5 posts and columns on Epinions

Nextdoor Launches Private Social Networks for Neighborhoods

in Social on October 26, 2011 at 4:30 am PT

Nextdoor, which opens to the public today, hopes to connect neighbors through highly local social networks where their identities are carefully verified.
Nextdoor map page

When Twitter Met Facebook: The Acquisition Deal That Fail-Whaled

in News on November 24, 2008 at 12:45 am PT

About three weeks ago, Facebook and Twitter ended several weeks of serious talks, in which Facebook was offering to acquire Twitter for $500 million of its stock, which also included a cash component. While rumors of Facebook’s interest were brought up in an interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the Web 2.0 Summit a few weeks ago, some shot down the idea as silly. Quite incorrectly, as it turns out, since top execs at both Facebook and Twitter were right then at the tail end of discussions, which were initiated by the privately held Facebook in mid-October, about bringing the two together. Those talks, sources on both sides said, are now over. So why did the deal break down?

They Will Survive–Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs Talk Downturn!

in News on October 30, 2008 at 2:32 pm PT

Earlier today, BoomTown posted a video of star venture capitalist John Doerr’s 10 tips to start-ups for surviving the econalypse that he ticked off at a roundtable in Silicon Valley on Wednesday. Beside the words of wisdom from the Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner, I also trolled for advice from the panel of well-known entrepreneurs I moderated at VentureBeat’s “How to manage your start-up in the downturn” event. The message: They will survive! (Cue the disco ball.)

The Entire Video of John Doerr Giving 10 Tips for Start-ups to Avoid the Econalypse

in News on October 30, 2008 at 2:29 am PT

Here’s a video of star VC John Doerr reciting his 10 tips for start-ups to follow in the economic downturn, dispensed at a VentureBeat roundtable event on the downturn yesterday. And the Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers VC didn’t need a massive, noisy PowerPoint like Sequoia Capital to make his quick and clear points, which he delivered in four minutes flat.

"How To Manage Your Start-Up in the Downturn"? Well, Come to This Event and Find Out!

in News on October 28, 2008 at 5:05 pm PT

Tomorrow, BoomTown is trying to find a silver lining from a group of entrepreneurs at VentureBeat’s “How to manage your start-up in the downturn” roundtable event. Toni Schneider, chief executive of Automattic will join Max Levchin of Slide, Jason Calacanis of Mahalo, O’Melveny & Myers’ Sam Zucker, and Nirav Tolia of Web 1.0′s Epinions. Along with my group, for whom I am planning all sorts of verbal tortures (“Exactly how much do you make?”), there is also a star-studded investors panel.