Tag Archives: venture capitalists

How to Blow Up an Ecosystem (and Prosper Within One)

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Ben T. Smith, IV

How to Blow Up an Ecosystem (and Prosper Within One) Are you a part of an ecosystem or do you plan to destroy one? You must decide before plotting a path to success During the four years we spent building … Continue reading →

Posted in MerchantCircle, Silicon Valley, Startups | Tagged ecosystem, game show network, investment, iphone, sustainable advantage, venture capitalists, web entreprenuer | Comments Off

peHUB » Will Startup Jumpers Hit It Big? Silicon Valley’s Latest Debate Is Portfolio vs Persistence

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

When gambling on high-risk startups, the more bets you place the better, right? Maybe not. There is an unspoken discussion going on in Silicon Valley now about the value of “Portfolio” versus “Persistence,” especially among people who have never started … Continue reading →

Posted in Deals, Relationships, Silicon Valley, Startups | Tagged facebook, hot startups, portfolio model, relationships, Startups, venture capitalists, web entreprenuer | Comments Off

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 →

Posted in A.T. Kearney, MerchantCircle, Personal, Relationships, Silicon Valley, Spoke Software | Tagged jeff weiner, merchantcircle, relationships, Startups, venture capitalist, venture capitalists, web entreprenuer | Comments Off

Economic Principles Return circa 2001

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Ben T. Smith, IV

Economic Principles Return circa 2001 Originally printed in one of the boom time internet magazines, one of my co workers from the period saw one of my recent articles and dug this one up and send to me. I wonder … Continue reading →

Posted in Investments, Silicon Valley, Startups, Uncategorized | Tagged boom time, deals, harsh realities, investment, Startups, venture capitalists, web entreprenuer | Comments Off

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 →

Posted in Groupon, Investments, MerchantCircle, Startups | Tagged deals, google, Groupon, marketing opportunity, merchantcircle, online marketing strategy, Startups, venture capitalists, web entreprenuer | Comments Off

Great Advice from Steve Blank..

Posted on April 6, 2010 by Ben T. Smith, IV

I will not be adding another non failure from Stanford GSB today. All my very successful friends from GSB are now asking so I think I have a blog a day for about 60 days. Instead I wanted to call … Continue reading →