October 21 Roundtable Recording

If you missed this morning’s roundtable, here is the recording:

And here is the chat transcript.

The next three roundtables are Nov 5, Nov 12, and Dec 10, after which we break for the holidays. Pitch slots fill up very quickly, so please register soon.

Roundtable Starting at 8 a.m. Pacific

You can come directly into the room without prior registration by clicking here. To use the phone dial in, the number is: 507-726-3354; passcode: 213216#. See you there!

Deal Radar 2009: Hydra

We continue our coverage of online advertising with Beverly Hills-based Hydra. The company was founded by Zac Brandenberg, who while serving as the VP of the Dohring Company became an expert in conducting surveys online using email. This experience proved to him the power of online resources to connect with consumers and get them to respond. Brandenberg felt that the Internet made it possible to apply the same pool of talent and resources to launch and run a number of different, mutually supportive online businesses. At Hydra’s beginning, these included e-commerce, email and email list management, and a performance-based affiliate ad network. However, with the explosive growth of the ad network business, this soon became the company’s focus. >>>

Is Reading On Steve’s Mind?

On Monday, Apple (NASAQ:AAPL) reported a strong fourth quarter driven by strong Mac and iPhone sales that topped estimates. In my most recent post on Apple, I wondered out loud about what is on Steve Jobs’s mind and if he would come with an innovative product that would encourage people to read more. There are several rumors that he is indeed working on a tablet that could have a significant impact on the e-book and publishing industries. Let’s take a closer look. >>>

Venture Capital in India: Ashish Gupta (Part 7)

SM: I think the individual-led incubator model is the best one for India.

AG: A lot of these education institutions are hampered by the fact that the quality of mentors to the entrepreneurs is not high. They continue to labor under serious delusions as to what constitutes a business. >>>

Deal Radar 2009: eXo

eXo provides an open source software for areas including enterprise content management, workflow, and collaboration. The software is made for the Enterprise 2.0 workplace and was developed in partnership with its customers and partners. >>>

IBM Delivers, Does Not Dazzle

On October 15, IBM (NYSE:IBM) reported third-quarter results that topped estimates, and the company raised its full-year guidance. However, IBM’s shares dropped because its results were not as good as investors had hoped and there was a drop in contract signings. Let’s take a closer look. >>>

Venture Capital in India: Ashish Gupta (Part 6)

SM: What are you seeing in the Indian ecosystem in terms of deal size? What is the smallest size investment you would make?

AG: We would be willing to write a $500,000 check. >>>