Disqus - Latest Comments for Joe Charakupa

Re: The Blue Shirt Problem

Joe Charakupa — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:29:23 -0000

In general I think it's not important where men buy their stuff. Mostly because shops have always taken us to be dumb about fashion and they treat us that way with regard to choice.

I think a lot of men aren't blind to fashion. We just don't want to waste time doing it. Hence Vlad going in with the intention of buying a blue shirt. We normally know what we want when we go in. Now it seems they're messing with that!

Re: Late Night Letdown

Joe Charakupa — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:01:56 -0000

I agree with Dave. You just grew older. These types of shows rarely change; and that's because they hit on a 'winning formula'. So if anything they stay the same.

Re: Eventful launches strategic partnership with Billboard.com

Joe Charakupa — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:35:33 -0000

I'm not sure how this chart is useful for Billboard except as a means of getting just that bit more content. Other live music charts would be more useful. I know they have one based on concert gross, but I think something like a 'percentage of tickets sold' chart would be better. It really illustrated who is meeting their demand.

But I suppose you don't lose anything by having this chart, so maybe we should do it as well. :-)

Re: Music blog network Buzznet lays off 10

Joe Charakupa — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:31:27 -0000

I hope those laid off had the opportunity to move over to the areas that Buzznet wants to increase headcount.

Re: Roundup: iPhone smartphone share continues climb, Digg is not for sale (right now) and more

Joe Charakupa — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:35:36 -0000

I really really doubt that the "iPhone now accounts for 16.6 percent of the smartphone market worldwide."

You may have wanted to say 16.6 % of sales, which would still be very much way off. I doubt that they're experiencing sales anywhere near half their US ones on a global scale. People worldwide are just not as taken in by it as the US. Partly because we've long had 'all-singing-all-dancing' phones.

That figure is only correct if some models of smartphone have not been included in those accounts.

Saying that, Windows Mobile has really become so dated that I wonder why MS seem intent on bringing out Windows 7 before it. A failure in mobile is something they may not recover from (in that space). Whereas we all know that Vista is not going to cost them the OS market.

Re: Google hacks the Wii Balance Board to surf Google Earth — literally

Joe Charakupa — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:31:40 -0000

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/05/28/german_...

Been done WAAAAAY before. May 2008.

Re: Power2Switch lets consumers choose their electricity suppliers

Joe Charakupa — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:43:54 -0000

As you mentioned this is not new in Europe and I'm very surprised that the US is behind in this.

I'm not sure about targeting SMEs, because a great number don't have a say in who the electricity supplier is. And the remaing market may not be big enough. In the end I'm left wondering why not just target this at bigger companies & consumers? or am I missing something.

However as with any idea it's always good to look for solid existing ideas and apply them to new markets or verticals, which Power2Switch seem to have done.

Re: Thinking About Meetups

Joe Charakupa — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:54:42 -0000

Fatherhood eh? Congratulations!

I haven't been to MusicTank in a while. I last went on a different mission to GigPay. Anyway, having been to OpenMusicMedia, I can say that I feel your sentiments about it's format. It's a good format and because of that, whatever the topic I don't mind going.

I look forward to the next one.

Re: On becoming real…

Joe Charakupa — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:50:46 -0000

This really does strike a chord with me.

Going down the road you mention should not preclude any company from getting an exit. However aiming for an exit can mean that your company is not as commercially succesful as it could be in the medium term.

I know which one I'd go for.

Re: Tottenham 2 Chelsea 1

Joe Charakupa — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:57:01 -0000

I couldn't believe it when I saw the team sheet, and I think that Spurs played well to capitalise on that.

Re: Labels unrealistic pricing assumptions holding back ad-supported music market

Joe Charakupa — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:16:11 -0000

It's been interesting following your posts re music industry and tech.

We are launching something that applies to the industry as well and there has been no shortage (since I started networking in that angle) of companies interested in partnering etc. So far none have been traditional labels. Our model allows me not to worry though.

In general it's starting to seem like their resistance to change keeps costing them leads in the change sweeping the industry. All other industries experiment with different stuff and do R&D. BP and other oil companies, with green energy etc.

To paraphrase that old quote; the nice thing to note is that "resistance is futile" in their case.

Re: The lessons of iLike’s low valuation

Joe Charakupa — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:31:19 -0000

I'm guessing, but I think iLike's founders and investors probably knew the value of the company they were building. That they cashed out a slightly profitable company at $20 million with other bidders on hand seems to suggest that they got what they were looking for and where not unhappy with the price. It would have been easy for them to move along thinking they'd grow and/or get more down down the line.

This however is a lesson to the tech media, analysts and all those who build copy cat businesses. Hype does not equate to a high valuation. It seems iLike (quite rightly) didn't believe the hype.

Re: The Cave

Joe Charakupa — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:50:56 -0000

www.CavesAndBeyond.com?

Re: The Cave

Joe Charakupa — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:17:18 -0000

No more than your preferred option. I think it gives a nod to the 3 (cave) reasons you stated whilst also alluding to the fact that you blog about a variety of topics (and beyond).

A little bit abstract perhaps but nothing that doesn't deny anyone an answer. Besides, it's available and you can initialise it!

Re: Innovation Inferno

Joe Charakupa — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:20:14 -0000

<lame joke alert>

Have they tried fighting fire with fire?

On a serious note, the nature of fire (I think) limits the options to (on the ground) design, layout and architecture. The problem with those is you don't know until after implementation whether or not they work. Presenting another set of problems with regard to spending time, money or expertise on it.

The solution may lie in looking into past fires all over the world that have had little human intervention and finding out how/if nature fights fire.

Re: Seedcamp 2009

Joe Charakupa — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:17:31 -0000

I'm not sure how you meant this, but I think that would have been a given.

Correct me if I'm wrong but your comment sounds like you were surprised to find your guy in The Netherlands?

Re: VentureBeat’s policy on embargoes: We’ll take ‘em

Joe Charakupa — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:36:06 -0000

There's nothing wrong with PRs wanting to control the press the client receives. Publications know this, but I doubt they are being used. After all the relationship is symbiotic. Pretty much the same as most other relationships in business.

I'm not really fussed one way or another but I do see where VentureBeat are coming from and agree with how they intend to manage embargoed stories.

In the end as a reader I just like good reporting and by and large VentureBeat delivers. As an entrepreneur, who doesn't employ a PR firm I know that managing publicity is all about getting our own ends. However, I'm quite sure that any publication that runs a story on us is benefitting in some way IF there's a NEWSWORTHY angle.