Monthly Archives: March 2012
Breaking News: Looks like Facebook is becoming the government’s most powerful surveillance tool.
Even if you don’t have anything to hide privacy is nice to have. The world doesn’t need to know every last detail about your life. Continue reading
The Dark Side of Social Networking Business Models
Last night’s post on the business model behind social networks generated quite a bit of interest so I am adding a citation here on how people quickly and easily become addicted to the dopamine squirts that come from trivial things like upvotes from complete strangers. Watch the following video.
Social Networking’s Business Model Exposed
I along with a lot of other people who do business online am relieved that the latest social networking attempt, Google +1, is basically D.O.A. Let me explain why.
Why Social Networking is a Big Time Wasting Scam
I’ll be blunt here. I don’t like social networking. To me it’s mostly a grotesque waste of time unless you happen to be a narcissist or a college kid who would rather die than not have a date for Saturday night. Since I am neither it has little to offer me besides sucking up precious time like a black hole. A few years ago Bill Gates said that being online was better for your mind than watching television. I agreed with him back then but not any longer if we are talking about social networking. In that case, you are better off watching a good show.
Let me draw back the curtains on social networking for you and burst the illusion.
Crowdsourcing and Crowdfunding Explained
Most people still don’t fully understand how crowdfunding works. So with that in mind here is a short video that explains how the system operates to bring entrepreneurs and investors together. Continue reading
Crowdfunding Industry Unites Behind Regulatory Organization to Protect Investors
WASHINGTON, DC and NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – Mar 23, 2012) – With the passage of the JOBS Act, the Crowdfunding Industry is uniting behind a Self Regulating Organization (SRO) to monitor and oversee this new
The President Supports Crowdfunding
marketplace and ensure investor protection. The Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Association will commit to providing investor protection and market integrity through effective and efficient regulation of those within the crowdfunding industry. CFIRA will create rules, oversight and a united voice for the CrowdFund Investing platform companies as the industry is formed. CFIRA announced today that the founding partners will be:
- Startup Exemption, The CrowdFund Investing authors that wrote the framework for the Crowdfund legislation passed by Congress.
- The SoHo Loft Capital Creation (TSLCC) Events, the definitive event platform for the private markets aimed at facilitating capital formation and job creation.
- Gate Technologies & GATE Impact, a platform and electronic marketplace and that provides regulatory compliant private market transactions. Continue reading
Are there any Canadian crowdfunding sites?
The answer is that there is at least one: Fundweaver.
I don’t know if it’s equity, debt, or donation based.
Here’s a joke that like all good jokes contains a kernel of truth in it. When you are starting out and resources are scarce you need to compensate with resourcefulness. Continue reading
Never be shy about promoting yourself because if you aren’t going to no one else ever will. – Gene Simmons
When I first wrote the piece “Fake it Till You Make it” a couple of people became morally outraged and delivered sermons on a popular networking site. My original piece was basically about the need for aggressive self-promotion, particularly in this day and age. There’s an actual legal term for this strategy: puffery. Yes, it’s legal. My two critics jumped to the erroneous conclusion that I was suggesting illegal behavior. I wasn’t. Continue reading
How Startups Survive the Financing Valley of Death and Launch
Rock star venture capitalist Paul Kedrosky lays it on the line about how the vast majority of startups are funded initially. According to Paul, 84% of fast growth companies never receive a dime of venture capital.
less than one-in-five of the fastest-growing and most successful companies in the United States had venture investors, according to the study. The report evaluated venture financing among companies on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies. Only approximately 16 percent of the roughly 900 unique companies on the list from 1997-2007 had venture capital backing. (pdf) Continue reading