Hey, entrepreneurs, we’re living in a bubble
No, not that kind of bubble. The bubble we’re living in is actually much more dangerous than the classic tech bubbles that inevitably come and go, because this particular bubble may well prevent American entrepreneurs from playing a leading role in shaping the future.
A classic tech bubble inflates expectations of what’s possible — and ultimately dashes the hopes of many investors and entrepreneurs. But it also leaves new technologies and a handful of great … Continue Reading
Week in review: how frustrated are PlayStation Network users about downtime?
Here’s our roundup of the week’s tech business news. First, the most popular stories VentureBeat published in the last seven days:
Latest rumor on iPhone 5: it will have a curved glass cover — Apple’s unannounced iPhone 5 smartphone has been the subject of much speculation, including a rumor today that Apple will adopt a curved glass cover for its next generation model.
Just how frustrated are PlayStation Network users over downtime? — Sony brought … Continue Reading
Sequoia defends its infamous "RIP Good Times" presentation
Onstage at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference today, Roelof Botha, a partner at Sequoia Capital, looked back at one of the firms’ more controversial moments — the presentation that it gave to its portfolio companies after the financial crash in late 2008.
Back in October 2008, the firm supposedly called all of its entrepreneurs together into one room and outlined its position on the financial crisis. The presentation took its tone from the first slide, a … Continue Reading
LinkedIn shares still high in second day of trading
If LinkedIn represents a tech bubble, that bubble remained unpopped during the professional networking company’s second day of public trading. The company’s stock closed at $93.09 a share, just slightly below its close of $94.25 yesterday and more than double the price of between $42 and $45 set in its initial public offering.
Not that today was the big test of the bubble theory. The real worry seems to be whether or not LinkedIn’s IPO … Continue Reading
What if it’s 1996, not 1999?
(Editor’s note: Jeff Bussgang is a General Partner at Flybridge Capital Partners. This column originally appeared on his blog Seeing Both Sides.)
In May 1996, Open Market completed a successful IPO and more than doubled on the first day of trading, ending with a $1.2 billion market capitalization. We had recorded $1.8 million in revenue the year before.
If investors observing this extraordinary phenomenon in 1996 were to have concluded that the technology market was … Continue Reading
Entrepreneurs: Ignore all the talk of bubbles
(Editor’s note: Brad Feld is an early stage investor and co-founder of Foundry Group. This story originally appeared on his blog.)
“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble.” – Macbeth
Every time I hear the word “bubble” I think of that quote from Macbeth. I also think of Tulip Mania and the South Sea Company which purportedly was the source of the concept of an economic bubble. And then I … Continue Reading
Silicon Valley is abuzz with bubble and recovery stories — too soon?
The bulls are back in Silicon Valley in a variety of ways. Let’s hope reports of the recovery are true and that the optimism doesn’t get overheated too fast and turn into a bubble of the dot-com era’s scale.
The front pages of the San Jose Mercury News and the New York Times both have stories today about the return of good times in Silicon Valley (and let’s not forget the Los Angeles Times). They … Continue Reading
Tim Draper doesn't think we're in a tech investment bubble yet
Tim Draper, the gregarious founder and managing director of venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson, says there isn’t reason to fear a big bubble in the technology sector just yet.
Draper said so during a question and answer session after his speech in a windy tent yesterday at the Global Technology Symposium in Menlo Park, Calif. The potential for a bubble is on everyone’s minds in Silicon Valley these days because a lot of people … Continue Reading
VC True Ventures co-founder: There is no bubble, period
There is no bubble forming around Silicon Valley or tech startups because white-hot companies like Twitter and Facebook are able to show they have fundamental value and are capable of making money, Phil Black, co-founder at early stage venture capital outfit True Ventures told me today.
“There is no bubble at current moment. There are very successful Internet businesses being created that are growing very rapidly and are making a lot of pretax profit,” said … Continue Reading
Quest Venture Partners: Current VC investing not "irrational"
The hand-wringing continues over whether or not there is a venture capital bubble forming around hot new Silicon Valley startups. But the increased VC investing in tech is more likely the consequence of investors burned by the stock market getting into alternative investments, Marcus Ogawa, managing partner at venture capital firm Quest Venture Partners, told me today.
“Is there more capital flowing into investments? Yes. Are valuations increasing as a consequence? Yes. Would I call … Continue Reading
Is Silicon Valley in a new bubble? (poll)
The New York Times ran a page one story today about how Silicon Valley appears to be in the midst of a new bubble, driven by the enthusiasm that venture capitalists and angels have for social networking and mobile apps businesses.
It cited the recent reports about how Twitter’s value has been pegged at $4 billion in its rumored round of investment. The story also pointed to the more than $5 billion valuation of Zynga, … Continue Reading
The private equity bubble
The New York Times ran a page one story today about how Silicon Valley appears to be in the midst of a new bubble, driven by the enthusiasm that venture capitalists and angels have for social networking and mobile apps businesses.
It cited the recent reports about how Twitter’s value has been pegged at $4 billion in its rumored round of investment. The story also pointed to the more than $5 billion valuation of Zynga, … Continue Reading
Web 2.0 bubble bursting: Peerflix cuts workforce, carnage mounting elsewhere
The New York Times ran a page one story today about how Silicon Valley appears to be in the midst of a new bubble, driven by the enthusiasm that venture capitalists and angels have for social networking and mobile apps businesses.
It cited the recent reports about how Twitter’s value has been pegged at $4 billion in its rumored round of investment. The story also pointed to the more than $5 billion valuation of Zynga, … Continue Reading
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