Cornerstone – Arctic Monkeys
I love this acoustic version. The many sides to Alex Turner.
Month: October 2009
What’s the old movie line from ‘Annie Hall’? Relationships are like sharks; they move forward, or they die,” says Steven A. Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive. “Well, technology companies either move forward, too, or they die. They become less relevant.
Microsoft’s Future, Beyond Windows 7 and the PC – NYTimes.com
I have a lot of respect for Microsoft. They are trying big new things. Some of them hit (Xbox) and some don’t. But they are making big bets.
User Interface Obsession.
I was thinking the other day about user interfaces on non-PC devices.
For the most part they are all stuck in some frozen point in time. Or worse, they became more complicated with time.
Consider this list which serves as a tiny sample:
-consumer landline telephone
-microwave
-automobile
-payment systems/banking
-digital SLRs
-home audio/video equipment (TVs, set top box, remote control)
-home security
(I could go on and on).
There is an obvious tendancy to give us more features in each update with these products. Yet it doesn’t seem like the companies that make those products have user interface obsession.
I realize that I’m an Apple fanboy when it comes to design and user experience. And sometimes they absolutely miss the target (I happen to think iMovie 09 was a big step backwards). But for the most part they nail the user experience. Yes, I think they have great taste but it’s more than that. Its taste combined with obsession. Taste makes it sound too easy and like something you are born with or without.
Taste (alone) doesn’t give enough credit to companies that hyperfocus about their products.
I think a lot of companies don’t obsess on their user interfaces. That’s the only explanation I have for why my remote control looks like the way it does. And why there are a billion buttons on my car’s dashboard. Or why I still dont’ know how to sync the address book on our home telephone system.
They just don’t care enough.
That’s why I love startups. The best ones obsess about the user experience. They care about their products and the user interface like nobody else does and they don’t settle.
Awesome.
One Fast Move Or I’m Gone – Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar
Just got an advanced copy of One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Music From Kerouac’s Big Sur
The Park – Bon Iver
Beautiful cover. Original by Feist.
Paying attention to anti-VC opinions, part II
Last week I wrote a post suggesting that all of us venture capitalists should pay attention to the anti-VC opinions out there.
While I am proud of my work, our firm and many of the outstanding VCs we co-invest with, I realize there is plenty of anti-VC opinions out there. We owe it to ourselves, our customers (entrepreneurs) and shareholders (LPs) to pay attention to the discussion.
And there is always room for improvement. Nobody is perfect :)
I thought I would expand on this topic with a few examples & suggestions:
Employee Non-Competes
I think we VCs need to stop the double standard when it comes to non-competes. We can’t insist on locking up employees under a non-compete agreement in states that enforce them (ie MA) and then somehow fund entrepreneurs without any reservation in other states that don’t enforce them (CA). Let’s get rid of employee non-competes everywhere.
Pay to Pitch
In recent months I learned something that I didn’t know was going on. Some angel groups are charging entrepreneurs to pitch. Brad Feld said it best in his post, An Angel Group Move That Makes Me Vomit. Since then Charlie O’Donnell, Jason Calacanis and Fred Wilson have all weighed in against this practice. I completely agree. That isn’t cool and I won’t participate in any events that charge entrepreneurs to pitch investors.
VC Speak
Fred wrote a post yesterday about the VC speak – “we need to own”. It’s an excellent write up and it’s another area where VCs can do better. Instead of a “we need” it argument, it should be more about “we want” to see in this investment or not. This is what I wrote in the comments.
The other thing that came up in the comments on that same post was the expression “our companies” by venture capitalists. It drives entrepreneurs crazy and I can see why. It’s much more accurate and respectful to say “our portfolio companies”. Credit where credit is due.
* * *
Clarification: I can already see the faces of some of my VC colleagues that read this post. It may sound like I’m coming off as holier than thou which is clearly not the intention. Like I said before, we all can improve and I realize I’ve still got plenty to learn. Fortunately I’m surrounding myself with people that I like, admire, respect and teach me along the way!
If It’s True – Yo La Tengo
I’ve been listening to the latest YLT album all morning.
Email bankruptcy
I’m declaring email bankruptcy. This is now my inbox. Inbox zero.
And while I have been very good about responding to emails from my family, my partners, our portfolio company founders, our LPs and close friends, I just haven’t been great about everything else. And that doesn’t feel very good at all. In fact it completely bums me out.
So now I have a plan. It starts with bankruptcy and a clean slate.
I decided to follow Wade Roush’s advice and take the big archive step towards salvation.
I have high hopes.
My research revealed that lucky people generate good fortune via four basic principles. They are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities, make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition, create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations, and adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good.