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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
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entrepreneur interview
Rolling up an Online Ad Agency Powerhouse: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarre (Part 7)
With the recent trend of private equity deals and acquisitions of advertising firms, the industry is truly on fire. This is the perfect opportunity for Tom to either take his company public or sell for a substantial amount. SM: Have you had offers already for an acquisition? TB: No. SM: In the future, in terms
Rolling up an Online Ad Agency Powerhouse: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarre (Part 6)
AKQA had taken funding from Francisco Partners originally, and is now generating $100M in revenue annually. Francisco recently exited the business, and sold their shares to General Atlantic Partners. This happens right at the time when the online advertising market is heating up in a big way. SM: Your new investor is General Atlantic Partners?
Salesforce.com’s Incubator: René Bonvanie (Part 11)
To conclude the interview, I bring up the topic of branding. It seems obvious that Salesforce is moving beyond what it’s name suggests it offers clients. At this point, their brand is vastly less ambitious than the company. SM: My final question is regarding AppExchange. Salesforce seems to be moving beyond CRM. RB: We are
Rolling up an Online Ad Agency Powerhouse: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarre (Part 5)
AKQA built differentiated expertise in doing interactive campaigns for a global market, including extensive localization, a strategy that spells foresight and vision. SM: Specializing in global campaigns seems to have been a good move, but could have been risky. Did it work out for you? TB: That expertise has paid off in the last couple
Salesforce.com’s Incubator: René Bonvanie (Part 10)
Here we continue to discuss potential locations for future Incubator sites. Salesforce is attempting to locate in areas which have high supply, meaning an abundance of talented software engineers with entrepreneurial spirit, along with areas with high demand for on-demand software. India would have to be considered one of the highest supply markets. Israel could
Rolling up an Online Ad Agency Powerhouse: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarre (Part 4)
AKQA is a company that was built largely during the Dotcom crash era. SM: Of the firms you talked to, who ultimately made the investment? You were doing an ad agency roll-up, right? TB: Francisco Partners made an investment in our business which was a hybrid online / offline venture at that point. We acquired
Salesforce.com’s Incubator: René Bonvanie (Part 9)
René shares some recent Incubator success stories. As the Incubator matures, the number of these stories is undoubtedly going to increase. SM: I know you have only been going for five months so far, but do you have any success stories you can share with us? RB: In the past few months a number of
Rolling up an Online Ad Agency Powerhouse: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarre (Part 3)
After spending some time in New York, Tom moved back to San Francisco with an itch for the technology industry. SM: Where was your J Walter Thompson job located? TB: It was based out of San Francisco. I had just gotten married and my wife and I moved back to San Francisco in 1984. As
