Boulder people are such twits
December 27, 2008
Pete Warden, an uber-cool LA based developer who is considering a move to Boulder soon, recently created BoulderTwits.com. On the site you can see Pete’s list of top twitter users around Boulder, and a visual representation of their connections. Be sure to scroll down to see the list.
I have no idea what the chart really means, but Pete says he’ll be explaining it more soon if you care. Knowing Pete as I do, I’m sure it’s based on strength of connections over time or some such magic. Make sure to look at the full page graph, and zoom in and out for maximum neat-o effect.
CloudSh - a command line web UI
December 26, 2008
Here’s an interesting one. Cloud Shell gives you a command line “shell-like” interface to popular web services such as Del.icio.us, Twitter, Facebook, and 30 boxes. You can set up scheduled commands, send command output to email, or even pipe the output of one command into another. The Could Shell command line is provided through a web or IM interface, and soon by mobile phone.
The service is clearly targeted toward techies who are used to living on the command line.
The number of commands you can issue each month is limited to 300 in the free version, but an unlimited version is $9/month.
Right now, only 4 or 5 services are integrated, so what you can do with Could Shell is very limited. Maybe if the company opened up an API to third party developers so that they could integrate their own sites and services into the command line, that would be a great first step. By opening up an API, the number of services could begin to proliferate quickly, assuming there are enough people who want to access web services via the command line. Those companies that integrate to such an API could help to promote it to their users, giving Cloud Shell increased distribution.
I also think it would be interesting to focus on delivering highly usable endpoints for the service. For example, the command line interface could be accessed via Twitter, IM, email, the web, SMS, and more. I could imagine piping results from a Facebook query into Twitter in order to tweet a current result set, for example.
I don’t have the patience for something like this myself. Maybe some of you command line junkies want to give it a spin and give them some feedback. I’m sure they’d love it.
Plenty of time for that later
Before I started TechStars, I was looking around for a few opportunities to get involved with interesting new startups as a founding CTO. A couple of really interesting ones came along, and I remember having to make a conscious decision between starting TechStars and doing another startup.
I distinctly remember one (great) guy who was recruiting me be his co-founder saying something like “You can always do something like TechStars later in life, and you’ll do it better after you have even more operational experience.”
Around that time I took a mini-vacation, which is what I often seem to do when faced with big life decisions. I usually arrive at decision very quickly, but reading a few books and giving it a few days to sink in before announcing it always seems like a good idea around those times.
So in 2006 I started TechStars.
I think I had a very specific negative reaction to there being “plenty of time for that later.” First of all, as I learned from my fathers death at the age of 62, there really isn’t time for everything later. Second, I’m a big believer that the time to follow your dreams is always now.
For these same reasons, I’ve always been puzzled by the general idea of retirement. My wife and I try to take at least one big trip a year and usually we can do better than that. Life is something that you have to live now, in each moment. If I want something badly enough, I’m not going to wait around for someday.
Recently, a friend told me that their close friend and mentor told him that now is not a good time to do a startup. The economy is down, and companies aren’t getting funded. My friend is relatively young, so the mentor suggested to him that “there will be plenty of time for that later.” My friend approached me on the same subject and I told him the story of TechStars, and suggested that doing a startup is always hard regardless of noise like the global economy and the decisions many VCs are making. Think of it this way: now is always a great time to start a great company.
Personally, I think “Doing a startup” is a particularly special case where the “don’t wait” rule applies. It gets harder to do a startup as you get older. It just does. You get more comfortable in life. It’s hard to give up a nice salary. Mortgages must be met. Spouses and babies must be fed. You have less time and attention. And you just have less energy.
So, if you’re thinking about doing a startup that you’re really jazzed about, and are trying to decide if now or later is the time, here’s my advice. Look at the clock on your computer, and make a note of the current time and date. Hang that note on your desk or on a wall somewhere where you will see it every day. Now, ask yourself if you want to watch the days, weeks, months, and years slip by while your dream just hangs there on the wall or if you want to do something about it.
If you passionately want to do something about something, now is the time. Later is just an excuse.
The glass is half full if you’re an entrepreneur
December 16, 2008
I like to look at the bright side. So when I see lots of office space available for sublease in the downtown Boulder area, I think about how great things are for startups right now. Sure, some companies are downsizing - but they’re still alive. And as you know, staying alive is kind of important.
If you’re working on a startup and it’s growing, or you just need some space to get going, there are some great deals available right now for both small and large spaces. Here are some examples.
If you are looking for space, I’ve heard of a bunch more as well. Just another reason to do a startup now.
The Boomerang Founder
December 11, 2008
I hope that by telling you this story, you can make sure it doesn’t happen to you. It’s the story of the Boomerang Founder.
The Boomerang Founder is the one that you “throw away” but then comes back later on and hits you upside the head, often causing significant trauma.
You start a company, and you and a couple of buddies get together and draft a simple email about who’ll own what. You name the company, and maybe you even incorporate it. You’re in business!
Some time goes by, and one of the founders isn’t work out or takes a day job or loses interest. Maybe she’s just not a startup person, she realizes. Now you’ve got one less founder, and you’re down to two at this point.
It feels like no big deal. A buddy is departing - it’s all good. They’re good people.
You and your co-founder work your tails off for another year. You haven’t thought about that departed founder in quite a while. You don’t see them much anymore. But you hear they’ve moved to Oregon or someplace like that. Time keeps on ticking, and you keep on coding.
Finally, angel investors take interest. You get a little funding. You get some customers. Maybe you get TechCrunched, or even covered by Colorado Startups if you’re lucky. Things are going well.
Boom!
The Boomerang Founder is back. You never really properly wrapped it up. You didn’t document their departure, and make some agreement. You weren’t “real” yet, so you had no founder vesting in place. It’s a loose end that you didn’t tie up. You didn’t have the money, the time, or the knowledge.
Now you have a founder that feels like the idea is worth something. They were there at the start after all. They’re a “FOUNDER”! Hell, alot of what you’re doing was “their idea.” And you “cut them out.” You “pretended they didn’t exist.” This is the language of the Boomerang Founder.
Now you’ve got one of two situations. Either the Boomerang Founder is a bad actor, or they’re not. If they’re not, they’ll generally want to settle with you immediately. They’ll want to figure something out - either a cash payment, some stock, or maybe they just want to be bought a nice dinner. If you’re going to have a Boomerang founder, this is the kind you want. The solution, in this case, is often to swallow your pride and admit that you screwed up by not documenting things properly early on. You want it to go away, now and forever. You need to come to an agreement. If you don’t, then your situation will degenerate into something that feels alot like the the “bad actor” scenario which I describe next.
If the Boomerang Founder is a bad actor and has bad intentions, they’ll likely not want to settle the situation. They’ll want to stake their claim, wave their arms, and then wait. Wait for you to be more successful. Wait for you to get acquired. Wait for more value. And at the moment when they have the most leverage, they’ll bop you right in the head. This is your worst nightmare. And can kill an acquisition or a financing. Investors really don’t like stories like this.
Many observers who happen to be one of the remaining founders will claim that all Boomerang Founders are bad actors. After all, your lawyer will say “yeah, there was no real company yet” and “they don’t have much of a case.” Well, as with all legal advice there is the real world to think about. Loosely translated, these type of statements mean “if you get dragged into court by them, they’ll probably lose and you’ll probably win.” In the real world, it doesn’t matter if the claims of the Boomerang Founder are legitimate or not. It’s the threat of this that can kill you, and it will probably not get so far as to reach some kind of official judgment.
The moral of the story: Early on, if you can afford it, do things right. Find strong legal council, and properly document the company early on. Have a founders agreement. If you can’t afford this then make very simple, clear, plain English, written, signed agreements with you “co-founders”. Keep them simple, and keep physical copies. Make sure you include a basic form of vesting. If you eject or lose a founder, document that previous agreements are null and void, and that they waive all rights to the company and the intellectual property. If they won’t sign it, write down something that they will sign.
Don’t leave loose ends. They tend bop you upside the head at the worst possible moments.
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Brightkite goes public (like… beta, not NASDAQ)
December 9, 2008
- Image by CosmoPolitician via Flickr
Brightkite is a very popular location-based social network that brings people together around places. Users can follow what their friends are up to, where they are, and annotate places with notes and photos for everybody to see. Brightkite can be used on a variety of different platforms, including the web, mobile web, email, SMS, iPhone, several GPS devices, and more. The company emerged from the inaugural TechStars class of 2007 - you can read my early coverage here.
Brightkite had been in private beta for some time, but has just recently opened the doors to anyone who would like to try it out. If you do, be sure to friend me.
The iPhone app is awesome. I use it instead of twitter specific apps now because it can automatically cross post to Twitter with location and photos. It uses the iPhone location services to automatically figure out your location and makes checking in and posting a photo or note in one action dead simple. And best of all, Brightkites privacy settings are perfectly thought out.
If you’re not already a user, head over and give the public beta of Brightkite a spin.
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VCIR deadline approaching
The deadline to submit an application for your company to present at Venture Capital in the Rockies in early March is December 20th. Here’s my previous post on what they’re looking for. All that’s required to submit is a 4 page (or less) executive summary. Both seed stage companies (<$1M) and those seeking later stage venture capital (>$1M) are encouraged to submit.
Venture Capital in the Rockies has a demonstrated track record of introducing presenting companies to qualified capital sources.
- VCIR presenting companies have raised over $4 billion in the last 10 years
- Over 150 venture capitalists attended last year including nearly 50 from venture firms on the the west or east coasts
And it holds for angel investing too
November 13, 2008
Fred Wilson’s post amplifying Jeff Nolan’s post about the “broken” VC model says about venture capital investing what I was trying to say about angel investing at Ignite Boulder. Both made the point far more eloquently than I did, even though I was given five minutes. My point at Ignite was that most (the vast majority) of angel investors will never make any money by doing it. It’s hard (and takes alot of work) to be in that group of 10-20% of angel investors who do make money.
I’m in Toronto today speaking at Canada’s startup conference, Startup Empire. My presentation is called “Boulder, TechStars, and Why Venture Capital doesn’t have to matter.” In general, I think that entrepreneurs put far too much weight on the availability of venture capital. Worse, they put too much mental energy into it. I’ve been pitched many ideas over the last 3 or 4 years that always start with “get venture capital”. These business plans fundamentally depend upon venture capital (even prior to collecting underpants), causing many of them to never even get off the ground. The availability of venture capital cannot be your barometer.
My presentation in Toronto today argues that (based on raw data) it’s mathmatically 100 times harder to raise venture capital in Toronto than it is in tiny little Boulder, Colorado. But my point is that whether your chances are 0.5% or 0.005%, does it really matter? Are you really going to focus your efforts there unless you have some of the things that improve your chances dramatically, such as a track record or a truly-world changing technology?
If you’re a first time entrepreneur with no big wins under your belt and no special relationships, it’s time to stop deluding yourself. Focus on your product and your customers, not venture capital.
Don’t let the down economy stop you from starting a business right now. That’s an excuse, and entreprenurship is about breaking through excuses. Sure, it’s hard to raise money from VCs (it always has been) and it’s also hard to raise money from angels (and it always has been) and it’s hard to build a business from the ground up (and it always has been). It always will be, but you can do it.
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Angel Capital Summit is around the corner
November 8, 2008
The Angel Capital Summit is coming up in a few weeks. Here are some details from the organizers.
Angel Capital Summit
Hosted by Rockies Venture Club
Presented by EKS&H
Friday, November 21; 7:30am - 5:30 pm
Denver Marriott City Center, 1701 California St., downtown Denver
Opening Keynote Speaker
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper
Lunch Keynote Speaker
Anita Burke
Town Hall Meeting
Angel Investing On The Edge
Colorado’s entrepreneurial response to the credit crisis, election, energy and sustainability.
40 Presentations for Colorado’s top entrepreneurial companies in 4 tracks throughout the day!
These are times of profound change in our economy, and entrepreneurship is the single sector in the business ecology poised to capture the opportunities that are being stirred up by these changes. You’ll also learn that you don’t have to do this alone.
Now, more than ever, our society needs a healthy entrepreneurial sector. Now, more than ever, you should attend the Angel Capital Summit, to work with the rest of us to make this a reality.
For information and registration, go to www.angelcapitalsummit.org.
As an incentive for your guests, we offering attendance at the Summit at Rockies Venture Club member rates. Please instruct guests to choose the standard “Guest Ticket - $159” on page 1 of the registration form. On page 2 of the registration form, have them enter the code “ACSIAP08″ in the Discount Code Field at the top of Page 2, then click the “Recalculate” button which will adjust their discounted price and ticket. Attendees registering for the Town Hall Meeting only will need to pay the $25 registration fee and should not enter the code.
The companies who are presenting are:
18 Principles, Inc, 3D at Depth, Affinity Telecom, Inc, Alaskan Hardgear, Allegro Multimedia dba Music Wizard Group, ApopLogic Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AppVenture, Atrato, Inc., Aubice LLC, AWhere Inc., BOCS, Cadeka Microcircuits, Center For Innovation, Metropolitan State College of Denver, Chata Biosystems, Inc., CTM Software Corporation, Del Norte Brewing, DEMAND1, FacetoFace Health, flaik Inc, Fluonic, Inc., Frontline Aerospace, Inc., GroGreen Inc, iVation LLC, JuJu Central, LLC, Lingoport, Inc., Magic Portrait, Munch Away, LLC., NanoPrint Technologies, Progressive Health Center, PROJECT C.U.R.E., Shrewd Foods, Inc., Spatial Networking, Tissue Genetics Inc., Toghers Inc., TruEffect, Inc., Two Moms in the Raw, VanDyne SuperTurbo, Inc, VarVee, LLC, VitruMed Inc., Web2Storage, WhiteDove Herbals, Inc., Xpressplay, LLC, and Zerista.
What does BizSpark mean to you?
November 5, 2008
In case you were too busy chanting “Yes we can!” and missed the news, Microsoft just announced a new program for startups called BizSpark. This is a really important move by Microsoft and it represents a huge value for startups who are considering the Microsoft platform. Basically, you can quality to receive free Microsoft development tools, platforms and server products for up to three years. Perhaps more importantly, you get plugged into the BizSpark network partners and support services.
To qualify, your company must have under $1M in revenue, be less than 3 years old, and still be private. You must also be sponsored by one of the Network Partners. Essentially, these Network Partners have the power to grant the free software and services to any startup they see fit. Many angel groups and venture capitalists are BizSpark Network Partners, including The Foundry Group, CSIA, The Keiretsu Forum, and TechStars.
Don Dodge has an excellent detailed post on the program on his blog.
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