I just finished reading Brad Feld’s new book, called “Startup Communities.” I read it cover-to-cover in one sitting during a trip back from NYC. It’s that good. I really like the following points he made: Entrepreneurs have to lead the startup community, not investors, government or service providers Government is ill-equipped to lead entrepreneurship. Politicians
Interesting Book on Obama and GOP
I’ve been reading Bob Woodward’s new book called “The Price of Politics.” It’s about the early years of the Obama administration and the grappling over a potential government shut down and debt default. It’s awesome. Just like his books on the Bush administration, this one is well-written. Here are my impressions: Obama: Awful at connecting
BBQ Ribs and Personal Anxiety
Over BBQ at Redbones, I had lunch with an entrepreneur whom I’ve long admired from afar. The conversation took a quick turn when we both talked about our personal insecurities. This entrepreneur talked about how he came east from the Midwest, turned down MIT when he was offered a killer financial aid package elsewhere, and
E-commerce: My 2 Cents
I entered the VC business in 1998. I worked on, and screened, a lot of e-commerce companies. I have seen a lot of e-commerce companies the past few years, but have hesitated because it has been a popular area for VCs. Now that VC interest seems to be waning, I’m actively looking again in the
Why You Should Not Be an EIR at a VC Firm
“Should I be an entrepreneur in residence at a VC firm?” I get this question a lot, and a variant of this came up today. My advice to entrepreneurs is “no.” I used to sponsor “EIRs” but I stopped many years ago. It’s because I think such a program is rarely a win-win for the
Scotch O’Clock
Cort Johnson, Jeremy Weiskotten and the folks at Terrible Labs invited me to be on “Scotch O’Clock.” They’re behind some cool companies. “The Scotch” is an on-video interview. A bit off the rails (no pun intended, as Terrible Labs is a Ruby on Rails shop). I really enjoyed meeting them and I’m grateful for the