Big Companies struggle to take risk and manage for the long term. Many choke. I know that sounds like a sweeping statement. Admittedly, it is. But, I’ve seen various situations over and over, and that’s my conclusion. The latest example happened last week. An entrepreneur called with an update. A very Large and Known Public
“Making Partner” at a VC Firm
I read recently about another venture capital investor switching firms. I don’t know the specifics behind that move. But, I do think more career moves like this will be commonplace. It’s a stark change from what VC used to be. When I joined the business in the late-1990s, VC firms promoted partners from within. In other
Key Trait of Founders: Loving Ambiguity
Zynga. Internet fortunes won and lost. IPOs. VCs. Victories and colossal failures. That was my morning meal. I caught up today over breakfast with Rich Levandov of Avalon Ventures (one of the Zynga investors). He and I have so many overlapping friends and contacts, and so, it was good to meet up finally with him. We
J.D. Salinger, Ernest Hemingway, and The Smiths
Every fall, I read again J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” and Ernest Hemingway’s “A Moveable Feast.” I discovered the books in high school, and for some reason, I’m drawn to them when the leaves turn to brilliant orange and yellow here in New England. I’m not sure why I re-read them, now that I’m
Sexual Predators and the Internet
I’ve been battling a bug this week, but am glad that I attended a recent morning talk by Dan Conley, the Boston District Attorney. He mentioned what we all know: the Internet is a cool place but can be dangerous for children and teens. But, he cited by name the many Web sites to which
TechStars, a Chinatown Feast, and Community Building
I had “open office hours” at the CIC’s Venture Cafe last week. It’s a great program whereby any entrepreneur can sign up for a chat with a VC. It’s an open and inclusive program. All are welcome. Andrew Singleton, the coordinator, was awesome. I ran into an entrepreneur afterwards. He asked me: “Is it worth