Facebook is NOT overvalued..here’s why:

“But the multiple is higher than Google’s or Apple’s!” Two short paragraphs of finance nerd talk..then some interesting stuff: Nerd Paragraph 1: How to value a company Valuation is a science not an art.  Valuation is literally a math equation.  To value a company, you discount future cash flow expectations (i.e. dividends).  Multiples are just

Yahoo: A Company without a Core

Say this phrase out loud, “it is ok to lie if you are talented.”  Seriously, repeat it out loud.  Right now. Try it.  Sounds ridiculous, right?  Now try repeating it at your next company meeting…“Hey everyone, I think it is ok to lie if you are talented.” [kidding, don’t do that] Good Companies Have a

Google+: Solving a problem for the wrong customer

As Fred Wilson explains (and I agree) there is a 1/10/89 rule on any social media platform – “1% will create the content, 10% will curate the content, and the other [89%] will simply consume it.” The 1% The 1% are a unique breed.  They are extreme extroverts (at least online, if not offline).  They

Just Do One Thing Really, Really Well

One of the best things about being an entrepreneur is talking with other entrepreneurs.  I love the bond that fellow entrepreneurs have with each other.  That bond exists even the first time you meet a fellow entrepreneur.  The commonality of knowing how hard the job is, how much risk and personal sacrifice it takes, how

Google+ vs. Path…Manufactured vs. Organic Growth

Two of the hot social media platforms are Google+ and Path.  Both have uber talented people working on the products.  Both are basically trying to solve the same “problem” with facebook (too many non-friends in my feed) and are using similar approaches (create a smaller network).  But while each company started with the same ambition

Challenging The Math of a Work Week

I like to color outside of the lines.  In business, I feel most comfortable when I am least comfortable.  My favorite quote is Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena.” I have patterned my career by this advice.  So I love people who break convention too.  I am fascinated by them.  I celebrate them and defend them

Design is Not a Barrier to Entry

To break out today, your website has to Wow.  It has to have some magic to it.  Most of the differentiation for web products right now is design.  It is critical because the bar has been raised by consumers.  Pretty soon, it will be table stakes.  Here’s why. Web 1.0 Back in the late 1990’s

What Founders Obsess Over (Part 1)

As a founder, I spend my time obsessing about three things: building a great team, a great product and managing our cash flow.  I am going to write a series of posts about what I have learned about these items.  The first post is going to be about building a great team….because that is where

The Trim Comes Last

The basement in our house was recently flooded by Hurricane Irene.  Our basement had 4 feet of water, so we had to completely redo it.  The first thing that the builders did was strip everything down to the studs.  Next they added the framing and sheet rock.  Once the walls were up with the proper

3 Levels of Good Listening

In my recent post “You’re not Michael Jordan…Nor Steve Jobs” I made my feelings clear about the value of listening.  I believe that listening is a critical skill for any successful entrepreneur or executive. Because it is so important, listing is a topic that I spend a lot of time thinking about.  What I have