Startup Blog Jobs!
June 30, 2008
You may have missed it (I did), but we have a job board located here. We are charging $5 per ad. Check it out.
ServiceGuy is live in Miami!
June 30, 2008
Randy and Mike are keeping our goal of adding one new city to ServiceGuy per week by adding Miami. We are now offering contractor referrals in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Washington DC and Phoenix.
Now, please remember it is going to take a few weeks for the system to start filling up with contractors. Before it does you won’t be able to get a contractor by calling the numbers, instead you will get to listen to the nice ServiceGuy guy…
Here are the numbers for those of you who can’t wait for them to go live:
305.590.8098 - Miami Cleaning
305.590.8099 - Miami Computer
305.590.8200 - Miami Designer
305.590.8201 - Miami Electrician
305.590.8202 - Miami Handyman
305.590.8203 - Miami Landscaper
305.590.8204 - Miami Mover
305.590.8205 - Miami Painter
305.590.8206 - Miami Plumber
305.590.8207 - Miami Pool
305.590.8208 - Miami Realtor
Guest Post on VoIP Insider
June 30, 2008
The guys at VoIP Insider selected ServiceGuy.org as one of the 100 best unique uses for Asterisk and asked me to write a guest post titled, “Asterisk, Nip/Tuck and the ServiceGuy.“ Check it out.
Perfect picture I forgot to use. . .
June 28, 2008
The cute one looking at the camera is my son Ethan. Thankfully, he can keep his gun (it is only a bb-gun)… :)
Worst VC year since 1978!
June 28, 2008
According to the Matt Richtel, in the second quarter of this year not a single venture backed company has gone public. This hasn’t happened since 1978. Matt explains,
Some other venture capitalists say the industry is struggling to find its direction and has never fully recovered from the dot-com bust. That may come as little surprise to the well-heeled individuals and institutions that give their money to venture capitalists seeking big returns. Some of these investors have criticized venture capitalists for failing to provide substantial returns on a broad basis since 2000. Public offerings serve a critical role for venture capitalists by giving them a way to sell, at huge profits, stakes in the start-up companies they invest in and build. So the offering drought is being taken very seriously by the venture capital industry. The National Venture Capital Association, an industry group, said it planned to discuss the issue on Tuesday in a media blitz on television news outlets.
But Paul Kedrosky, an investor and the author of Infectious Greed, a venture capital-centric blog, said that there were deeper, more systemic problems for venture capitalists in addition to the cyclical challenges. He said part of the problem was that the industry was backing companies that lack widespread investor appeal, like YouTube clones and dating and social networking sites. “There is nothing that the industry is producing that investors want,” Mr. Kedrosky said. “The stuff they’re investing in is idiosyncratic — it’s fun and appealing to them but Wall Street doesn’t care.” “The Valley is operating in its own little world, and the capital markets don’t care about the things that are getting the Valley excited.”
This isn’t good news…
Startup Burn Rate Calculator
June 28, 2008
Mike Speiser’s blog with the awesome subtitle of “Free Ideas. Just Add Execution”, has a great post titled, “Optimal startup burn rate and the Kelly criterion” that is definately worth a read ~ especially to my friends running small software driven startups. I am adding Mike’s blog to my reader. I suspect I will be talking about him and his ideas in the future. Here is the formula:
Sorry, but Dallas is literally booming!
June 27, 2008
Drive around Dallas and you will see new development at every turn. I drove to work this morning and counted more than eight tall cranes lifting buildings to new heights. In fact, there is a huge crane outside of our own building and we are expanding our footprint by 100%. This morning I read that AT&T is moving it’s headquaters from San Antonio to Dallas to be closer to key offices of suppliers such as CIsco, RIM and Nokia (not to mention the airport). Their move follows Comerica’s decision to leave Detroit to relocate to Dallas. It is strange to hear how awful things are on the news, but to look out the window each day and realize how amazingly great reality is.
Startup Suite @ New Cowboy Stadium
June 27, 2008
Scott, Brad and I spent the afternoon at the Cowboy’s new stadium. It is amazing, check out the pictures I took here. After checking it out, I decided that I needed one of the field-level suites. For $240,000/yr. you get the suite (very sweet) and 21 seats in the 7th row of the stadium (plus a bunch of other cool amenities). I have five buddies that will each put the approximately $20,000 per year down, but I am looking for five other ‘entrepreneurial-types’ who want to complete the suite. If you are interested (I think it is a pretty good dea) just ping me and I will give you all the details. We figure not everyone will want to use their 2 tickets each game so we will create a pool that will allow ‘members’ of the Startup Stuite to bring their clients/families. Anyway, let me know…
Sigma Phi Epsilon 17 years later. . .
June 27, 2008
In 1991 I joined Sigma Phi Epsilon at the University of Texas at Austin. That year the fraternity developed the Balanced Man program. Last week Scott and I met with the father of a SigEp ‘pledge’ and we were talking about the program and I thought it might be worth explaining here. My fraternity experience was imperfect to be sure, but the program has helped SigEp to grow to become the largest fraternity in the country.
In 1991 Sigma Phi Epsilon implemented a four year, continuous development ‘Balanced Man’ program, which abolished pledging altogether, instituted year-round recruitment, encourages lifestyles based on the three cardinal principles, and includes a number of tasks geared towards creating diverse experiences that promote the ideals of “a sound mind and a sound body”. First adopted at the New Hampshire Alpha chapter at Dartmouth College, the program has been adopted by approximately 81% of Sigma Phi Epsilon chapters. SigEp headquarters credits the Balanced Man Program as the driving force behind the continued growth and success of the fraternity. Some of these accomplishments include SigEp’s 90% undergraduate retention rate, a major improvement in the national average SigEp GPA (3.04, Fall 2007), and SigEp’s status as the nation’s largest fraternity by undergraduate membership. Other fraternities have since chosen to adopt similar programs, such as Beta Theta Pi’s “Man of Principle”, Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s “True Gentleman”, Pi Kappa Alpha’s “True Pike”, and more recently Lambda Chi Alpha’s “True Brother Initiative”.
The Balanced Man Program consists of four challenges labeled Sigma, Phi, Epsilon, and Brother Mentor. Each challenge contains required tasks that progressively develop a member’s self, chapter, and community. A new SigEp brother is welcomed with the introductory phase of the program, the Sigma Challenge, and must complete a program based on self-discovery, chapter activities, and community service. After completing the Sigma Challenge he enters the Phi Challenge, which is centered on building balance. Here, more advanced tasks await him that include becoming a member of other on-campus organizations and taking a leadership role in the chapter. The third challenge in the Balanced Man Program is the Epsilon Challenge, centered on being an effective campus and community leader; at this level the brother has a full understanding of the Fraternity, the brother is also expected to hold an executive or chairman position in both the Chapter, and at least one outside organization. The Brother Mentor level is an additional level introduced with the Balanced Man program. Brother Mentor signifies a brother’s commitment to his chapter by completing all three levels of the Balanced Man and by going beyond and completing the challenges set forth by the Brother Mentor program. These include a very large community service requirement and tasks that better the chapter as a whole. All challenges in the Balanced Man program are self-paced. They can also be tailored to suit the chapter’s and the individual brother’s needs.
Chapters are accepted into the Balanced Man Program only after an overwhelming majority of the chapter votes to convert from pledging model to Balance Man Project Chapter. New Sigma Epsilon chapters are started as Balanced Man Program Chapters. Once a chapter becomes a Balanced Man Program chapter they are not permitted to return to the pledging model of member development. The fraternity has a goal nationally that 90% of the undergraduate chapters will use the Balanced Man Program for member development by 2011.
Many of the remaining pledging model chapters openly protest the Balanced Man Program. Pledging model chapters claim that the Balanced Man Program members do not form the bonds that a pledging model chapter has. Pledging model chapters also contend that Balanced Man Program chapter members tend to know less about the history of the fraternity or its unwritten traditions and lore. Finally, many pledging model chapters claim that the Balanced Man Program cheapens the process by not creating any obstacles to become a SigEp.
Now, 17 years since the first implementation of the Balanced Man Program SigEp has much success with the program. Over 75% of SigEp chapters use the program. As with any organization as large as this fraternity some chapters do a better job with their member development program than others. The statistics have shown that chapters using the Balanced Man Program have better grades. Risk Management violations from Balanced Man Program chapters are less than those from Pledging Model chapters.
All chapters are expected to offer a four year member development program regardless of whether they use the Balanced Man Program or pledge model development. [via]
How Boulder began building a startup eco-system
June 26, 2008
The conversations we are starting here on this blog, in person throughout the week, via phone all times of the day and through our startup happy hours CAN lead to something great. Boulder’s ’startup eco-system’ started with a simple email. David Cohen and David Brown started TechStars in Boulder as a way to help seed stage companies get their start. The program has helped turn Boulder into a hotbed of startup activity. Read more about the program here. Here is the email that started it all:
From: David Cohen
Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 10:12 AM
To: David Brown
Subject: boomtownI’m just thinking this can be one of the boomtown businesses.
Providing seed capital to startups with only an idea.
The concept:
1) We take applications on the web site. Only seed stage companies need apply (those with passionate people and an idea, but no way to get going or who are not sure they can do it on their own – maybe just need a kick in the ass and someone to believe in them)2) We fly or drive to interview the ones that sound good (perhaps organizing small tours), or have them come here on our dime.
3) We offer the promising ones $10k for a 2% non-controlling, non-board seat interest of their company. They have to come to Boulder for 2-3 months to start the company up.
a. They can work in our offices, or in a hotel, or wherever they want. We provide internet connections, a little office space, etc.
b. They can use the 10k however they want.
c. We have the option to buy 2% more of the company for another 10k at the end of the 2-3 month period.
d. We provide free consulting while they’re here including product feedback, how-to advice, etc.
e. We organize weekly (or bi-weekly) dinners with investors, IP lawyers, tech experts, etc (basically using our contacts to get people to donate a little time).4) Based on how they do while they’re here, we decide if we want to invest more or not when they leave. This should be easy, since you’re really evaluating the people as much as the product (do they work all hours, do they have passion, etc)
5) If they want, they can stay in Boulder and grow their company here, working within our office space (renting it). Perhaps we have some kind of “space, connectivity + consulting” lease rate.
The only drawback I can think of is that we’d probably need to get a slightly nicer office to really attract companies. We’d have to look successful, and have an environment with couches, whiteboards, etc for them to work in optionally. But we could grow that over time once we get a few and have a good feeling that it’s working.
I am thinking I’ll start working on the web site. Are you cool with putting this kind of info/offer up on the boomtown site? We don’t have to actually do it, I suppose, but we can at least start taking applications and see what’s what. Maybe generate a little word of mouth somehow, and who knows. We can start with a summer program this year. Sublet or rent some open office space from this place for just 3 months or something. Start trying to spread the word a little bit on college campuses, especially CU, CSU, DU, etc.
Thoughts? I think it sounds really cool. Yeah, we have no idea what we’re doing.
HELP: I need a military transport to Iraq and Afganistan
June 26, 2008
If you have contacts within the US military I need some help. Marvel has agreed to donate two (2) of the gigantic Incredible Hulk statues, but the task of getting them to the Middle East has fallen on my shoulders. I am talking to Tonya White with the USO, but I am not certain they are going to be able to help. In the meantime I figured I would see if any of you know a Radar O’Reily character within the Marines/Army/Airforce who might be able to sneak two 8′6″ green monsters on a transport headed to Iraq or Afganistan.
It all started when I bought one of the statues and Chris McCroskey with Heroes 4 Heroes commented on my blog that I should donate it to the troops through his charitable organization. A couple of phone calls later and Marvel’s CEO Issac Perlmutter offered to donate two of the amazing statues to the troops. Of course, I have to figure out how to get them there. How about helping me out? Ideas? Suggestions? Thoughts?
One good reason to vote against Obama
June 26, 2008
The Supreme court narrowly (5-4) upheld our right to bear arms in a ruling today. As Ben Winograd explained so eloquently, “It doesn’t take a mathematician to recognize the narrow margin in this case. Replace any one of the five justices in the majority with a more liberal appointment - many of whom will be waiting in line if Barack Obama wins the presidency - and the outcome would have flipped. Americans would have lost the individual right to keep and bear arms. For some, this may be a welcome change, but for many of us, it’s the sort of thought that makes the hairs on the back of our necks stand up. Of course, there’s now precedent going forward, which helps. But this litigation is, as discussed above, only the beginning. Thus, the close margin and ideological division of this decision will likely serve as a reminder that, like it or not, whoever occupies the White House for the next four or eight years will, through his appointments, directly impact Second Amendment rights for perhaps the next century. This will no doubt have at least some effect as Americans cast their ballots in November.”
Voting for McCain makes my skin crawl. We (conservatives), held our breath and voted for Bush and instead of supporting conservative values, he increased the size of government, increased federal bureaucracy and with the help of Congress managed to increase our deficit more than Roosevlet and Reagan did (and they were fighting the Nazis and the Soviets). I just can’t do it again. Of course I had no idea how narrow the margin had become in the Supreme Court - five to four to support a right clearly enunciated in the Constitution? The court has no problem upholding the ’separation of church and state concept’, despite the fact that it isn’t in the Constitution. Ben Winograd explains, “In reading Justice Scalia’s opinion, there is an overwhelming theme that to interpret the Second Amendment as not protecting an individual right would gut the amendment of meaning and defy logic. It is, after all, the Second Amendment, not the two hundredth. This is not an obscure line buried among thousands of pages of text. It is inconceivable that the framers would have given it the priority they did, placing it ahead of so many other critical rights, if they only meant it to apply to militias as the dissenting justices suggest.”
I think the Constitution is important and we need to figure out a way to seat a court that believes in it as much as the founders did. Obama has unequivolcaly indicated he does not support the second amendment and his likely court appointments won’t either. I sure wish I had someone I could vote for, instead of someone to vote against…
Closers Evidently drive Rollers!
June 25, 2008
I was pulling into the Ritz last night for a meeting and in front of me was ‘The Closer’. I was so excited!
J2EE Deveoper needed at ScenPro, Inc.
June 25, 2008
Okay, jokes on me. As soon as I write about recruiters all sorts of people emailed me their job requisitions. Larry Hebel, a senior programmer for ScenPro is looking for:
Job Title: J2EE Developer – Richardson, TX – Starting Immediately
Description: Looking for a J2EE Developer with a degree and four (4) years of technical experience or six (6) years of experience in J2EE and web application development. The position requires competency in programming software systems, knowledge of computer system design, development, and implementation. Knowledge of Oracle or MySQL and excellent written and verbal communication skills are required. Knowledge of JBoss, Tomcat, or Apache is preferred. Experience with any of the following are a plus: Hibernate, Eclipse, Protégé, HL7, Spring framework, Struts, and Portals
Recruiting! Oh yea!
June 25, 2008
I get ten or twenty emails from headhunters (recruiters) looking for people each day. More often than not it is obvious that several headhunters are working on the same placement. Their job descriptions are EXACTLY the same, but for some reason they can’t reveal the name of the company doing the hiring. Can you imagine interviewing for a position at a company to be named later? I assume before setting up the interview the candidate is told who the company is, but I digress.
Just for fun I tell the headhunter I am not comfortable referring someone to a company who is uncomfortable telling me who they are. In some cases the assignment IS confidential (i.e. they are replacing someone or creating a new position and don’t want to interview internally), but in most cases I find the confidential part is wholely related to the recruiter’s desire to reduce their competition in the account. The contigency based recruiting business is hard! Can you imagine the number of moving parts:
- You must get the placement (i.e. the requisition).
- You must find a candidate before the other recruiters.
- Your candidate must want the job.
- Your client must want the candidate.
- The two must agree on a compensation plan.
- The client must present an offer.
- The candidate must provide notice to his current employer.
- The current employer may counter and you have to start over.
- Assuming the candidate starts work you bill your client.
- In 30-60-90 days you receive payment.
- In many cases if the hire doesn’t work out in six months you have to return payment or replace the candidate.
So I get why these guys keep their information so close to their chest, but my point is that you should not send out unsolicited emails asking for help from someone you obviously don’t trust. If you are going to ask me to refer someone you should know me well enough to know that I am not your competitor and that you can tell me who the hiring company is. Does this make sense? So headhunters, please stop sending me unsolicited emails unless you want to share something with me…
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