Even if Apple were to announce something entirely different on Jan 27 (just love the idea of the biggest headfake yet) it is clear that 2010 will be the year of slates, with Ballmer showing off HP’s upcoming Windows 7-based slate. So much has been written that I won’t even try to link to any of it. I have read a bunch but it’s impossible to have read it all and so the following points may well have been covered by a bunch of other people. Instead of speculation about what capabilities will be...

Even if Apple were to announce something entirely different on Jan 27 (just love the idea of the biggest headfake yet) it is clear that 2010 will be the year of slates, with Ballmer showing off HP’s upcoming Windows 7-based slate. So much has been written that I won’t even try to link to any of it. I have read a bunch but it’s impossible to have read it all and so the following points may well have been covered by a bunch of other people. Instead of speculation about what capabilities will be...

Tonight I will be on Brian Lehrer’s TV show, together with Chris Dixon and Henry Blodget, to talk about what’s in store for NYC tech startups over the next decade. At least that is the putative topic, although I would not be surprised if the conversation goes elsewhere. Here are some points I am planning to make: It has never been easier to hire top tech talent for NYC startups. And that’s not just because folks no longer want to work (as much) in finance. It is because people want to live an...

Tonight I will be on Brian Lehrer’s TV show, together with Chris Dixon and Henry Blodget, to talk about what’s in store for NYC tech startups over the next decade. At least that is the putative topic, although I would not be surprised if the conversation goes elsewhere. Here are some points I am planning to make: It has never been easier to hire top tech talent for NYC startups. And that’s not just because folks no longer want to work (as much) in finance. It is because people want to live an...

UPDATE: As the comment by vruz correctly points out, I am wrong in my use of the term uncanny valley, exactly because the creatures depicted in Avatar are not human. Still believe that we are seeing the beginning of something new and important! On Sunday, I finally got around to seeing Avatar in 3D (not yet IMAX, which was sold out). I was excited to find that it is in fact the 3D and computer animation breakthrough that we have all been waiting for (OK, at least that I have been waiting for)...

UPDATE: As the comment by vruz correctly points out, I am wrong in my use of the term uncanny valley, exactly because the creatures depicted in Avatar are not human. Still believe that we are seeing the beginning of something new and important! On Sunday, I finally got around to seeing Avatar in 3D (not yet IMAX, which was sold out). I was excited to find that it is in fact the 3D and computer animation breakthrough that we have all been waiting for (OK, at least that I have been waiting for)...

Well, it’s the 4th of January, 2010 and I have so far written and crossed out 2009 at least half a dozen times. My brain is apparently reluctant to accept that it is 2010. After all, in a few minutes I will be braving the cold on the way to a (probably frozen) Metro North train, instead of firing up my jet pack or better yet beaming myself into the office. On the other hand, I did see Avatar last night and that is a mind-blowing experience that definitely qualifies for 2010 (if you are among ...

Well, it’s the 4th of January, 2010 and I have so far written and crossed out 2009 at least half a dozen times. My brain is apparently reluctant to accept that it is 2010. After all, in a few minutes I will be braving the cold on the way to a (probably frozen) Metro North train, instead of firing up my jet pack or better yet beaming myself into the office. On the other hand, I did see Avatar last night and that is a mind-blowing experience that definitely qualifies for 2010 (if you are among ...

Fred wrote about tenacity this morning prompted by a post from Mark Suster about tenacity being a key trait for an entrepreneur. As per usual there is a long comment thread on Fred’s post and also quite a few comments on Mark’s. There is, however, only a limited discussion of the potential conflict between tenacity and the ability to “fail early and often” (before and after this comment). With the low cost of operating many startups these days, it should probably be called “iterate early (and...

Fred wrote about tenacity this morning prompted by a post from Mark Suster about tenacity being a key trait for an entrepreneur. As per usual there is a long comment thread on Fred’s post and also quite a few comments on Mark’s. There is, however, only a limited discussion of the potential conflict between tenacity and the ability to “fail early and often” (before and after this comment). With the low cost of operating many startups these days, it should probably be called “iterate early (and...

Yesterday I went to get a second opinion on my ongoing dental pains. I went to a specialist in the matter (implants), presented the history and asked for his opinion and advice. The whole process was incredibly useful. First, it made me focus on what was fact versus interpretation or emotion. Second, I got a perspective from someone who has no stake in the outcome and who is looking at it with fresh eyes. He quickly came up with at least one alternative explanation that my existing provider d...

Yesterday I went to get a second opinion on my ongoing dental pains. I went to a specialist in the matter (implants), presented the history and asked for his opinion and advice. The whole process was incredibly useful. First, it made me focus on what was fact versus interpretation or emotion. Second, I got a perspective from someone who has no stake in the outcome and who is looking at it with fresh eyes. He quickly came up with at least one alternative explanation that my existing provider d...

I am going through an annoying dental crisis following an implant that has somehow developed an infection. Having worked at or with startups all my life I have on several occasions pushed forward even at times when it was detrimental to my health. I know many entrepreneurs who do the same – including some recent instances in our portfolio. It is a reflection of the will to create something from nothing and one of the reasons why entrepreneurs often succeed where big companies fail. But it is ...

I am going through an annoying dental crisis following an implant that has somehow developed an infection. Having worked at or with startups all my life I have on several occasions pushed forward even at times when it was detrimental to my health. I know many entrepreneurs who do the same – including some recent instances in our portfolio. It is a reflection of the will to create something from nothing and one of the reasons why entrepreneurs often succeed where big companies fail. But it is ...

I have written about privacy on this blog several times before. This week the topic seems to be front and center again with Eric Schmidt stating in a CNBC interview that “[i]f you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place” and Facebook introducing new privacy settings, which default to sharing with everyone. I love how this topic keeps coming around and believe it will continue to do so for a long time. The reason is that the persona...

I have written about privacy on this blog several times before. This week the topic seems to be front and center again with Eric Schmidt stating in a CNBC interview that “[i]f you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place” and Facebook introducing new privacy settings, which default to sharing with everyone. I love how this topic keeps coming around and believe it will continue to do so for a long time. The reason is that the persona...

For the past couple of days I have not posted for two reasons. First, I was in London and tried to sleep as late as I could before my meetings (still effectively getting up before 4 am). Second, I was reading up on “Climategate." In case you have been completely offline and have not even watched my favorite fake news source, The Daily Show, here is a one sentence summary: Several climate scientists committed the cardinal sin of tweaking data in an attempt to make a case stronger, thereby actu...

For the past couple of days I have not posted for two reasons. First, I was in London and tried to sleep as late as I could before my meetings (still effectively getting up before 4 am). Second, I was reading up on “Climategate." In case you have been completely offline and have not even watched my favorite fake news source, The Daily Show, here is a one sentence summary: Several climate scientists committed the cardinal sin of tweaking data in an attempt to make a case stronger, thereby actu...

Saturday night I arrived late at our house having taken our older son to his first tennis “tournament." Everyone else was already asleep and the house was dark. I tried to turn some lights on, only to discover that we had a power outage! After some back and forth, I finally managed to get Con Edison to dispatch someone. A ConEd guy showed up at 1am and determined that the main circuit breaker in our house had somehow decided to stop working for no apparent reason. Not ConEd’s problem. Since I...

Saturday night I arrived late at our house having taken our older son to his first tennis “tournament." Everyone else was already asleep and the house was dark. I tried to turn some lights on, only to discover that we had a power outage! After some back and forth, I finally managed to get Con Edison to dispatch someone. A ConEd guy showed up at 1am and determined that the main circuit breaker in our house had somehow decided to stop working for no apparent reason. Not ConEd’s problem. Since I...