Happy new year!

I wishg your happy New Year, peace, blue sky, happiness and success!

Back to blogging - Video from Business of Software

Hello to all my friends and readers, long time (since November 26, 2008)I have not published any articles … Sorry, I am investigating some new (at least for me) frameworks and technologies (Websphere, WII, DOJO, etc ...) on the fly while working on some interesting Web 2.0 project. So, there is absolutely no free time.

But anyway, I like to share with you some excellent video I have found - Everything I Know About Startups by Dharmesh Shah - OnStartups.com

1. Your idea can suck. Just get started.
2. You can be in the middle of nowhere and still build a great business.
3. Not having cash breeds good behavior. It’s helpful to have constraints.
4. In defense of the modest outcome: You don’t HAVE to build the next Facebook. Modest liquidity events are highly under-rated.
5. “I’m a complete introvert. It’s not that I don’t like people, I just don’t like being around them a whole lot.”
6. Something’ changed here. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get your message out there.
7. The real issue with VC is not the cost of capital (which is high), but how hard it is to actually raise it.
8. You have to go through the 12 flaming hoops of venture capital.
9. All the time you should’ve been spending solving your customer’s problem, you use to start to solve the VC’s problem.
10. Write a blog, not a business plan.

Enjoy the great presentation.
Regards

Staying relevant in tumultuous times

The Israel Association of Electronics and Information Industries (IAEI) has published a survey detailing the extent of the projected layoffs in the high-tech sector, as pessimism grows about the state of the economy in general and the high-tech sector in particular. The figures reveal that Israel's high-tech industry is on the verge of an acute crisis that could see the loss of 35,000 jobs.

by globes.co.il

Prediction - is not gratifying labour. There are about 2,000 High-tech engineers and IT professionals already lost they job places here in Israel, and more will in near half-year period. (Amdocs, Comverse, Cisco, ...)

Google declares about 10,000 layoffs worldwide, - how big % of them in Israel – we will find out soon … Same dismal mood hover in SAP Israel… (based on my friend expression, - he work there about 3 years and realize that in these days things are going to change).

So, how to stay relevant on current job place or while new job hunting? Absolutely clear – to be pulled out from avalanche of appeals and CV’s HR head hunters has already these days, most important is to have some “distinctive feature”.

Many words are stated and articles are written about how important not only to have profiles in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and etc …, but be an active user on daily basis.

Huge amount information is over on mentioned “social media channels”, and to success to cutch needed job it is very critical to be in first 10 applicants.


But most important thing – START YOUR OWN BLOG !!! Once again – there are a lot of articles available about WHY TO BLOG, but I like to recommend this one - “Save Your Career, Start a Blog” By Joseph Jaffe.

“So, if I may, a suggestion that may not help you keep the job you have, but may help you get the next job-and help you keep it. The advice? Start a blog. Start it now. I'll give you 10 reasons why…”

Summarizing in short, BLOGging:
- self education
- always tuned/updated
- evolution/keeps smart
- in sight progressive community
- indirect self promotion
- ...

(You are more than welcome to enlarge this list)

Some useful tips by ERIC TURKEWITZ

Web 2.0 - a la Politicians

The campaign site for Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, the Israeli candidate for prime minister, is a mirror-image copy of BarackObama.com, flopped to accommodate the right-to-left Hebrew script. Right down to the icons, it mirrors the website developed by Blue State Digital ...

by valleywag.com

How I have mentioned before I hate politicians and they dirty games ... Once again we see the methods they use, - show must go on. So "cheap" COPY-PASTE... Looks like our politicians have no time, - much more easy to steal. Are you ready to give your voice for "Bibi"? Are you really believe that your voice can make sense?

The Evolution of Mobile Phones

Very cute video evolution of mobile phones.
So small time period, but already history ...

More History Videos at 5min.com

Web 2.0 Summit 08

Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco (5-7 November 2008):

The commercial web is now a teenager—it's been fifteen short years since Marc Andreessen released the Mosaic browser. To put this in perspective, television as a commercial medium reached its fifteenth birthday in 1956—the year Elvis Presley made his first appearance on national TV. National news broadcasts were still in their infancy, "As The World Turns" debuted as America's first half-hour soap opera, and "The Price Is Right" began its dominance of the game show genre.

A Conversation with Shai Agassi (Better Place) by Tim O`Reilly - from electric cars platform developing to SAP ex-position ... and back to cars ...




But most I've liked "World Map" from Silicon Valley point of view represented by Rebecca MacKinnon (Global Voices).



Check out all the Web 2.0 Summit highlights, - you can find them here.

Special thanks to blip.tv

Postscript ( Breakfast with Jeff Pulver )

Just two small video reportages for your attention about Jeff Pulver Social Media breakfast on November 5th:

By Oren Todoros - SeoVice:



By Jason Gilinsky - Falafel.tv:


And if you miss this time the event, Jeff will come back to Israel ...

... next breakfast in Tel Aviv is scheduled for December 16th. I will be posting the event on Facebook in a few weeks.

If you have ideas on how to improve the real-time social networking at the breakfast, please let me know.

Breakfast with Jeff Pulver (and friends) in Tel Aviv Harbor, Speedo Beach Bar

Some photos are added from today event to my first FACEBOOK album. It was just great! So many people come ...
Very nice day and warm business atmosphere.
A lots of fun... new and familiar faces... I made some new contacts...

Thanks Jeff, and looking forward to the next meeting.
It is so strange, somebody from USA have to come to Israel to organize so good event...

:-)
My best regards to all of you.
Fabian

Please help to save "mobuzz.tv"

Save Mobuzz from Anil de Mello on Vimeo.

Jeff Pulver again in Tel-Aviv

Yesterday, 30/10/2008 Jeff came back to Tel-Aviv. So, welcome home Jeff… to Holy land…

During my visit I will have a cameo role on the Israeli TV show “Mesudarim.” Mesudarim is the Israeli version of “Entourage.” I am pretty excited about this. :)

When I’m not at any of these events, chances are that I will be in a hotel lobby meeting with (early) early stage startups. At the moment I have about 27 such meetings scheduled. While my meeting schedule for this trip is now fully booked, if any friends are aware of an interesting hi-tech Israeli startups that I should know about, please feel free to send me a message and I will setup a meeting during a future visit.

Looks like "I have missed train"... Anyway I will ask him for meeting during next visit.

More detailed schedule of Jeff Pulver visit you can find on his blog.

One more valuable essay from Paul Graham

I have updated my link collection of "Articles in Cloud" by one more valuable essay from Paul Graham - "Why to Start a Startup in a Bad Economy"

The economic situation is apparently so grim that some experts fear we may be in for a stretch as bad as the mid seventies.

When Microsoft and Apple were founded.

As those examples suggest, a recession may not be such a bad time to start a startup. I'm not claiming it's a particularly good time either. The truth is more boring: the state of the economy doesn't matter much either way.

Great article, strongly recommended, especially for "one step before" entrepreneurs...

I like most of his articles and you can find more links to my favorite on "Articles in Cloud" sidebar. Also new "Hacker News - Y Combinator" RSS Feed added for your attention.

Regards
Fabian

Prediction from Bill Gates

The financial crisis in the US will not lead to the end of capitalism or a depression, Bill Gates told CNN in a television interview broadcast Sunday.

"It's a very interesting crisis," said the founder of Microsoft, adding that the effect of the collapse of the subprime market needs "requires "some type of correction… but fundamentally ... companies' willingness to invest, right now we haven't seen a huge disruption in that."

So, do not expect depression...

And what do you think? Do you believe to prediction of America’s richest man from top of the Forbes magazine's list point view?

Wall Street thunder - what will happen to Startups?

Financial market thunder in the U.S. last week without any doubts will affect on the strategy of investors, whether Angels or VC’s. So, what awaits Startups in near future? The same scenario like in far year 2001...? Deep roll-back of investments from High-Tech field for 2-3 years..? Or experience of past crises will give different result - a balanced approach in making decision, to continue invest in technology companies or not.

Being entrepreneur myself, just in beginning of my way (pre-seed stage) I have to admit that current situation is very worries me too. But much more, I am not envy to Startups that are at more advanced stages, - it is not a secret how “fragile” world and the life-time of young companies. How many non-sounds “aborts” will happen in coming near months? Names of what companies we will read in a long list of obituary, untimely gone and unfairly excluded?

The economy of U.S. is terminally sick while past 10 years. But all what is made so far, is squeezing one burst bladder by blowing a new one, building financial pyramid of speculative securities and obligations on the ruins and corpses of previous. All of us, worldwide, will pay high price of those “genius invents” of Wall Street’s financial gurus. But it is absolutely different theme, which have to be disclosed in kind of separate essay...

Hope, I am clear, sorry for my English …
I will be very thankful to anybody who may share thoughts about near future of investments in Startups, - light predictions are more than welcome.

Following the visit of Jeff Pulver to Israel

One more Israeli startup - SemantiNet announced that it has secured $3.4 million in first round funding. Founded in 2006, SemantiNet plans to launch its first product later this month, which it says will

"combine leading-edge semantic web technology with crowd-sourcing, state-of-the-art cross-platform multimedia and integrated browser functionality."

Investors are: Giza Venture Capital and Angels - Sir Ronald Cohen, Dr. Joseph Vardi and Jeff Pulver.

Read full story here

Lenin still live … more than any live …

Thirty eight years ago, in 1970 there was a hundred year anniversary of Vladimir Lenin, the guy who inspired Russian people to overthrow the previous Tsar government in Russia in 1917. He was a real icon for many Russians and so in one Siberian town some woodcutters decided to celebrate this anniversary by cutting all the trees on a big field leaving only those that would form a really huge message “100 Years to Lenin”. There were no Google Earth back there...

Great era ... Great achievements ...
No more comments.

Selling snow to escimoses

Did you ever have heard about hardest business in the world? No ..?
It is selling snow to escimoses … They have a lot of snow and almost no money…
:-)

I like to inform you about small success of Israeli company, which sells locally made snow machine to … not to escimoses, but empire of winter and ski - Switzerland.

The Swiss town of Zermatt, which resides in the Swiss Alps at 1600 meters (5,315 feet) above sea level and is considered one of the top ski resorts in Switzerland, couldn't wait for the system to become a reality and decided on a solution which was more readily available

So, one more success of small and hot country – snow production for could region.
Viva Israel

Endless battle - Crome from Google

Some years ago I've read about why Microsoft so scared by Google, young startup company. The point was that “new age” modern software world will move totally to the Internet - Web applications, some symbioses of TV, Radio, Video and other media channels, Phones via IP and etc. No operation systems, - only browsers …

Today (02/09/2008) Google has announced on they official blog about new web-browser, called Chrome – the competitor of MS Internet Explorer and Firefox. Beta version will available for downloading only tomorrow (03/08/2008), but meantime you can enjoy they story, published like comic book explaining Google Chrome.

The new Google browser is designed for PC’s running Windows, but also expected later Chrome versions for Linux and Mac. The new browser is very “light” and fast, mostly oriented to work with graphics and multimedia resources. It is important that Chrome based on open source code - which means that it can be improved or modified by anyone.

Google states that Crome is not just a browser, but a modern platform for the Internet applications and other products of the company. The main idea is create product(s) for online work without any need of applications installation on client machine.

Hope it will better and more stable browser than others, we have met before.
:-)

Regards
Fabian

August Meetup in ZOA - The Tel Aviv-Yafo Entrepreneur Meetup Group

How I promised, I publish today with light delay (work routine no left free time at all) short resume of the last meeting of "Tel-Aviv Entrepreneur Meetup Group". This time meeting took place in in ZOA House (founded by Zionist Organization of America) on 28/08/2008. Nice venue, but still small for meeting over 200 people. Sitting on the stairs was not comfortable at all, but was more than compensated by valuable lectures.

The both lectures was filmed and I will post here link to video files, so anybody who will like to refresh his memory or did not attended at all, will have pleasure to see them.

Excellent speeches, both - presentation by Ophir Cohen (Compucall’s CEO,- the sponsor of event) and “Free World Dialup” story by Jeff Pulver. I am not going to narrate here in blog who is Jeff Pulver, - but I like to share my emotion. I have wondered by outstanding speech of Jeff, - not only by “fascinating success life story”, but ability to splash out amount of interesting (at least for me) information in so short timeframe. Several times I catch him on glance to his hand watch… It was looking like he is going to finish, but he just has continue and continue… The warm atmosphere and the light comic style of speech left me sensation of intimate friends meeting.

And once again I catch myself on thinking that big things happen in big country, huge market and almost unlimited opportunities. I agree that here in Israel startups “grows up like mushrooms after rain”, but most of them oriented on American or World market.

Regarding pictures, this time I have forgot my camera at home, so all pictures taken by Nokia mobile phone, - therefore my apologies for pure quality and I post here just a few of them, full set you can find here.









Talking with Gady ( founder of the group) I have figured out that on coming meetings new interesting things going to happen - short presentations of new ventures/ideas for group members (some of them Investors) and live video conference with potential investors from USA. Sounds great, at least it is perfect chance to attend on “live startup workshop” and learn from others how to present, to see reaction of investors, questions they ask, accents they do and etc …

Once again – thanks to all group members and sponsor(s).
See you again on coming events.

Regards
Fabian

The Tel Aviv-Yafo Entrepreneur August Meetup – Tomorrow!

Tomorrow I am going to my second meetup of “The Tel Aviv-Yafo Entrepreneur” group. The agenda is about “A new stronger social networking framework”. What make this meeting unusual? Jeff Pulver - special guest and speaker on event. Looks like it is going to be one of the largest Meetup to date since this group foundation.



Thanks to Gadi, he has found out bigger (payable and sponsored by Compucall) place to allow all of us to participate in this Meetup. Till now about 183 members are approved they participation and it is only 200 places reserved. So, if you are very close to Startup field and feel like you have to be there, you still have a little chance to reserve pace, - just register here, fill in your profile details (very important, otherwise you will not approved) and we will happy to meet you too.

I feel it will be very HOT meeting - new and familiar faces, speeches, non-official discussions, business cards swapping, news about “closed down” and “started up”, ideas sharing, business communications – all of this are the huge opportunities for all of us. Of course I will make some photos, which I will publish here in blog in my small post-meeting reportage. I am sure most entrepreneurs will come armed by questions and offers, and speakers will fire by answers and solutions.
:-)

See you there!
Fabian

Make me happy, or give me a break

On my way to work and back home in Israeli rain I have about 35 minutes free time. Usually I read my mails, some news and blogs. Today I got short message from my ex-colleague with link to new web-project LinQ (runs in Beta release).

Same magic "Q" letter trick used like in famous ICQ brand, where "I seek you" = ICQ.

Here we have – "Link You" = LinQ.

Fresh look and nice design, local oriented social network – one more clone of LinkedIn.

It is not first one oriented for Hebrew speaking folks, - we have met short time before the Mekusharim.

It is good that services like LinkedIn now available in Hebrew, - it is good for Jews. :-)
But I am very skeptic about monetizing ability of those clone projects... (off course it is only my humble opinion). How many more may start-up in near future …? We much smaller than USA, Russia or even Europe (Xing)

- countries where there is some free space for similar clones. But here in Israel, - how much we need for our "huge" Hebrew speaking society?

Most of local IT professionals already have profiles in LinkedIn. Part of connections they have are international… What may do them happy using LinQ? Or what kind of trick may catch them out from LinkedIn or at least to push them create second or third profile in other much more limited network group.

I am not advocate of LinkedIn, they also not ideal and there are to many details they have to tune up, correct and enrich functionality. But some symbiosis of co-operation between 2 or more Linked-Networks may be interesting… Like global LinkedIn with multi-lingual interface networking society with sub-orientation for local interests.

From other point of view - needless to say that one of clones for sure will go out winner from this "bloody clones battle"… So, I like to whish them to be strong, dynamic-minded and do not give up!

Ooops … my station … I have to run …
Cheers
Fabian

Knowing better people around you

While midnight web-surfing and scanning the "Tel Aviv-Yafo Entrepreneur Meetup Group" members profiles, I have found a lot of interesting people, blogs they manage, services some of them provides. Some contacts made for our new venture needs. With my pleasure I am going to share information, which may be interesting for local startup entrepreneurs. Of course it is hard to announce all of them in one single post, but I like to mention some of them, other may be disclosed in later posts.

So, via Boris Nadion's profile I have found that he is the member of small group of 3 (together with Vitaly Kushner and Michael Mazyar) software developers with an impressive list of tools and technologies, named Astrails.
– Tel-Aviv based web consultancy. I liked their last project – BitWine- beta release of web-service which helps

"find skilled professionals in various areas such as Technology, Nutrition, Travel, Relationship, Parenting etc, get to know them in an informal setting, and enjoy their consultation from the comfort of your home".

- service added to my blog "Cofee shops" list – startups and projects I found interesting.

In Liat Vardi's profile I have figured out women driven community for women entrepreneurs. She also has own blog, - informative resource, not only for women's… :-)
I recommend to visit "Venture Capitals" category of her blog with several interviews with representatives of some local VC funds.

- Exploring Carmel Ventures I have found a few coming events, one of them may be very attractive for entrepreneurs - Internet & Media StartUpScale on November 11, 2008, so update your calendars.


And the last for today announce about Garage Geeks, found via "Carmel Venture"- strongly recommended...

Physical & virtual space for multi-disciplinary creative people to meet, innovate and build non-commercial projects that would otherwise may not come to life.

Thats all for today, hope you liked it.

Salute,
Fabian

New venture looking for...

Israel based new venture, focused on dynamic market of Ultra Mobile Personal Computers (UMPC), with an innovative patent-pending concept looking for:

- Consultant with experience in field of Industrial Engineering of PC peripheral Electronic devices

- Angel Investor for first funding round - seed stage.
(Presentation and small video demo showing the concept highlights are available)

You can leave your comments/contact information here or to e-mail: contact@reverseface.com

Local worksop found

In reply to my invitation to discussion, posted on “the.co.ils Zone” forum I got reply from Erez Eden, about local community – “3 day startup - Israel”.



Being surprised I like to thank you Erez for provided information. Looks like I miss it searching myself, Google not perfect ... or my efforts were not energetic enough.

Sharing with my blog readers about “3 Day Startup - Israel”, I have to make delayed announce about they success - newborn startup, Tribiu!

This website is a product born from an intense weekend of 56 passionate professionals who spent 56 consecutive hours of their free time creating a unique contribution to the community…

My congratulation to all “56 passionate professionals”! Hope I will have an opportunity to participate in next coming “3 Day Startup - Israel” event.

See you there...
:-)

Startup entrepreneurship or What did you do last weekend?

How intimately it is - startup entrepreneurship, if at all?
It is about “marriage bonds” or “marriage of convenience”?

How about slogan:

100 people. Three days. One new company.

The participants ranged from students and corporate employees who wanted to learn the skills involved in creating a start-up to entrepreneurial veterans who wanted to get back in the game. It included men and women from all over the region, and integrated programmers, designers, marketing executives, financial planners and management personnel.

(From article "While You Were Mowing Your Lawn, We Created an Internet Startup" by Dan O'Keeffe)

Is “lifeSpoke.com” competitive enough price for three days workshop participating?


May it be realized in our small country? Taking in account specific character of local "market", looks like a formula have to be changed to: "50 people. Three days. One new startup". Are we ready join three days workshop having an own pet idea and finally to choose one another (better or best) of someone else? What will be your decision - to bury own “baby” (for while/forever) or to continue cherish it till right moment will come or right people will be found?

I invite to discussion all of you: first-time start-uppers and veterans, entrepreneurs, IT experts, angels, VC fund board members, managers, creative and art directors, anyone who may be interesting in such kind of initial event.

Looking forward, I allow for wrong vision or some “local market rules” misunderstanding. Not all models that work there, in USA succeed here in Israel. I see also languid situation on local web-sites and forums related to startups.

But I also know, that each month we read in news about more and more new Israeli startups. Angels still hunting for seed stage companies, that means – potential is huge. So, in my humble opinion, we have to change in our minds relationship rules to enrich our self by many more opportunities.

Look around you, what happens on the network – it is actually social revolution. People shares almost everything, - from being society of encapsulated association (sorry for pun), we came to “whole sharing” society. So, why it takes to long time to understand that “sharing is power” and why it takes so long time to evaluate how this power may be used?

How well do you know Israel?

Small country, - big opportunities ...
I have mention it, I have to share it with you, - interesting facts about Israel (posted on Nigel’s Blog):

… In proportion to its population, Israel has the
largest number of startup companies in the world. In
absolute terms, Israel has the largest number of
startup companies than any other country in the world,
except the US (3,500 companies mostly in hi-tech).
With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and startups,
Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech
companies in the world apart from the Silicon Valley,
US. …

You can find more there...
I agree that in proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world, but in contrast - dramatic fact is:

… All the above while engaged in regular
wars with an implacable enemy that seeks its
destruction and an economy continuously under strain
by having to spend more per capita on its own
protection than any other country on earth!

P.S.
Off topic: It is big pain for Israeli citizen live in country where all “neighborhoods” (external) and “cousins” (internal) are hates you… “They” kill you folk… children, women, oldsters…
I hate wars, I hate politic, and I hate politics makes wars on our small planet, …

In continue to yesterday post...

My “news radar” catches out of there one more article by angel investor & entrepreneur, Marc Hustvedt – “5 Web 2.0 Services I'd Like to See (and I'd actually pay for)”.

Here are all five Marc interesting in:

• Human Blog Translation Network
• "Big Red Button" - disaster planning and action
• Painless Photo Management
• Open Platform for our Data Breadcrumbs
• SocialMeme

To the best of my knowledge these don't exist, or at least haven't launched in any real way yet. If you know of a team working on them, please let me know.

... says Marc - so, please help him to solve the problem.

In case you find yourself in situation that nothing left from yesterday 30 ideas list of Y Combinator, move quick and take some from today’s “menu”.

Of course I have scan blog of Marc for more interesting posts. Result – his blog added to my Blog Roll. Thanks to Marc for informative source.

I am sure, one day I will contact him and offer to invest in my Web 2.0 early seed stage startup.

My best regards to all of you

Startups Y Combinator looking for

How often do you find a set of ideas from a seed-funding venture capitalist? For those of you who looking for some WEB 2.0 idea that may be accepted by investors I recommend article by Paul Graham about startup ideas they like to fund.

We don't like to sit on these ideas, though, because we really want people to work on them. So we're trying something new: we're going to list some of the ideas we've been waiting to see, but only describe them in general terms. It may be that recipes for ideas are the most useful form anyway, because imaginative people will take them in directions we didn't anticipate.

Some of them are obvious, but the interesting point is that almost all of them about same postulates: make non-comfortable comfortable, turn slow to quick, simplify complex things, attack existing well-known problems, provide some solutions by doing something different or just better.

Being a bit of an entrepreneur myself, my choice is No8:

... Current dating sites are not the last word. Better ones will appear. But anyone who wants to start a dating startup has to answer two questions: in addition to the usual question about how you're going to approach dating differently, you have to answer the even more important question of how to overcome the huge chicken and egg problem every dating site faces. A site like Reddit is interesting when there are only 20 users. But no one wants to use a dating site with only 20 users—which of course becomes a self-perpetuating problem. So if you want to do a dating startup, don't focus on the novel take on dating that you're going to offer. That's the easy half. Focus on novel ways to get around the chicken and egg problem.

Check yourself and choose from list of 30 hints some for you, before last will be disappear …
:-)

First Meetup Resume

First of all I like to thank Deloitte (Israel) for contributing the amazing place for our meeting. You can see on the first photo below Round Tower of Azrieli Center where they offices are located on the 42 floor, and two more photos with fantastic view from the room we have pleasure to meet.

Secondary, - my thanks to Gadi for meeting organization. Gadi, keep doing it and ask us for help in case you need some…

So, about meeting - special quests were two nice persons from M.Y.Firam business development consultancy: Amir Student and Dr. Menachem Student (actually father and son). They lecture was very informative, but short... Looks like “my hungry brain” was prepared for much more information... Today, analyzing this I understand that for dialog (like for Tango) needs two parts... Looks like we did not where ready to such kind of collaboration. Anyway, I am very thankful for useful information sharing. I have liked the resume – that most of non trivial problems each entrepreneur may solve himself. It inspires me personally and most of listeners.

In reason that it was my first meeting, I did not knew anybody personally and it took some time till I had feel comfortable and start to talk with people. Finally I made some contacts /conversations.

Photo reportage:


More photos and comments of other meeting members here.

Going out, to the road

I have subscribed to some Israeli Startup groups via LinkedIn social network. One of them "The Tel Aviv-Yafo Entrepreneur Meetup Group" has meeting tomorrow Thursday, July 17, at 09:00am in...


Oh, I can not say where – I have found in last moment before publishing this post that information about location of meeting open only for group members. Sorry, but I will post some resume about this meeting here.

How many will come? So, till now 56 members says "Yes" and 14 – "May Be". Let see tomorrow.

What for I am going to meeting? Hm, what for all people meets in thematic groups? Meet new mind-liked persons, collaborate, learn from them, to share with them, discuss, and etc... That in general, but to be more specific – in "Long run", I like to meet some people, to "encapsulate" them (to not forget myself) to crew core and "go out to the road".

See you there...

One more requiem…? Or manual - how reduce a risk to fail.

Developing in a vacuum never works.

Kind of Postmortem found posted by Jonathan Tang. Thanks to Jonathan, many "New Born" Startupers got a set of invaluable advices, manual - how reduce a risk to fail.

I am like to say to Jonathan first of all - many thanks for good job and sharing with all of us… Keep going, - only strongest will arrive to "Success Mount". See you soon under new "Idea Flag". I am sure that next steps will be much less tragic and much more painless.

Wrench No 25

It is deep night… But I have to publish it, - otherwise it will be forgotten… In continue to yesterday post "False hope and misguided thinking", I have found one more wrench and I like to label it by No 25:

"Everyone wants to give everything away for free. Thats the way the internet should work, right ? Wrong. Let me change the conventional wisdom a little bit with this - Free is only good if someone else is paying for it."

Found on “Blog Maverick” by Mark Cuban. Very pragmatic, life approved statement. But much more big surprise for me was to find out information about Mark Cuban in Wikipedia.

To intrigue some of you (I am hear a snigger of Startups veterans) - I can resume his Wikipedia profile in one line: "From bartender to dot-com billionaire".

I have found several similar details between his and my modest biography:

• his family is Jewish
• arrived from Russia
• starts from barmen
• started own company
• deals like system integrator and software reseller
• was proponent of technologies such as Lotus Notes

Please stop to laugh me in face … no more similar details found … rest only differences:

• he is billionaire, - I am only going to be...
• he is entrepreneur, - I am trying to be...
• he live in USA, I am in Israel...
• ...and etc.

The sky is the limit, and please stay out of my way!
:-)

End of midnight overheat brain rambling.

Congratulations to Mozilla !

Mozilla received the official Guinness World Record certificate for the “largest number of software downloads in 24 hours.” From 18:16 UTC on June 17, 2008 to 18:16 UTC on June 18, 2008, 8,002,530 people downloaded Firefox 3!

What can I say? Just keep going!!! I do not like to make any advertising, but it is my default browser almost one year.

"False hope and misguided thinking"

I have read today excellent article "20 Wrenches In The Software Startup Machinery", published OnStartups.com by guest author - Jonathan Sapir (Silver Tree Systems).
Very recommend for reading, specially to "first time" Start-uppers.

IMHO most of 20 Wrenches are close to be true, but my famous I have found in comments made by Jonathan Sapir – No 24:

"You think that if you take on a partner, give him a share of the company, and pay him well, you will have someone who is loyal, hard-working and effective. But it could have the opposite effect. It could make them feel entitled, resentful when you stop feeding them with more goodies, and throw their weight around a lot more than they should."

I have negative experience based on wrench No24. History also knows situations, when small share holder turns to hell life and work of the rest crew members/share holders…

Idea is mandatory for any Startup, but it may die or other idea may replace the original one. Much more important and much more valuable is core crew, heart of the Startup -- like-minded human beings/friends/colleagues.


Tip of the day
Never argue with an idiot... He drag you down, to his level and then beat you with his experience.
(Got from Rene, colleague of mine)

Be practicable

You have read a lot of articles about “How to Start a Startup” or where to find an idea for startup. The main idea of most of them - to find something, that missing or can help you in your daily work (or pleasure) needs. In short – “Find pain you can reduce”…

So, here is my story. In year 2000 I have work in some outsourcing IT Company. I have work at home, company office and two customer’s offices, - totally on four computers while working week simultaneously. I had no laptop, in addition both clients term was using only they office computers.

The real pain for me was to update (send via PC to PC via e-mail) my set of thematic bookmarks stored in browsers I have used (MS IE and Netscape) and updated daily. The problem was very clear and painful, because once you forget to send updated bookmarks file to another computer, you have to synchronize two or more files. One time it is OK, second time it makes angry, and after all you have a several not synchronized bookmarks files.

I did research on Internet for some tool, which may help to store bookmarks on some global storage account and/or to allow synchronization with any computer, but without success.

How many people like me had similar problem in far 2000 …? I guess a lot … So, I came to conclusion that it may be very good idea for some startup or at least some project/tool.

I have discussed this idea with several colleagues … Some of them say “Hi, good idea! Go ahead …” But most of them says that it is very trivial problem/idea for startup…

I agree that discussion with opponents help to sharp (or to kill) an idea, but most important that entrepreneur must have a strong core to defense his baby.

Looks like my core in year 2000 was not so strong … Big mistake of entrepreneurs in far 2000 was about mission of startups and problem they have to solve. Only world-wide technologies, that can upside down the planet was fits to startups …

Time over… Old concept of startups was collapsed in 2000-2001… Today’s situation is different:

• Be creative
  
• Be small and dynamic
  
• Solve trivial problems for lot of peoples
• Make your product simple and usable
• Respect your customers/users
• Give some free products/services
• Be popular
  

All of this are components of quickest way to success…

But let’s back to my idea… After few years I have found that Google has implemented bookmarks functionality in they “Google Toolbar”.

I do not know, did they catch some startup or same idea was cooked in they kitchen. One thing is absolutely clear to me now, to make good and usable tools/services you do not have to be big like Gooooooooogle … You have to be practicable.

Tip of the day
When you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.
(Got from Rene, colleague of mine)