Disqus - Latest Comments for Nik

Re: Google's Data Asset

Nik — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 09:01:08 -0000

Hi Brad,

Great post. This really resounds with what we are doing for our own start up.

I believe that Google's data gathering abilities can be matched by interpreting a user's imprints while they use services across the web.

For example, how can the related tags in Delicious or Twitter conversations be co-related to find something meaningful. This would be more than a mashup of getting two services together but actually corelating the data to do something else completely differently.

Another example, why can't people crawl, index, ingest and analyse the web's podcasts to get voice accents. The data is already out there on the open web.

I think the data across all these web services is richer and deeper than just what Google has. So, if we take a site by site approach and then co-relate maybe Google's data advantage can be nullified.

FriendFeed has taken a site by site approach to interpret data from these services and deliver useful information to users.

Why can't other services also utilize the data to make thier own service richer?

Nik

Re: Why Past Performance Is A Good Predictor Of Future Returns In The Venture Capital Asset Class

Nik — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:47:06 -0000

Hi Fred,

Great post!

I was in discussions with a successful enterpreneur who was looking to start a seed stage fund in India. A few VCs were discouraging him saying that being a pure seed stage investing is not great for returns.

I sent him this link (via Kedrosky)- http://vcratings.thedealblogs.com/2006/07/khosl...>

However, the key it seems is to be like USV i.e. start early but have the gunpowder to keep investing if your thesis starts turning out right.

This also means, again just like USV, you have to be thesis/expert driven to know what is likely to work or not- very early. Sometimes, you have to know this before even there is customer traction or just when it is starting because if a firm gets traction, they will in go to the brand name firms and the non-brand firms will get squeezed out.

This post by Bill Burnham best captures that type of thinking- http://billburnham.blogs.com/burnhamsbeat/2005/...>

Nik

Re: What's next?

Nik — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 07:20:50 -0000

brad,

i was in the mgmt consulting profession and very skeptical of frameworks that show stacks/progressions or anything that have neat little boxes...

but i think you have articulated this very well. the craigslist example is a very well put. i think most people "get" the idea that the community/data is the key differentiator with the other stuff being "almost" commoditized...

but the question becomes- HOW DOES ONE ACTUALLY GET THE COMMUNITY GOING?

obviously, there are is no one size fits all governance/values system. different governance/values are more applicable for different communities. e.g. the free for all Myspace crushed the stricter Friendster governance model but then again a stricter model worked for facebook...

the governance/values is all about the details and ties into fred's earlier post (and ari paparo's as well) about what fits for what target audience...

Re: Google's Data Asset

Nik — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 09:01:08 -0000

Hi Brad,

Great post. This really resounds with what we are doing for our own start up.

I believe that Google's data gathering abilities can be matched by interpreting a user's imprints while they use services across the web.

Another example, why can't people crawl, index, ingest and analyse the web's podcasts to get voice accents. The data is already out there on the open web.

FriendFeed has taken a site by site approach to interpret data from these services and deliver useful information to users.

Why can't other services also utilize the data to make thier own service richer?

Nik

Re: Why Past Performance Is A Good Predictor Of Future Returns In The Venture Capital Asset Class

Nik — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:47:06 -0000

Hi Fred,

Great post!

I sent him this link (via Kedrosky)- http://vcratings.thedealblogs.com/2006/07/khoslas_law_doesnt_apply_to_bi.php

However, the key it seems is to be like USV i.e. start early but have the gunpowder to keep investing if your thesis starts turning out right.

This post by Bill Burnham best captures that type of thinking- http://billburnham.blogs.com/burnhamsbeat/2005/05/deal_flow_is_de.html

Nik

Re: What's next?

Nik — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 07:20:50 -0000

brad,

i was in the mgmt consulting profession and very skeptical of frameworks that show stacks/progressions or anything that have neat little boxes...

but the question becomes- HOW DOES ONE ACTUALLY GET THE COMMUNITY GOING?

the governance/values is all about the details and ties into fred's earlier post (and ari paparo's as well) about what fits for what target audience...

Re: Zemanta For Webmail

Nik — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:53:19 -0000

This is fantastic. Took me less than 3 minutes to install and compose a blog post through Posterous and publish it. Way cool. http://nrao.posterous.com/ - Scroll to the bottom of the 1st post.

Tangential question. I have tried Tumblr, Wordpress etc and Posterous and the only thing that has gotten me to start blogging effortlessly AND regularly is Posterous. Given the YC connection and your vision of everybody publishing content, I am sure you must have looked at Posterous as an investment. They also seem to be getting traction - http://siteanalytics.compete.com/posterous.com/...

Any announcement coming from USV soon? Twitter, Tumblr and Posterous :)

Re: InsideView acquires TrueAdvantage, to boost online market intelligence

Nik — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:15:34 -0000

Just curious, why you would consider Indeed (a job search engine) as thier competitor?

Re: The Midas List — deconstructed

Nik — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:03:31 -0000

I am sorry thier "improvement" (response to Q2, see excerpt below) in ranking makes little sense...

Returns need to include how much of the company the investor got. For $2m, investors in StumbleUpon did not 100% of the equity and therefore did not get a 37 times return. So how can you compare apples to oranges.

Taking this further, Microsoft will look like a genius for thier $200+ investment in facebook for 10 times return when in reality they would have probably had a

Re: The Midas List — deconstructed

Nik — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:05:28 -0000

Some parts of my previous comment got eaten up...
--------
I am sorry thier "improvement" (response to Q2, see excerpt below) in ranking makes little sense...

Returns need to include how much of the company the investor got. For $2m, investors in StumbleUpon did not 100% of the equity and therefore did not get a 37 times return. So how can you compare apples to oranges.

Taking this further, Microsoft will look like a genius for thier $200+ investment in facebook for 10 times return when in reality they would have probably had a

Re: What's next?

Nik — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 07:20:50 -0000

brad,

i was in the mgmt consulting profession and very skeptical of frameworks that show stacks/progressions or anything that have neat little boxes...

but the question becomes- HOW DOES ONE ACTUALLY GET THE COMMUNITY GOING?

the governance/values is all about the details and ties into fred's earlier post (and ari paparo's as well) about what fits for what target audience...

Re: Why Past Performance Is A Good Predictor Of Future Returns In The Venture Capital Asset Class

Nik — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:47:06 -0000

Hi Fred,

Great post!

I sent him this link (via Kedrosky)- http://vcratings.thedealblogs.com/2006/07/khoslas_law_doesnt_apply_to_bi.php

However, the key it seems is to be like USV i.e. start early but have the gunpowder to keep investing if your thesis starts turning out right.

This post by Bill Burnham best captures that type of thinking- http://billburnham.blogs.com/burnhamsbeat/2005/05/deal_flow_is_de.html

Nik

Re: Google's Data Asset

Nik — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 09:01:08 -0000

Hi Brad,

Great post. This really resounds with what we are doing for our own start up.

I believe that Google's data gathering abilities can be matched by interpreting a user's imprints while they use services across the web.

Another example, why can't people crawl, index, ingest and analyse the web's podcasts to get voice accents. The data is already out there on the open web.

FriendFeed has taken a site by site approach to interpret data from these services and deliver useful information to users.

Why can't other services also utilize the data to make thier own service richer?

Nik

Re: Memo to Mark: BoomTown Is Baaaack and We're Still Dubious!

Nik — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:37:10 -0000

Let me get the math right:
Zuckerberg=20%
Accel=11%
Founders Fune=5%
Meritech=1.7%
Greylock=1.7%
Microsoft=1.6%
Jim Breyer=1%
==============
41%
===============

Who owns the rest?

Do the co-founders and employees own the rest? Seems like they have a big option pool...

Btw Kara- BoomTown really needs to do something about its commenting process. I understand the need for filtering comments but a 2 step email confirmation process is too much. The simpler Valleywag system is waaaay easier and yet has good comments.

Re: Diller-Malone Smackdown

Nik — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:37:41 -0000

Hi Kara,

The URL on the story is incorrect. It has a extra HTTP...

On another topic- I couldnt believe it when the Wag said the that remark. But, I assumed you all were friends (the video with Owen) and he may have meant it in jest and you may not have been offended...

Re: Facebook Nabs $60 Million Investment from Li Ka-shing

Nik — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:47:12 -0000

Good Job Kara... The muscle of old media is kicking in with all these scoops :)

Btw, whats up with Superman's interest in all these internet companies? (e.g. Joost)