I’ve referred to this a couple times over the last few days as an example of a clever way to use new media to promote more mundane products so thought I would do a post on it. This is one of a series of videos by Blendtec designed to profile their blenders in a creative and entertaining way. Now, I’m sure you thought a blender was a blender and that there was no real way to differentiate beyond price. Well, here’s what one of these little babies can do to an iPhone:
The folks over at Basex have now confirmed it by naming "information overload" as the problem of the year for 2008. Here’s an article on it. Ok, great. Not sure anyone would debate that interruptions and reply all emails are not a pain, so what to do about it? The recommendations are all focused on end-user behavior changes like not immediately following up on an email or call, being better about subject lines and selective use of "reply to all." All good advice but of all the things to change in organization, human behavior is the hardest.
Looks like the folks at Goldman are not feeling too rosy about Salesforce and Tibco downgrading both to "sell" ratings (via Paul Kedrosky).
Why? For Tibco looks like a a "challenging IT spending environment" and exposure to the financial services sector while valuation is the culprit in Salesforce’s case.
I hope everyone had a great holiday. I took a bit of a hiatus from blogging due to both being stricken with something nasty and flu-like I picked up traveling on a few end of year sales calls the week before Christmas as well as doing my best to be unplugged for a bit.
I was first introduced to Gary Snoman last year and appreciate the folks at Blueprint Ventures adding him to my much anticipated holiday greetings. I think they tried to release this year’s version last week but it appears that the traffic was too much? Anyway, here’s the link to the ‘coming soon’ page. Last year’s below. Also check out this one from Labrador Ventures (via Andy Sack).
No doubt is from Malena’s Taco Shop in the Queen Anne neighborhood. The place is small, quick, and really good. We lived in Queen Anne when we first came to Seattle and enjoyed the giant burritos from here often. Word of warning – one is enough to feed two..or you need to be really hungry as I was earlier. I made a trip over there today for an adobado burrito because I woke up with it on the mind. I am now very, very full.
Ok, so this video is old news by now but as someone who experienced one bubble in the past (anyone remember 98-01?), I find this a bit entertaining.
Building a company is hard. Getting venture funds may oscillate between impossible and ridiculously easy depending on the availability of said funds, but building a company is always hard.
The margins may be populated with soon to be killed off stupid company ideas funded by newly fashioned VCs but I love the innovation and optimism of all of this. I also love the Bay Area and its regional siblings but if you spend some time there or live there, get on a plane soon. Go to somewhere like St. Louis or Houston. Tell someone there about your "idea." See what kind of reaction you get.
A good friend told me a long time ago (thanks Greg Nicholson) something that sticks with me to this day. If you think you’ve got a business idea, what is it about it that would make someone take a dollar out of their pocket and give it to you for it. Not an investor…but a real customer…and ad revenue doesn’t (really) count.
Thanks Michael for bringing this to my attention. This is a great video of a Boeing 707 doing a barrel roll over Lake Washington here in Seattle many years ago with narration by pilot "Tex" Johnson. It’s important to have a compelling demo and I believe this hits the mark. Just sellin’ airplanes sir…
Thanks to the folks at Xobni for including me! I loaded it tonight and will let you know what I think as I start using it.
We made our annual pilgrimage to Charleston, SC last week for the Kiawah Island Half-Marathon. Marel and I have yet to make marathons our thing, but believe being able to run 13.1 miles several times a year will force us to stay in pretty good shape.
We always enjoy this trip and getting together with friends and family in the Southeast. It was difficult to leave Charleston on Sunday when it was sunny and 75 degrees for Seattle’s cloudy and 34.
Kiawah Island does a great job with this race including an ample supply of beer at the finish line. We also got to enjoy a few great meals in Charleston including Hank’s and Magnolia’s.
Oh…and if the guy on the 6am out of Seattle to Atlanta that refused to switch seats so my wife and I could sit together with our little one is reading this – thanks again.
Venture Vice 