December 2011
33 posts
At a Loss for Words
After a year of trying to be consistent in posting something here every day I’m finally at a loss for words.
It’s been an amazing year on BRYCE DOT VC for me.
The ideas this place has helped me unlock, the dots this place has helped me connect and the doors this place has opened for me have been unexpected and, at times, amazing.
When I started posting in earnest, I would often...
The Power of Being Provocative
Back in 2010 Peter Thiel announced a controversial program called the “20 Under 20”. The plan was to make grants to 20 kids 20 years old or younger to stop out of school. The aim of the program was to not only to spot young and restless talent early on, but highlight what Peter believed was a growing bubble in education.
In an interview he did with Sarah Lacy he says:
A true bubble...
“The good news, bad news part about this industry is that it’s a little bit like...”
– Scott McNealy
“While the best personal trainers are giving advice based on dozens, or perhaps...”
– Jason
THIS is the real opportunity of data networks.
I Believe in Ghosts
One of the more thought provoking pieces I’ve read recently comes from Scott Adams, of Dilbert fame, who sketches out a methodology for shaping a digital representation of ourselves:
Suppose you wanted to create your own digital ghost to live for eternity in the Internet and maybe do some haunting. What would that look like?
You’d start now, backing up everything that happens on...
“What I do have is an offer to be more than just an employee with a...”
– Andre
“I’ve been doing location and mobile stuff for a while - for more than 10...”
– Dennis
Holiday Observations (Kid Edition)
WIth the holidays comes a winding down of sorts as email transitions from a torrent to a trickle and commutes to the office are exchanged for family time with an unhealthy dose of phone fidgeting.
It means more time with the kids too. Which has led to a few new observations about how my world of technology and theirs intersect.
Tweens <3 video: maybe tween boys are different, but my two...
“With today’s approval of the first TV white spaces database and device, we are...”
– Julius Genachowski
This is a very VERY big deal.
“When I was 18, I spent one night trying to paint LATE AGAIN in big silver bubble...”
– Banksy
Necessity being the mother of invention and all.
Or, don’t miss the exact move you should make when it’s staring you right in the face.
A Reluctant Twitter Experiment
I’m getting crushed.
Not sure if it’s #newnewtwitter, the end of year rush filling my inbox or how my use case for twitter has changed over the years, but I’m coming to terms with the role twitter is playing for me these days.
Early on, Twitter was a wonderful well of serendipity that I’d dip into frequently throughout the day. During these dips I’d see comments,...
Banksy Website FAQ
Q: Is Banksy just a big brand these days? Do you even paint your own pictures?
A: It’s not supposed to be a brand, which is why people in advertising think it’s such a good one.
“Don’t start a company just for the sake of starting a company. Don’t...”
– PG
WatchPlain talk from @bradusv on the perils of and problems with #sopa is required weekend viewing on BRYCE DOT VC.
“You know, 50 bucks may not sound like a lot, but I tell you what, at the right...”
– Not about startups, but it could be.
PS- read the whole story.
SOPA Casts Light on the Growing Technology Divide
Two articles grabbed my attention yesterday that touched on a growing concern I’ve been wrestling with far longer than SOPA/PIPA or any individual bill has been bouncing around; namely, that the people making decisions about legislating the future of the technology have little, if any, understanding of it.
As Clay highlights in his post:
Our 111th Congress has 2 professional athletes in...
“When we designed the Internet the first time, our priorities were reliability,...”
– An Open Letter From Internet Engineers to the U.S. Congress
Let the first eight words of this paragraph wash over your brain for a little bit…
“Great developers are systems fixers and systems hackers. There is no system more...”
– Why Developers Should Run for Congress
Early Warning Signs of Startup Trouble
In a post a few weeks back Steve Blank recounted a set of interactions with a founder who’s company was in trouble. Despite some things going very right , Steve highlights an early warning sign he spotted that suggested there was trouble brewing:
The first thing that I noticed was that Bob couldn’t seem to find a co-founder. I wasn’t close enough to know if he wasn’t really looking for...
You Become Who You Hang Around
When I lived in Salt Lake City, I was invited to train with a group of athletes at a facility called Gym Jones. It can be a bit of a polarizing place. Not just anyone can walk in off the street and join.
But the reasoning behind it’s exclusivity is fairly straight forward. The gym and it’s founder Mark Twight, are driven by a simple philosophy:
You become what you do. How and what...
“Two high level Congressional staffers who have been instrumental in creating or...”
– Masnick
No one is wondering anymore.
When Should You Listen to Investor's Product...
Every startup I’ve ever worked with has THAT whiteboard.
You know the one.
It’s covered in hand scrawled notes from corner to corner then layered over with post it notes. All ideas for products or features the team can, could or should build.
Fred reminded me of this whiteboard today while singing the praises of Twitter’s new embeddable tweet feature:
Yesterday Twitter...
Capturing More Value Than You Create
I didn’t get upgraded on my flight home from NYC tonight.
That’s not so unusual. I only get upgraded about 50% of the time. As I schleped it to my coach seat there was nothing too out of the ordinary save for a couple dilapidated seats with tray tables being held up by duct tape and one particularly surly flight attendant.
Then we lifted off- which is my favorite part of any flight....
Promoting From Within
One of the great things about the job of being a VC is taking risks on people that pay off.
By their very nature, founders of startups are often unemployable.
They prefer blazing their own trails and that’s not usually a good fit for the the process, constraints or politics of a BigCos. As a VC, it’s hugely gratifying to see founders and their employees go from newbie CEOs and...
“Low aim is the biggest crime a man can commit.”
– Bruce Lee