Video Blog: The Final Word on Twitter and Social Media
What more do I need to say? What more can I say?
Review: Grouptivity’s Share+ is Content Sharing You Control
Since launching The Drama Review in October of last year, I’ve reviewed several startups. Today I’m pleased to publish my review of Grouptivity, a content sharing startup that is the first Drama Review customer to brave a public posting of its review.
Disclosures:
- I was paid for this review.
- The information used in this review was obtained via email correspondence with Grouptivity CEO Ankesh Kumar.
- I have not signed a non-disclosure agreement.
G20: Bankrupt Nations Get Desperate
One of the most contentious topics that is being discussed at the G20 summit: “tax havens.”
That shouldn’t come as a surprise. The OECD estimates that $7 trillion is stashed away in “offshore” accounts in these “tax havens” and as The Christian Science Monitor points out, “That’s more than enough to finance the stimulus plans and bank bailouts of the world’s major economies.” That’s not actually correct, but the point stands: it’s a lot of money.
A $15 Million Shipment and The Drama 2.0 Show
When a man’s grasp exceeds his reach, his morals are bound to stretch. What your parents, teachers and role models failed to tell you: stretching is beneficial, provided that you’re in good shape.
Coincident with the delivery of a certain container carrying $15 million worth of “goods” this weekend, Drama 2.0 will emerge from the Mideast branch of an Antwerp-based bank alongside his business partners. This day has been one year, close to $750,000 and half a dozen 20+ hour flights in the making and when it’s all over, Drama 2.0 will disappear into thin air like that fictional character Keyser Söze, The Drama 2.0 Show going silent.
Guest Post: Stealing Software: Is It Wrong Or Isn’t It?
This guest post was written by Michelle Carrington, the founder and co-editor of Really Big Tech News, which recently donated $5,000 to a non-existent non-profit organization, DataFlexibility, which promotes yoga education in Silicon Valley.
Software used to be so simple. You used it at the Atherton public library free, but you didn’t get to say what would be installed, and there was lots of dirt on the keyboards. If you decided to install software on your Tandy, you paid. People copied software onto floppies and passed them on to friends. That was just about as far as P2P software piracy got. Stealing software was when you shoplifted BASIC from Fry’s Electronics, and it was pretty clearly understood that it was “wrong.” I know: I got caught.
Free Idea Tuesday: Find a Founder
Through my travels, I’ve learned that Americans have an unmatched love for human interest stories. Nothing quite touches an American heart like a good story about a disabled person, a minority, a former felon or an underdog “football” team.
You can see this in the media and the blogosphere. If you have an inspirational personal tale (or a tale that relieves white guilt), coverage is a given. Look no further than TechCrunch’s repeated coverage of supposedly-precious kids who aren’t doing anything interesting but who are underage. Yes, if you’re a kid and you can install WordPress MU, TechCrunch would love to document your journey as you strive to, well, install WordPress MU.
Guest Post: Really Big Tech News
This guest post was written by Michelle Carrington, the founder and co-editor of Really Big Tech News, which was named one of the top blogs of 2009 by the Times of Guayaramerín.
Teens In Trouble, a blogging network founded by 16 year old Daniel “The Protégé” Brusilovsky, has acquired the Youth Bloggers Army (YBA). YBA is a blog network that was founded by Patrick “Vivo la Vida Loca” DeVivo, who is also a young entrepreneur. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but sources close to the parties inform us that it was in the $20 – $40 range, and that it included a pack of cigarettes.
The Rise and Fall of TechCrunch
I was sent an interesting post on the blog of Duncan Riley which had some interesting Web 2.0 blogosphere news. Okay, Web 2.0 blogosphere news is, by definition, not interesting, but you know what I mean.
Duncan Riley, of course, is Web 2.0’s version of Scott McClellan. He used to work for Arrington at TechCrunch and after he left, didn’t seem to have a lot of respect his former boss.
The news: Mashable looks set to overtake TechCrunch in traffic metrics, and by one account, already has.
Beyond the Money: VCs DO NOT Provide Startups With A Competitive Edge
Forrester’s Jeremiah Owyang spent some time recently with a woman who has earned a chunk of her living from VC firms and that was enough to sell him on the idea that “VCs provide several intangible services to their portfolio companies.”
This is one of the most commonly-promoted myths about VCs and I think it’s worthwhile to dismiss Owyang point-by-point.
Thought Leadership
Confucius say Owyang say:
Drama 2.0 Launches Green Investment Fund
I’ve done so well in the stock market in the past several months primarily shorting doomed American companies that I’ve made a big decision: I’m going to start investing in startups.
Unfortunately I’m not bailing out Web 2.0. I’m looking to make green by investing in green industry.
420 Ventures SA is a green investment fund based in Panama that will invest a maximum of $500,000 each in up to 10 US-based agriculture upstarts that have the potential to grow rapidly. Literally. From production to real estate to equipment, 420 Ventures is taking a broad approach to its agriculture investments and is encouraging hungry entrepreneurs with street smarts to submit their business plans.
