I am excited to be speaking at the NYU Stern Entrepreneurial club later today about working at startups. Apparently, all the big banks and consulting companies come through the school (via Finance club etc) and extol the virtues of working at big companies. I look forward to providing an alternative view. Some of the points I plan to cover include: (1) Right and wrong reasons to want to work for a startup (2) Understanding the career implications of working at a startup (3) Finding a startup ...

I am excited to be speaking at the NYU Stern Entrepreneurial club later today about working at startups. Apparently, all the big banks and consulting companies come through the school (via Finance club etc) and extol the virtues of working at big companies. I look forward to providing an alternative view. Some of the points I plan to cover include: (1) Right and wrong reasons to want to work for a startup (2) Understanding the career implications of working at a startup (3) Finding a startup ...

Yesterday, I tweeted “welcome to the googlenet” and was asked to explain what I meant by that. My tweet was about the announcement of Google DNS. With Google DNS, you can now run pretty much entirely on a Google stack. You fire up Chrome OS (or maybe just the Chrome browser), point DNS to Google, get your content from Google (e.g., music integrated into search results or driving directions), work with Google apps and other applications run of Google servers via Google AppEngine, and so forth....

Yesterday, I tweeted “welcome to the googlenet” and was asked to explain what I meant by that. My tweet was about the announcement of Google DNS. With Google DNS, you can now run pretty much entirely on a Google stack. You fire up Chrome OS (or maybe just the Chrome browser), point DNS to Google, get your content from Google (e.g., music integrated into search results or driving directions), work with Google apps and other applications run of Google servers via Google AppEngine, and so forth....

Yesterday, Fred wrote a post titled “Stuck In The Middle With You” about his continued support for President Obama. I feel the same way. I was excited early on about Obama’s campaign, felt that he made smart choices then, and was thrilled to see him elected. Obama took office under some of the most adverse circumstances of any president, with two wars in progress and an economy headed into free fall. Now we find ourselves not even a year later and the beginning of a withdrawal from Iraq has n...

Yesterday, Fred wrote a post titled “Stuck In The Middle With You” about his continued support for President Obama. I feel the same way. I was excited early on about Obama’s campaign, felt that he made smart choices then, and was thrilled to see him elected. Obama took office under some of the most adverse circumstances of any president, with two wars in progress and an economy headed into free fall. Now we find ourselves not even a year later and the beginning of a withdrawal from Iraq has n...

This morning I am meeting with the principal at our kids’ elementary school. I am hoping to convince him that touch typing is more important for the kids to learn than good hand writing. When I look at my total output these days, a tiny fraction of it involves pen and paper. But I do write a lot every day on a computer keyboard. I find that writing blog posts, answering emails, putting together presentations (and most of all coding) all benefit greatly from my ability to touch type. I did not...

This morning I am meeting with the principal at our kids’ elementary school. I am hoping to convince him that touch typing is more important for the kids to learn than good hand writing. When I look at my total output these days, a tiny fraction of it involves pen and paper. But I do write a lot every day on a computer keyboard. I find that writing blog posts, answering emails, putting together presentations (and most of all coding) all benefit greatly from my ability to touch type. I did not...

Susan and I are pondering whether to continue the tradition of a family picture as a physical holiday card (ordered from Shutterfly) or sending emails instead. On one hand, emailed pictures seem kind of cheap. Regular email is what we all use for work every day and so has a very utilitarian connotation. Sending one is free, which in and of itself signals cheap. And it is somewhat difficult to make an HTML email with a picture look good (why is that?). On the other hand, snail mailed physical ...

Susan and I are pondering whether to continue the tradition of a family picture as a physical holiday card (ordered from Shutterfly) or sending emails instead. On one hand, emailed pictures seem kind of cheap. Regular email is what we all use for work every day and so has a very utilitarian connotation. Sending one is free, which in and of itself signals cheap. And it is somewhat difficult to make an HTML email with a picture look good (why is that?). On the other hand, snail mailed physical ...

Yesterday I wrote that a potential MSFT-NEWS deal is all about GOOG’s splitting of the profit pie (sorry - no links - writing on BB). As I have been thinking more about this, the most striking thing to me is how many people seem to dismiss any claim to a payment by content owners out of hand with statements such as “they should be glad that Google is sending traffic their way.” But let’s consider an alternative universe for a moment. In that universe Google started from day one to apply the a...

Yesterday I wrote that a potential MSFT-NEWS deal is all about GOOG’s splitting of the profit pie (sorry - no links - writing on BB). As I have been thinking more about this, the most striking thing to me is how many people seem to dismiss any claim to a payment by content owners out of hand with statements such as “they should be glad that Google is sending traffic their way.” But let’s consider an alternative universe for a moment. In that universe Google started from day one to apply the a...

Here is just a small sampling of all the awesome events that took place in NY City this week (I realize I should have posted this at the beginning of the week). Just to name a few, there was Web 2.0 Expo, the net neutrality debate on Tuesday night and New York Entrepreneur Week. There was also the UK digital mission to New York and I am sure many others that I am forgetting or did not know about. Last week saw the announcement of Founders Collective, a great addition to the seed funding avail...

Here is just a small sampling of all the awesome events that took place in NY City this week (I realize I should have posted this at the beginning of the week). Just to name a few, there was Web 2.0 Expo, the net neutrality debate on Tuesday night and New York Entrepreneur Week. There was also the UK digital mission to New York and I am sure many others that I am forgetting or did not know about. Last week saw the announcement of Founders Collective, a great addition to the seed funding avail...

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday (isn’t it everybody’s?). We tend to have at least one if not two big family meals and there is nothing quite like leftover turkey sandwiches. But more importantly, it is a hugely important reminder that I have so much to be thankful for: my wonderful family, working with great partners and passionate teams, being able to do what I love, health and financial security, living in a free country and many more things that I sometimes come to take for gran...

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday (isn’t it everybody’s?). We tend to have at least one if not two big family meals and there is nothing quite like leftover turkey sandwiches. But more importantly, it is a hugely important reminder that I have so much to be thankful for: my wonderful family, working with great partners and passionate teams, being able to do what I love, health and financial security, living in a free country and many more things that I sometimes come to take for gran...

There are a lot of posts worth reading about the potential impact or lack thereof of a possible deal between Microsoft and News Corp (and maybe other news sources as well), including Danny Sullivan, Jeff Jarvis, Andrew Parker and others. But one thing that I have missed from everything I have read (and it may well be that it’s there and I missed it) is what this is truly all about: the immense competitive pull of Google’s amazing profits! The big challenge for businesses with network effects ...

There are a lot of posts worth reading about the potential impact or lack thereof of a possible deal between Microsoft and News Corp (and maybe other news sources as well), including Danny Sullivan, Jeff Jarvis, Andrew Parker and others. But one thing that I have missed from everything I have read (and it may well be that it’s there and I missed it) is what this is truly all about: the immense competitive pull of Google’s amazing profits! The big challenge for businesses with network effects ...

Following up to yesterday’s post, here is what I think folks should do about the threat of platform lock-in at the application/content layer. First, recognize that this is directly related to net neutrality. The ability of existing platforms and content owners to try to force the web back into walled gardens is limited by the ability of entrepreneurs to start open competitors and reach people directly and on a level playing field. Second, start voting with your mouse. At the moment we have en...

Following up to yesterday’s post, here is what I think folks should do about the threat of platform lock-in at the application/content layer. First, recognize that this is directly related to net neutrality. The ability of existing platforms and content owners to try to force the web back into walled gardens is limited by the ability of entrepreneurs to start open competitors and reach people directly and on a level playing field. Second, start voting with your mouse. At the moment we have en...