Adtech Is Harmful to Consumers

If the ads on the websites and in the apps you frequent disappeared tomorrow, would you miss them? Can you think of any specific sites or apps, other than search, where introducing ads improved user experience? I happened upon these questions a few days ago while preparing the opening remarks for a FutureM event my … Continue reading “Adtech Is Harmful to Consumers”

Facebook is Mission-Critical

Facebook is mission-critical infrastructure. Not for me and not for you either, since you reading this makes the odds of your age being greater than Zuckerberg’s quite high. However, for millions of people between the ages of 10 and 23, Facebook is critical to their lives. The reason? Homework. I’m old enough to have stopped … Continue reading “Facebook is Mission-Critical”

Customer Development by the Numbers

A couple of days ago, more than two hundred founders, CEOs and marketers got together with some very sharp thinkers to talk about making startups successful under the umbrella of FutureM—a week-long series of events about what’s next in marketing. MITX, which I’m honored to be on the board of, organized FutureM with the help … Continue reading “Customer Development by the Numbers”

Hardware vs. Software: The Defining Technology Battle of This Decade

History repeats itself, it seems, because the defining technology battle of this decade is going to come straight from the 80s: it’s hardware versus software. [tweet] Every decade brings substantial advancements to both software and hardware, but in certain decades the strategic importance of one versus the other shifts dramatically in many segments. I’m using … Continue reading “Hardware vs. Software: The Defining Technology Battle of This Decade”

Negotiating a Better Series A Deal

[Updated 11/18/09, see below] This post is about how to get a better deal from VCs investing in your first round of financing. It is also about how to make the deal into a win-win. The idea for the post came from an exchange with @bakespace about some of the resources for entrepreneurs on FastIgnite. … Continue reading “Negotiating a Better Series A Deal”