Managing "Unproductive" Meetings

Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures writes a great blog called "A VC". Today Fred posted a piece called "Managing 'Unproductive' Meetings" that breaks out 6 tips for meeting management. #3 seems so obvious but most meetings lack an agenda and can be a big waste of time. An agenda is critical.

Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good

I am currently reading "Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good". This book is a great read. I really enjoyed going down memory lane of the dotcom days. Sarah is a great writer and injects her internet spirit throughout.

The Rebirth of Silicon Valley and the Rise of Web 2.0
The captivating story of the mavericks who emerged from the dotcom rubble to found the multi-billion-dollar companies taking the Web into the 21st century.

Everyone has heard the story of the Internet Bubble. Beginning with Netscape's blockbuster IPO in 1996, billions of dollars flowed into Internet startups, and companies with no revenues and shaky business plans earned sky-high valuations on Wall Street. It was the era of paper millionaires, $800 office chairs, and Super Bowl ads for dotcoms that no one had ever heard of. Then in 2000 the Bubble burst, with the Nasdaq losing 75% of its value and hundreds of companies closing up shop. It was all written off to "irrational exuberance," and everyone moved on. Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good is the story of the entrepreneurs who never gave up on the Internet dream.

I highly recommend this book.

Barack and Bobby: Compare and Contrast; and, Obama-Clinton as Lennon-McCartney circa 1970

It was moving to read Tom Hayden's reflections on Bobby Kennedy's candidacy of 1968, his own role in it, and the ways in which Obama's campaign has reconnected him with the spirit of those times. Yet I find it equally moving to consider the ways in which Obama and RFK are different, the ways in which they are mirror images rather than carbon copies.

40 years later a new comparison

It has been 40 years since the assassination of Robert Kennedy and still we ask: what could have been

Today the media attempts to draw comparisons between RFK and Barack Obama. The comparisons to me are obvious. Both believed in unification of the country. Both opposed similar wars and both were/are forces for civil liberties.

Ultimately both appeal to our hopes and dreams not our instincts or fears.

We have to look forward. We have to be compassionate towards others and we have to have a sense of responsibility.
Robert F. Kennedy, 1967

CompareNetworks, Inc. Fuels Growth by Raising Round of Financing

CompareNetworks, Inc., a global online B2B media company for the life science and healthcare industries, today announced that it has closed a round of financing from Alta Communications.

Based in South San Francisco, California, CompareNetworks operates vertical websites and email newsletters that target life science researchers, medical and dental professionals. The CompareNetworks sites, which include biocompare.com, medcompare.com, dentalcompare.com and ophthalmologyweb.com, help marketers in their respective industries target decision makers in these specialized fields. CompareNetworks generates highly qualified sales leads through its comprehensive marketplaces, targeted editorial and video content.