for one recently integrated Google Voice into my Sprint phone and have been very happy with it.&nbsp;In fact, I doubt I will use Skype ever again unless somone I'm conversing with is adamant about using it OR I am contacting someone outside of the United States.&nbsp;</p> <p>All that being said, props to Skype and their investorsionon their success. I sincerely think that the buy-out was beyond any of their expectations when they launched their service back in 2003.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://images.demandmedia.s3.amazonaws.com/verify.png?id=B7g2MImcsMir3q724nFlx2Q" alt="" style="height: 1px; border: 0px !important;" /></p> </p> <p><a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/what-the-finance-in-response-to-the-skype-mic">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://webfugitive.posterous.com/what-the-finance-in-response-to-the-skype-mic#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TlAMUq2ywmEBS2Xu_tXLORjhTCs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TlAMUq2ywmEBS2Xu_tXLORjhTCs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TlAMUq2ywmEBS2Xu_tXLORjhTCs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TlAMUq2ywmEBS2Xu_tXLORjhTCs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebFugitive/~4/NTdxJXSVHrI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/370082/lunapic-125719586927765__1_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/37lrtjTvlzJ7 Anthony Richardson WebFugitive Anthony Richardson http://webfugitive.posterous.com/what-the-finance-in-response-to-the-skype-mic