advice

For Yahoo (And Me, Too), Time Is Brain

Kara Swisher in News on November 23, 2011 at 2:38 pm PT

Yahoo has about 30 working days to make what has to be a complex and multiparty deal, in an effort that is akin to herding cats.

Gogobot CEO Travis Katz Talks About Beta Launch of Social Travel Site

Kara Swisher in News on November 16, 2010 at 8:00 am PT

Last week, BoomTown sat down with former Myspace exec Travis Katz to talk about the private beta launch of his new start-up, Gogobot. No, it’s not a robot from Google–it’s a social travel site, which uses friends to enhance the travel-planning experience. Essentially, it feels like Facebook for trips, but with really good images.

Presto Chango: KaChing Becomes Wealthfront

Kara Swisher in News on October 19, 2010 at 1:00 pm PT

Today, the execs at kaChing, a social investing site, are ringing the closing bell at the Nasdaq–actually, it is more of a button-pushing–to herald in a complete shift for the Palo Alto, Calif., start-up. That includes a new name for the year-old company–it is now officially called Wealthfront–which signals a focus on linking professional money managers to customers and a move away from the “American Idol” investor talent discovery approach that kaChing had been founded on.

Luxe Lowdown: Tony Sites Begin to Invite Buyer Reviews

Rachel Dodes, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on October 18, 2010 at 5:00 am PT

More than a decade after book and electronics retailers embraced online customer reviews, the most elite stores in the U.S. are opening their websites—and the brands they sell—to the slings and arrows of public opinion. At the end of the month, Saks.com, the online arm of Saks Fifth Avenue, will unveil a five-star review system where customers can express their opinions on products ranging from $1,700 Jimmy Choo bags to $7 Kiehl’s lip balm.

The Right Kind of Ambition

Ben Horowitz, Co-founder and General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz in News on August 30, 2010 at 10:50 am PT

In my last post, I mentioned that you should strive to hire people with the right kind of ambition. Surprisingly to me, I received a large number of responses from readers questioning whether or not this was good advice. Here’s how one commenter phrased it:

Mommy Bloggers Debate a PR Blackout

Marisa Taylor, Tech Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on July 20, 2009 at 2:00 pm PT

How can so-called mommy bloggers navigate the murky territory of sharing advice with other mothers versus getting paid for the products they promote?

BoomTown Asks "Ask Amy" for Some Web Advice

Kara Swisher in News on May 9, 2009 at 6:53 pm PT

Several years ago, my longtime friend and colleague Amy Dickinson suddenly became, well, Ann Landers. Well, not exactly Ann herself, as that would be weird–but she took over the famous syndicated advice column in the Chicago Tribune, which changed the name to “Ask Amy.” So, BoomTown did just that on my recent visit to Chicago, interviewing Dickinson about what questions she gets about the Internet from readers.

Jason Calacanis Rolls Out the New Mahalo: Yahoo Answers-Killer

Peter Kafka in Media on December 15, 2008 at 1:00 am PT

In October, Mahalo.com founder Jason Calacanis laid off staff at his human-powered search engine. Then he announced he was hiring engineers for a mysterious new “Project A.” Today he’s unveiling it: An “answers” service designed to compete with one of Yahoo’s most successful sites.

Advice for Fired Yahoos: How to Build Your Own Business That Doesn’t Suck

Peter Kafka in Media on December 10, 2008 at 5:30 am PT

On the same day that Yahoo is firing a couple thousand people, entrepreneur John Buckman is offering up a how-to guide for building your own business. This won’t help former Yahoos who don’t have a nest egg, health insurance, and/or the drive or inclination to do their own thing. But it’s free advice, and it’s relatively sound advice for those who do want to strike out on their own.