categories
HOT TOPICS
- The Accelerator Conundrum
- The Startup Velocity Question
- Platform as a Service
- Man and Superman
- Web 3.0 = (4C + P + VS)
- The Future: End of Capitalism
- Capitalism 2.0
entrepreneur interview
Happily Bootstrapping: Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu (Part 6)
Here we begin to explore the current status of Zoho a bit further. Impressive numbers considering there has been no advertising campaigns conducted. The business model is simple – let users try the service for free, when they are comfortable they will migrate over. Afterwards, they compete based on pricing (less than 20% of the
Entrepreneurship Case Studies
You have read many of my interviews on this blog. Here’s a synthesis of some of the case studies I have done, in an interview format. These differ slightly from the series that I have titled Role Model Interviews, since in this series, I go into the company and its strategy, market, financing, etc. in
Happily Bootstrapping: Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu (Part 3)
During the downturn after the bubble burst, many companies took significant hits. Here, it is revealing to notice there was really only one tough year for Adventnet, which could actually be described as an R&D year. That could have taken place anytime in the company’s history. The bubble burst did not destroy the company, they
Job Search Engine Indeed CEO Paul Forster (Part 3)
SM: What are your top target segments? PF: As a comprehensive search engine for jobs, Indeed.com isn’t targeting particular segments. We’re covering all jobs in all fields. Having said that, we do have a disproportionate number of web-savvy, early-adopter types who have discovered the beauty of comprehensive job search. SM: How did you penetrate the
Job Search Engine Indeed CEO Paul Forster (Part 1)
We have been reviewing the Online Jobs vertical at length, and in this interview, will be speaking with Paul Forster, co-Founder and CEO of vertical search engine Indeed. SM: Please describe your personal background. PF: My professional background is in finance. I was an investment manager with the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm
In The Shadows Of Iraq: Qubad Talabani (Part 9)
I conclude the interview by asking a bit more of a long-term, theoretical question. What I am attempting to reflect on here is the potential of Kurdistan becoming a regional influence for economic development. The Middle East, with Dubai in particular, has been growing rather significantly in global importance. Tourism is increasing, there are obvious
In The Shadows Of Iraq: Qubad Talabani (Part 8)
If you have read much of world news lately, you will notice there has been ongoing tension between the Kurdish region and Turkey. Reflecting back on the stability issues, this must be diffused in order to allow significant external investment to take place. SM: How do you answer the questions regarding the recent threat of
In The Shadows Of Iraq: Qubad Talabani (Part 7)
Investing in a conflict area is risky business, but there are resources in Kurdistan which will draw in Oil producing companies. Microfinance structures could also benefit the agricultural region. However, in order for a “boom” to be sustainable, there will need to be a significant investor confidence in security – particularly for the finance industry
