Great talk on social networks.
Just a pity about the bad language.
http://www.rizzotees.com/blog/gary-vaynerchuk-in-a-seminal-performance-at-the-2011-inc-500-conference
Amazing comments by the billionaire chief executive of Formula One (talking about the Silverstone circuit) that:
“People in Europe have got to understand that Europe will be sold to the Chinese or India or these people in the Middle East,” he said. “It is gradually happening now.
“We are in no position to compete and this circuit here in India is a good example. This is private enterprise here. There is no government money but these people got on and did it. We [in Europe] sit back and hope it will happen — these people get on with it.”
Earlier he also makes the damming comment that “The new owners will put proper people in, commercialise it and run it properly. I don’t have any problem with it at all. They will get the job done. They won’t muck around.”
And to think that we thought that we were quite good at managing. So the BRICK countries arrive with money and management. Some big changes going to happen in Europe. Who will need a business plan resource?
Hat tip: Daily Telegraph Ecclestone backs Qatari Silverstone bid by TOm Cary 31 Oct 2011
Great article called Start up Success: How 7Top Angels do Business.
Ross Conway
- “Spray and pray”. Lots of small investments trying to catch the big one
Reid Hoffman:
- How will you reach a massive audience? What is your unique value proposition? Will your business be capital efficient?
Chris Sacca
- Products that consumers want.
Chris Dixon
- check on the team.
Peter Thiel
- If the CEO is paid well, everyone is paid well and money burns.
Mike Maples
- Solid team and low capital requirement
Ashton Kutcher
- What is the problem and how many people want that solution?
All great tips from the front line. Do read the full article.
Hat tip: Sorry. I cannot remember where I found this link.
Another great interview by Robert Scoble, the Scobleizer, on a new social search company called Topsy. From watching the video, I understand that whilst Google looks at links and content, Topsy looks at the social network activity. They process the “social signal” and rank on the influence of the commentators and what they are talking about. This sounds very good and the Scobleizer is all excited.
But I go to the Topsy home page and it reminds me of the home page of dBase11 – it does not help me. With Google, I know that I want to search for something but when I go to Topsy what am I searching for that is different. It is all so new. I need help.
Just hope that Topsy does well as the two founders are great people and great communicators – except for their home page!
Hat tip: Robert Scoble on Google+
I listened to this Scoble audio interview on my iPhone4S: from Robert Scoble on Google+ …..” with +Thomas Korte who runs AngelPad: http://cinch.fm/scobleizer/299019.mp3″.
The Cambridge Cluster seems to have been left behind in the stakes for theses incubators which attract major investors with some so confident in the skills of the people running the incubators that they offer everyone company an investment.
From the website: AngelPad is a mentorship program founded by a team of ex-Googlers to help web-technology startups build better products, attract additional funding and ultimately grow more successful businesses. The aim according to Korte is to build better companies faster.
They have 2,000 applicants, of which 500 are good quality and 15 are chosen – so some big hurdles to jump or hoops to get through. Unlike a few years ago, some of the applicants have products and profits.
No mention of a business plan resource.
AngelPad is started by ex-Google employees – presumably those who joined early and vested. It just shows the importance to a cluster of sharing the equity in a successful companies so more people can help build the cluster…..
Hat tip: Robert Scoble