Author Archives: payne

Video Chat is Now a Feature, Not a Product

Posted on July 6, 2011 by payne

I tried out the new Facebook Video chat.  It worked great — there was a small download/install, but after that, it was click-and-go. I’m really wondering what Skype gets out of this.  Facebook’s chat is not integrated with Skype at … Continue reading →

Posted in Ramblings, Software | 1 Comment

Turntable.fm and the iTunes Era

Posted on June 22, 2011 by payne

I love turntable.fm. It’s a well-executed simple app offering virtual music “rooms”.  You can just listen, or be one of 5 DJs selecting songs for that room.  It’s a fun way to share music with friends and co-workers.  It’s taking … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Software | 3 Comments

Facebook Is The New Internet

Posted on May 9, 2011 by payne

Well, not quite, but it certainly feels that way!  When did marketers stop using their own URLs in ads and start using Facebook URLs? It’s amusing how this seems to have come full circle.  Many users started out on AOL, … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Software | 1 Comment

How Will Demand Media Make This Work?

Posted on April 26, 2011 by payne

As I often tell my friends, it’s more fun to run other people’s businesses.  In that spirit, SEC filings are a great source of entrepreneurial case studies, and recently I’ve been reading about Demand Media. Demand Media has a mix of businesses, including … Continue reading →

Posted in Ramblings | 1 Comment

Massachusetts Sales Tax “Fairness”

Posted on April 11, 2011 by payne

In case you missed it, H.1731 and S.1554 are winding their way through the Massachusetts legislature.  These bills attempt to make large vendors like Amazon subject to state tax, by arguing that MA-based affiliates create an in-state presence. I’ll concede that … Continue reading →

Posted in Ramblings | 3 Comments

Which Way is Your Idea Pointed?

Posted on April 5, 2011 by payne

Occasionally, I meet an entrepreneur that’s got an interesting idea, but is oriented in the totally wrong direction for the market. For example, consider ideas around DVDs:  they’re still very popular, but their future seems clear.  With bandwidth and storage … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Ramblings | 2 Comments

The CEO Job Sucks, Mostly

Posted on April 4, 2011 by payne

How can you tell if someone’s never been CEO?  They say something like, “I really want to be CEO”  I never seem to see former CEOs saying that. A few days ago, Ben Horowitz wrote one of the best blog … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Ramblings | 2 Comments

Offense, Defense, and NDAs

Posted on March 26, 2011 by payne

A surprising number of entrepreneurs contacting me for investment (or advice) want an NDA before sharing any details.  I politely tell them that I don’t do NDAs, and refer them to Brad Feld’s write ups, which explain why most investors take this … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship | 2 Comments

How Are You Acquiring Customers?

Posted on March 17, 2011 by payne

I know that “how are you acquiring customers?” is now part of a VC joke, but the question is no joke. Across the companies I work with, there’s a very strong correlation between those that found a new twist on acquiring customers … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Ramblings, Software | 7 Comments

Twitter’s Ecosystem Woes

Posted on March 14, 2011 by payne

In case you missed it, Twitter recently updated their Terms of Service, asking developers (effectively) not to build any more Twitter clients.  Now that they have their own apps, they don’t want developers to compete with them.  This announcement was … Continue reading →

Posted in Ramblings, Software | 3 Comments