Archives for March 2012

Frank Peters – Angel Video Interview Series

[This post is part of an on-going series of video interviews with members of the start-up community – see a list of links to the full series here.]

Few people outside of the early-stage community probably realize there is a terrific show devoted to the topic of angels, angel investing, angel groups and entrepreneurship. But angel investor Frank Peters has been cranking an excellent one out for several years. There are a ton of great shows – worth a troll through the archives.  In addition to being a fan of the show, I have enjoyed getting to know Frank over the years, so I was quick to seize the opportunity to interview him for my video interview series. [Read more…]

Dave Berkus – Angel Video Interview Series

[This post is part of an on-going series of video interviews with members of the start-up community – see a list of links to the full series here.]

To angels, Dave Berkus needs no introduction.  Dave is a prolific angel investor with Tech Coast Angels, an author, blogger, speaker and consultant and all-around good guy. While his profile is pretty high as a general matter, he may be best known for his authorship of  The Berkus Method of valuing early stage companies.  I have enjoyed getting to know Dave over the years and found his observations very useful in many areas, so I thought he would be a great first interview for my video interview series.   [Read more…]

Thoughts on Crowdfunding [Updated]

This crowdfunding legislation is starting to look real. [Update: Senate just passed the bill: NYT coverage here. Obama has signed it into law.] But what the hell is it going to mean?  I have been asked about this a fair amount lately. My past background and current vantage point put me pretty close to the issues. So I figured I would sketch out some thoughts on this very complex topic. Will it be a good thing, or a slow-motion train wreck unfolding before our eyes? [Read more…]

What Publishers Just Don’t Get: Why Zite Wins

Publishers will never be able to establish successful mobile platforms. The Zite model of customized content will win. Why? Because publishers think editing means curating their own proprietary content. In the days of the printing press, limited square inches on the broadsheets, slower news cycles and information scarcity rather than information overload, they might have been right. But today, editing means [Read more…]

Bank of America Still Sucks

Quick update to my recent post Bank of America Sucks.  This just in from today’s Wall Street Journal:

Subject: WSJ MARKETS ALERT: Bank of America Weighs New Set of Fees

Date: March 1, 2012

Markets Alert
from The Wall Street Journal

Bank of America is working on sweeping changes that would require many users of basic checking accounts to pay a monthly fee unless they agree to bank online, buy more products or maintain certain balances. [Read more…]