Perhaps it is a sign of age, but I am becoming increasingly cynical about the true value of many, many startups. There is no question it has become much easier and less costly to launch a business, and startups are certainly fashionable right now. But what is the real purpose of these startups? Do they actually satisfy an unrequited need or pain in the market? Is their solution unique, difficult …
I always felt the saying “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear” was a better way of conveying the notion of “garbage in / garbage out”. I found myself reflecting on those idioms the other day as I was dutifully answering a brief survey I agreed to complete after reading an article on Forbes.com. I am usually willing to share my feedback if asked politely and …
A recent post in Techvibes quoted a CTAM Canada survey indicating 60% of Canadians own HDTVs, but only 26% have set-top boxes for HD content delivery. While I have a problem with CTAM (the MSOs’ old boys club) claiming that you need a set-top box to enjoy HD content, it does point out a fundamental truth in the market – many, many consumers don’t have a clear understanding of the new digital TV …
Mark Suster posted his take on a very important consideration for early stage ventures – the trade-offs on profitability versus growth. I have lived through this dilemma more than once and have taken different paths, depending on the situation. The one assumption I’ll make here is that we’re talking a company with a proven revenue model – this is not a discussion for pre-revenue, or pre-product/market fit startups. So here’s …
All the best of the season from Donna, Sophie, all the horses of Chinook Arch Farm, and me – TractorBoy.