Apple app store subscription policy is a clear case of overreaching. I have written before about how I don’t think the 30% take rate for Apple is justified or sustainable. Extending that pricing to an ongoing relationship is particularly problematic. The argument – made by no less than Jobs himself – that Apple should be entitled to a 30% cut for a “new subscriber” seems to suggest that these subscribers simply would not exist without Apple. While true that Apple has built a hugely innovative...

Apple app store subscription policy is a clear case of overreaching. I have written before about how I don’t think the 30% take rate for Apple is justified or sustainable. Extending that pricing to an ongoing relationship is particularly problematic. The argument – made by no less than Jobs himself – that Apple should be entitled to a 30% cut for a “new subscriber” seems to suggest that these subscribers simply would not exist without Apple. While true that Apple has built a hugely innovative...

In looking at consumer web services we often run across companies that are trying to please too many parties. A frequent pattern sounds like “we will partner with xyz for distribution | for content | for revenues” where xyz is a legacy company whose business model is being disrupted. Or should be disrupted by the startup in question, if it were successful. Our conclusion over the years has been that this is a difficult proposition to make work. You can’t create a truly disruptive experience t...

In looking at consumer web services we often run across companies that are trying to please too many parties. A frequent pattern sounds like “we will partner with xyz for distribution | for content | for revenues” where xyz is a legacy company whose business model is being disrupted. Or should be disrupted by the startup in question, if it were successful. Our conclusion over the years has been that this is a difficult proposition to make work. You can’t create a truly disruptive experience t...

One of my personal projects for 2011 was to design something and print it on Shapeways. This weekend I decided that I had a couple of hours to do that and so as the first step I installed Google Sketchup. Having never done any 3D design before, instead of jumping straight into the program, I decided to watch some of the videos explaining how to use Sketchup. The videos are really easy to follow and from first sitting down to beginning to draw 3D shapes took about 15 minutes (includes the inst...

One of my personal projects for 2011 was to design something and print it on Shapeways. This weekend I decided that I had a couple of hours to do that and so as the first step I installed Google Sketchup. Having never done any 3D design before, instead of jumping straight into the program, I decided to watch some of the videos explaining how to use Sketchup. The videos are really easy to follow and from first sitting down to beginning to draw 3D shapes took about 15 minutes (includes the inst...

I really enjoyed reading Peter Norvig’s short piece in the New York Post (the Post? yes, the Post!) about the age of machines. Artificial intelligence (more than games) was what first got me excited about computers and I still have a bunch of the early AI books (Patrick Winston anyone?) on my shelf. We are now actually getting AI although people seem loath to call it that because of the history of over-promise. Yet, computers are clearly doing exactly the kind of things that we had hoped deca...

I really enjoyed reading Peter Norvig’s short piece in the New York Post (the Post? yes, the Post!) about the age of machines. Artificial intelligence (more than games) was what first got me excited about computers and I still have a bunch of the early AI books (Patrick Winston anyone?) on my shelf. We are now actually getting AI although people seem loath to call it that because of the history of over-promise. Yet, computers are clearly doing exactly the kind of things that we had hoped deca...

I have had a number of conversations with entrepreneurs recently where it became clear that their own personal dislike for email/twitter/Facebook/mobile notifications stood in the way of growth. It would be nice to think that you could build a service that is so awesome that everyone who discovers it will (a) instantly get all their friends to use it and (b) keep coming back all the time. But that rarely happens. Instead, there is a lot more evidence to suggest that it is much harder to err o...

I have had a number of conversations with entrepreneurs recently where it became clear that their own personal dislike for email/twitter/Facebook/mobile notifications stood in the way of growth. It would be nice to think that you could build a service that is so awesome that everyone who discovers it will (a) instantly get all their friends to use it and (b) keep coming back all the time. But that rarely happens. Instead, there is a lot more evidence to suggest that it is much harder to err o...

As those who have read this blog for a while or who have met me in person know, I am a strong believer in the transformative power of the Internet. What has just happened in Egypt is an important proof point. The ability of people to organize themselves and to broadcast their thoughts and experiences to the world will change everything. No matter what happens next, the people of Egypt have achieved something amazing: a mostly peaceful revolution that disposed of a 30-year dictatorship. It hap...

As those who have read this blog for a while or who have met me in person know, I am a strong believer in the transformative power of the Internet. What has just happened in Egypt is an important proof point. The ability of people to organize themselves and to broadcast their thoughts and experiences to the world will change everything. No matter what happens next, the people of Egypt have achieved something amazing: a mostly peaceful revolution that disposed of a 30-year dictatorship. It hap...

Yesterday it was revealed that Microsoft is clearly using Google search results and people’s clicks as an input to Bing’s algorithms. That raises a bunch of interesting questions about who owns what online. First, let’s talk about where Microsoft could have this data from. There are two possible sources: Internet Explorer and any Microsoft browser plugins (e.g., conceivably something like Silverlight could do this). In either case this may or may not be a violation of the terms of service tha...

Yesterday it was revealed that Microsoft is clearly using Google search results and people’s clicks as an input to Bing’s algorithms. That raises a bunch of interesting questions about who owns what online. First, let’s talk about where Microsoft could have this data from. There are two possible sources: Internet Explorer and any Microsoft browser plugins (e.g., conceivably something like Silverlight could do this). In either case this may or may not be a violation of the terms of service tha...

The blog post I was planning to write for today will have to wait until tomorrow so I can think out loud about AOL’s purchase of the Huffington Post. First an admission: I used to check the Huffington Post a couple of times a day as a kind of guilty pleasure. They just make it so damn easy to see both the key political headline of the day and then immediately afterward some completely gratuitous piece of entertainment news. I am saying “used to” because I am not sure how long that will last i...

The blog post I was planning to write for today will have to wait until tomorrow so I can think out loud about AOL’s purchase of the Huffington Post. First an admission: I used to check the Huffington Post a couple of times a day as a kind of guilty pleasure. They just make it so damn easy to see both the key political headline of the day and then immediately afterward some completely gratuitous piece of entertainment news. I am saying “used to” because I am not sure how long that will last i...

Our 11-year old son is increasingly interested in computers and in particular in game design. So we are looking for a summer camp that would cater to that interest. If anyone knows of one that’s good, please let me know. Here is what I have found so far: Internal Drive Tech Camps – unfortunately for his age group they only have 1 week camps Emagination Computer Camps – looks less fancy, but have a 2-week away camp and have been around for a long time Digital Media Academy – looks interesting ...

Our 11-year old son is increasingly interested in computers and in particular in game design. So we are looking for a summer camp that would cater to that interest. If anyone knows of one that’s good, please let me know. Here is what I have found so far: Internal Drive Tech Camps – unfortunately for his age group they only have 1 week camps Emagination Computer Camps – looks less fancy, but have a 2-week away camp and have been around for a long time Digital Media Academy – looks interesting ...

I am obviously late to the Start Fund party (since I don’t blog on weekends and wrote about games instead yesterday). The Yuri Milner + SV Angels deal to fund YC companies is interesting but I think for slightly different reasons than I have seen mentioned (I have only read a few posts, so quite possible that someone else has pointed this out already). First, it aims squarely at the critical funding gap that all accelerator programs have. Teams can make impressive progress in just a few month...

I am obviously late to the Start Fund party (since I don’t blog on weekends and wrote about games instead yesterday). The Yuri Milner + SV Angels deal to fund YC companies is interesting but I think for slightly different reasons than I have seen mentioned (I have only read a few posts, so quite possible that someone else has pointed this out already). First, it aims squarely at the critical funding gap that all accelerator programs have. Teams can make impressive progress in just a few month...