Building Tech Startups in India: Observations

In my conversations, I focused on the interaction between entrepreneurs and the external environment. i.e., primarily around the activities of reaching customers, hiring employees, seeking advice and raising funds. Accordingly, the key issues center on the following four factors: Market Money Mentors Manpower

Web 3.0 & Google (Part 2)

Vertical Strategy Google has adamantly maintained that a magically simple, clean User Interface is part of its key to world domination. This year, however, we have started seeing a clear trend towards verticalization of the web. In fact, my entire Web 3.0 thesis is based on verticalization, and Vertical Search, in particular, is a key

Read Full Article »

Pioneering Video Conferencing: Polycom CEO Bob Hagerty (Part 13)

SM: What is your philosophy of recruiting leadership? Is it domain expertise, leadership skills, both? BH: Yes, yes and yes! It is all of those things. It is a cultural fit. It is an excitement. There are not many maintenance jobs given the speed that we are growing at. We are looking for people with

Read Full Article »

Pioneering Video Conferencing: Polycom CEO Bob Hagerty (Part 8)

SM: What happened after 9/11? I remember, I bought the Polycom stock and it did very well for me. BH: We were ramping very, very fast through 1999 and 2000. Cumulative average growth rates in the 30’s and 40’s. After 9/11 it exploded even more for us, but for really horrible reasons. Then the financial

Read Full Article »

Pioneering Video Conferencing: Polycom CEO Bob Hagerty (Part 7)

SM: When you mapped out the acquisitions, were companies like PlaceWare and WebEx on your radar? BH: We considered it. SM: Was it too expensive? BH: No, we did buy one actually. We bought MeetYou. It did not resonate with our company. It did not fit our go to market, although we were technically in

Read Full Article »

Serial Entrepreneur Zack Rinat on Model N (Part 11)

SM: Listening to what you have said so far, you are going after businesses or segments which have a multi-channel dynamic. Not every industry has that. ZR: You are right about this, but a multi-channel is just one dimension. In areas where there are complexities of business, it can happen by multi-channel, complex pricing, globalization

Read Full Article »

Taking Stock

Here are a few technology stocks that I own and cover. My method had been investing in trends, and in markets that have momentum. Akamai (AKAM) Coverage: Online Video Beneficiaries: Akamai and Level 3’s Impact on Akamai? Clearly, my bet is on the growth in Online Video, and how the network infrastructure needs to scale

Read Full Article »

Web 3.0 & McClatchy (Part 2)

Vertical Strategy McClatchy, in partnership with Belo Corporation, Gannett, Tribune and The Washington Post Company owns Classified Ventures. Classified Ventures’ objective is to collectively capitalize on the revenue growth in the online classified advertising categories of automotive, apartments, and real estate. McClatchy’s various positions in the verticals are sometimes held by the company itself, often

Read Full Article »