Tag Archives: merchantcircle

peHUB » Doug Kilponen, Ben Smith: First They Ignore You, Then They Want To Buy You: Managing The Startup-Big Company Relationship

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Ben T. Smith, IV

Every entrepreneur has met them. Big company executives with big company swagger. They ignore you. They dismiss the business problem you spent your life solving. They think they can crush you. Then the tables turn. They push for strategic relationships. … Continue reading →

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peHUB » Ben Smith: Silicon Valley Is A Multi-Inning Game, Relationships Are How You Play

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Ben T. Smith, IV

I heard two things recently. “Silicon Valley is a multi-inning game, relationships matter.“ And. “I am all business, I don’t care about relationships.” The first statement came from a seasoned venture capitalist with 20 years of experience. His point is … Continue reading →

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It’s called Fishing Not Catching

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Ben T. Smith, IV

It is called fishing and not catching, and it is the dirty secret of Silicon Valley. Unless your startup hits a grand slam, or you are its founder, CEO or a key engineer, your post-exit payday isn’t more than a … Continue reading →

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The Deal is Done. MerchantCirlce is now part of Reply!Media.

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Ben T. Smith, IV

The Deal is Done. MerchantCirlce is now part of Reply!Media in a $60MM deal. If you missed this morning’s announcement, I’m happy to share the news that we are now officially part of Reply! Media.The last few weeks have been … Continue reading →

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Same Page from Go

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Ben T. Smith, IV

Co-founder Wayne Yamamoto joined us in our reminiscing. He tweeted this image from our first pitch presentation. From the very beginning MerchantCircle has been on the same page as Reply!. We had no idea then, we’d end up as a … Continue reading →

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Getting MerchantCircle Started: It starts with an Idea

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Ben T. Smith, IV

The last few days have been really exciting and extremely busy. There have been meetings and interviews and many thoughtful wishes for a bright future. But. As we always do at MerchantCircle, we’re back to work with a sense of … Continue reading →

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MerchantCircle Acquired by Reply!

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Ben T. Smith, IV

Yesterday’s news was a major milestone and we are so thankful to everyone who reached out. Anyone who knows a MerchantCircle team member can attest to how totally dedicated this group of colleagues has been to our users, our products … Continue reading →

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Are the Billions Justified for Groupon?

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Ben T. Smith, IV

Are the Billions Justified for Groupon? Are the Billions Justified for Groupon? originally published in VC Journal Groupon’s potential $15 billion valuation may seem astronomical, but its high price tag may be justified. Groupon is one of only a handful … Continue reading →

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Revenue is a Drug

Posted on May 22, 2008 by Ben T. Smith, IV

Revenue is a drug.. I have heard a number of times how venture capital is a drug, it is addictive to some entreprenuers, and of course never confuse raising venture money with success. Today I heard another good one.  Revenue … Continue reading →

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MerchantCircle Launch

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Ben T. Smith, IV

Now here is a deal you have to love. MerchantCircle   is focused on solving the problem is the local internet ad business that there is not effective channel to the small local merchant on any scale for selling ads. That … Continue reading →

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