1Mby1M Deal Radar 2010: StyleCaster

StyleCaster is a media company that creates and distributes women’s lifestyle content. It provides consumers, advertisers, and partners with content and advertising solutions across a portfolio of sites that span the lifestyle spectrum – fashion, beauty, celebrities, food & drink, entertaining, and travel.

Women & Web 3.0 (Part 4)

Web 3.0 formula discussion (4C, P, VS) My Web 3.0 formula definition is here. Incidentally, it uses an example from the women’s vertical to articulate my vision for Web 3.0, so if you happen to be an entrepreneur or a product manager for a women’s site, you ought to look that up. Context Most women’s

Read Full Article »

Women & Web 3.0 (Part 2)

Top Players and Rankings With more and more women going online for quality content on health, beauty, parenting, shopping, entertainment, dating, etc. there is a rising demand for women’s portals. Some of the top sites for women are iVillage, BellaOnline, Handbag and Janemag. Style, fashion, beauty, shopping sites are very popular among young college going

Read Full Article »

Women & Web 3.0 (Part 1)

Overview Women have made their presence felt on the Internet and if you don’t believe it then check the numbers below. Today, 51.7% of Internet users are women and they are growing. In 2006 the total number of women online in the US was 93.9 million compared to 88 million males. According to eMarketer, currently

Read Full Article »

As India Builds (Part 8)

In the front portico, several cousins assembled around Wall Street banker Ronti’s Blackberry and marveled. As I joined them, eyes darted to me. “You probably have one of these?” “Sure, I have a Treo,” I replied, my eyes glazing over the Blackberry, to focus on the marble staircase on which, at four, I fell and

Read Full Article »

As India Builds (Part 6)

The face of Calcutta is degenerating fast. Droves of glittering shopping malls welcome young Calcuttans – since among other things India is also importing Retail Therapy. A new credit card industry booms. The expanding middle class rejoices in the sudden Western availability of product after product after product. Satya Paul saris and Giorgio Armani jackets

Read Full Article »

As India Builds (Part 5)

Until a few decades ago, most Bengali homes housed joint families. Our homestead on Elgin Road comfortably housed some 15 family members and another 15 servants. Sunday dinners crammed twenty around a table littered with round-puffy-golden luchis, rich-red goat curry, and an opulent choice of Sandesh and Rasogolla desserts. The children eating as fast as

Read Full Article »

As India Builds (Part 4)

Such is the destiny of developing nations. The same routine runs from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. It runs in Mexico, in China. It runs in Brazil, and in Romania. Darjeeling, the erstwhile Queen of the Himalayas, once enchanted with pine-lined walks strung from house to house. Today, it flashes neon signs to welcome tourists. In the

Read Full Article »