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What Everyone Should Take Away from Twitter’s 8% Staff Reductions

Both Sides of the Table

We have an entire generation of startup founders who don’t have muscle memory from getting their burn rates back into shape from 2008/09 or 2001-2005. Some companies have to go first. Others will follow. But many of us have been there. It’s not fun. But it’s necessary.

VC 392
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Design for the Novice, Configure for the Pro

Both Sides of the Table

I’ve had a long-standing rule of thumb in product design, which I call “design for the novice, configure for the pro.&# I started saying this back in 2001/02, long before the era of Web 2.0, I recently wrote about my philosophy of minimalism that “ less is more &# with the mantra “when in doubt, leave it out.&#.

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This Week in VC with @VCMike Hirshland of Polaris Ventures

Both Sides of the Table

This lasted from about 2001-2004. Founded in Sunnyvale, CA in 2001. When he entered the industry he caught the tail end of the dot com bubble and then was immediately thrust into a 3-year period of “triage&# where VC’s had to deal with problems in portfolio companies. CEO Henry Vogel (ex CRO of Quigo, and VP at Ebay).

VC 230
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The @TWTFelipe Story – A Tale of US Visa Policy Gone Awry (#startupvisa)

Both Sides of the Table

He came to the United States in 2001 to study Software Engineering at Auburn University. The world had just gone into crisis and I was in a period of reflection reminiscent of September 2001. At the time he granted me permission to write about his story. I hope that didn’t have a stature of limitation!

education 282
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Because the Domain Makes it Really Real

This is going to be BIG.

I got my first job in venture--at GM--in February 2001. I got an internship on the buy side at the GM pension fund in high school--in 1997. I started a business newspaper in 1998 in college covering the stock market and the economy. I met Brad and Fred in the Summer of 2004, agreeing to join them later that year--my first job at a fund.

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Angel Investing (1): Dealflow – Are You Sitting at The Right Poker Table?

Both Sides of the Table

This is exactly what happened in the broader VC industry between 1999-2001 as many people without the requisite skills entered the industry. But with its growth and success it will encourage many people to enter the market who will lack 5 critical success criteria for earning positive returns.

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Reading what was written and the VC age question

This is going to be BIG.

I've been in venture capital (with the exception of a year in product management and two years as an entrepreneur) since 2001, when I started doing late stage venture and fund investing at a big financial institution.

VC 259