"You get a finite number of years on this planet – make the most of all of them, no matter what is going on around you."
Brad Feld
In this article on why you should ignore all the 2009 predictions. Which are pretty much the same words that J.R.R Tolkien put in Gandalf's mouth; "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
Something worth thinking about everyday you are lucky enough to arise.
Lance, Abby, Kate, and Jack
With timing that escapes my marketing sense Sanjay Parekh announced on twitter last Thursday the formation of Shotput Ventures.
Shotput Ventures is following the much discussed Y-Combinator model. They intend to be a technology startup accelerator fund that focuses on capital-light web services companies and assist during the concept phase of startup development. Shotput is going to invest $5,000 per company and $5,000 per founder (a three person company would get $20k).
During all the talk about the Atlanta investor class last summer the usual suspects of entrepreneurs showed little interest in this type of investment. I think there is a need. We will see.
Shotput intends to take in its first class of up to eight startups in the summer of 2009. They are not accepting applications just yet. If you want to move to the front of the line when they do, I suggest that you apply to present at Startup Riot.
Congratulations to David Cummings and the entire Shotput team for building a much needed bridge.
"The dynamics of delivering information to audiences has changed forever
due to technology. Today, consumers are more empowered than ever before. In
order to serve them well, we must find ways to be more nimble. That means we
have to change the way we deliver that news – not just in subtle ways, but in
fundamental ways. We can't live in the
past."
Dave Hunke
In announcing that the Detroit Free Press would limit subscription home delivery to Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
It's a pretty big deal when one of the ten largest metro areas in the United States no longer has daily newspaper delivery. The death of daily newspapers is accelerating. And to think my first job was as a paper boy at the age of 13.
You may have heard of the TAG/GRA Business Launch Competition. That little thing where the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) join forces (along with the help of ATDC) to support the creation and growth of new startups in Georgia via a competition. Where the contest winner receives a $100,000 cash award courtesy of the GRA and a diverse array of services valued at an additional $200,000.
It’s back.
Tell ya another secret.
That little snippet on where the judging process is explained that says “preliminary judges led by ATDC and supplemented with industry, investment and entrepreneurial representatives will complete the first step in the judging and select a group of semi-finalists.” I coordinate all that. Makes me feel real powerful. A master of the universe.
Not.
But what it does do is put me the center of things during the early stages of the contest and that is pretty fun and exciting. Last year I got a peek into about 80 startups. This year I expect to see an exciting new crop of companies. I also get to recruit those “industry, investment and entrepreneurial representatives” so if you have an interest in lending a hand I am all ears.
Things kick off this year on January 8 at 7:30 am at the TAG/ATDC Entrepreneurs Society monthly gathering. Past winners REACH Call, IVOX, and Acculynk will give brief presentations. Then we are going to do a little Q&A and explain the details of the 2009 competition. I get to moderate which should be fun as well.
If you are an entrepreneur looking to enter the competition for a shot at the $100k in cash I would show up. $100k in cash is going to be very dear to an early stage startup in 2009.
I have not been blogging much this month. I’ve been too busy. I wish I could say that I have been busy doing really important interesting work. But I have mostly been moving rocks. Designing new TPS report cover sheets that people think are more important then the actual work to be done. I was actually in a meeting today going over a report when someone asked me “What is the purpose of this?” The truthful response was “You told me to do it.”
Beyond frustrated.
During the holidays. On my birthday even.
Then doing some research for a company I came across the First Round Capital Holiday card.
It made me smile. Then almost cry.
Great card. Great portfolio companies. I wanna work with them.
And tonight I am going to dance a little.
And all will be well in the world.
"If we had wanted to preserve the Big Three, we would have bought more of their cars."
In a nice essay on the oft quoted $73 average pay of a Big Three autoworker.
I have a picture of every car that I have owned. They are a 1971 Ford LTD, 1979 Jeep CJ7, 1992 Honda Civic, 1996 Pontiac Bonneville, and 2001 BMW 540 6 speed. Keeping the BMW for awhile. Love it. Today the two primary cars that are in my consideration set are the BMW F10 and Lexus 450h. Both foreign.
My father in law is a Pontiac/GMC dealer. Business is not good at the moment. My wife drives a GMC. Nice vehicle.
But before I graduated from B-School I had a job offer from GM. Turned it down. They had problems then. They persist today. GM and the rest of the American auto industry needs to right size their businesses. The USG needs to demand it before any relief is offered.
The key driver of Detroit is no different than a successful startup. Build something people want.
So what are you driving and what are your thoughts on a Detroit bailout?
On January 20th from 4:00 to 9:30 ATDC is proud to be the host sponsor of CloudCamp Atlanta.
CloudCamp is an unconference where attendees can exchange ideas,
knowledge and information in a creative and supporting environment,
advancing the current state of cloud computing and related
technologies. The big driver behind CloudCamp Atlanta is John Willis aka Botchagalupe.
Like any unconference, CloudCamp is an informal member-supported gathering that relies entirely on volunteers (and you can count me as one of those) to help with meeting content, speakers, meeting locations, equipment and membership recruitment. CloudCamp is also looking for a few corporate sponsors to provide financial assistance if anyone is feeling generous this holiday season.
You can register for CloudCamp Atlanta on Eventbrite.
Get involved via the wiki.
And follow CloudCampAtl on Twitter.
It's been way too long between blog posts for me. It's not that I don't have things to write about. I do. I have just been too busy. One of the things that I have been busy with is helping out with Skribit.
Well Georgia Tech announced today that Paul Stamatiou is going to be working on Skribit on a full-time basis when he graduates in December.
And if you read between the lines there is a bit more than a strong hint that Skribit has scored a little funding from the Edison Fund, which is headed by Stephen Fleming.
You heard it here first. Or maybe not.
"College football has been conquered, in nearly every respect, by the Deep South."
Darren Everson
In an article for The Wall Street Journal about the rise of Southern football and the broader implications about America. Even as a Big Ten graduate with a bias for that conference I have to agree.
Within the article political consultant James Carville, an LSU alumnus jokes that "half the people in that stadium can't spell LSU." when the discussion turns to the impact football has on the South's culture. Don't know about that but it might have something to do on why they call the Unverversity of Mississippi Ole Miss.
Fascinating read.