Month: March 2010

Maybe it’s because I was a boy scout growing up or a brown belt in taekwondo or maybe it was growing up on Long Island or maybe it’s because I’m short….I’m really not sure. But I’ve always had an allergic reaction to the tough guy, to the bully.

To me, it’s an attitude problem that I don’t care for. It’s where someone thinks that by acting like a tough guy they can push people around or force people to agree with them.

The worst offender are those that think it’s weak to treat people with respect. 

Well, I didn’t like it then and I definately don’t like it now.

That is one of the best parts of my job. I don’t have to work with bullies.

I just don’t have the time or desire. 

Some of my friends (Seth Goldstein & Jon Steinberg) launched a new product last week called Stickybits.

It’s a powerful idea. You can essentially add digital content (comments, links, photos, etc) to any physical object.

Here’s how it works. First, download unique barcodes from Stickybits and attach them to an object. I have one on the back window of my car. If you have the Stickybits app on your iPhone or Android phone, you scan that barcode and leave a comment if you see my car.

That’s just one example. There are many more. Essentially, every physical object can now have a URL attached to it. The service also notifies you if someone adds content to a particular item if you choose.

You can also order Stickybits stickers which look a lot cooler (and more functional) than the printed codes. I bought a pack and already have plans of where I’m going to put them.

Here’s an easy way to check out how simple this all is. Download the app on your iPhone or Android. Then scan this barcode below from the app and leave me a message, photo or video. It’s really fun.

Blogging has come a long way since I started first reading blogs and since my first blog post (old blog on typepad). 

They have evolved from a pure publishing one to many model into a two way system where follow/follower, comments, reblogs, and “likes” provide a whole new experience. 

But one thing I’ve noticed is that a blog post may receive a fair amount of interaction on the first day, little if any interaction on day 2 and it drops off big time after that. Even though Google directs a nice chunk of traffic to older posts, the interaction is still low.

Compare that with an message board. Head over to a forum like dpreview and you’ll see a conversation going about a particular camera or lens that started a month ago and is still on fire.

And those message board tools haven’t changed significantly in years. The don’t have threading or email replies that modern platforms like Disqus offers. Nor do they easily allow sharing of images, videos, links etc. There isn’t a follow/follower model. 

I’d love to hear any thoughts on why blog posts don’t “live long” from an interaction standpoint or maybe my perception is wrong.  I don’t think it’s the content. The quality of the content I read on blogs is quite high (and certainly better than message board posts). 

So here’s the thing I get asked all the time: should all VCs blog?

Clearly, there are many successful VCs that are active bloggers.

But there are plenty of great venture capitalists that don’t blog at all.

I believe it really comes down to personal comfort. I believe VCs should blog if they truly enjoy it and not because they feel it’s about marketing or a way to show entrepreneurs how thoughtful they are (or think they are <g>). I suppose its like everything else in life – do what you love.

As someone that started in the venture business less than 5 years ago, I can’t imagine not blogging, participating, and showing up every day. It’s too much fun, too much learning and too much I want to share to ever give this up.