Intuit to Acquire Demandforce for $424MM

Posted on April 27, 2012. Filed under: advertising, Internet, Uncategorized, Venture Capital, Web/Tech | Tags: , , |

This morning, Intuit announced its agreement to acquire one of Benchmark’s portfolio companies, Demandforce, for $424mm. As with Instagram, Benchmark Capital is the largest institutional investor in Demandforce. Unlike Instagram, which is a consumer application and is extremely well known, Demandforce focuses on local professional businesses and has chosen to keep an intentionally low profile [...]

Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 13 so far )

Why Youth Has an Advantage in Innovation & Why You Want To Be a Learn-It-All

Posted on March 26, 2012. Filed under: Internet, social networking, Uncategorized, Venture Capital | Tags: , , , |

[Follow Me on Twitter] A few relevant scenes from the recent blockbuster Moneyball: Peter Brand: Billy, Pena is an All Star. Okay? And if you dump him and this Hatteberg thing doesn’t work out the way that we want it to, you know, this is…this is the kind of decision that gets you fired. It is! Billy Beane: Yes, you’re right. I [...]

Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 39 so far )

You Don’t Have to Tweet to Twitter

Posted on November 15, 2011. Filed under: advertising, Facebook, Internet, IPO, social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized, Venture Capital, Web/Tech | Tags: , , , , |

Frequent comparisons to Facebook leave many confused about the true value of Twitter. [Follow Me on Twitter] “In a brand new direction A change of perception On a brand new trajection” – UB40 [Disclosure: Benchmark Capital is a major investor in Twitter, and my partner Peter Fenton sits on the Twitter BOD.] Twitter is having a remarkable year. Active [...]

Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 51 so far )

Google’s Acquires ITA: Will Deeper Vertical Integration Lead to Higher Revenues?

Posted on July 8, 2010. Filed under: advertising, Internet, Uncategorized, Web/Tech | Tags: , , , , , |

“It’s funny how fallin feels like flyin, for a little while…” – Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart Soundtrack On July 1st, Google announced its intention to acquire ITA Software. ITA owns a primarily B2B airfare search and pricing system called QPX. Several of the leading online travel sites, like Orbitz, Kayak, and Bing Travel, use information [...]

Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 18 so far )

When It Comes to Television Content, Affiliate Fees Make the World Go ‘Round

Posted on April 28, 2010. Filed under: Internet, online video, Uncategorized, video, Web/Tech | Tags: , , , , |

“The clock on the wall’s moving slower My heart it sinks to the ground And the storm that I thought would blow over Clouds the light of the love that I found” – Fool in the Rain, Led Zeppelin More often than not, we here in Silicon Valley are prone to idealism. We see a [...]

Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 84 so far )

Android or iPhone? Wrong Question

Posted on January 5, 2010. Filed under: iphone, Mobile, Uncategorized, Venture Capital, Web/Tech | Tags: , , , , , |

[Follow Me on Twitter] In a recent New York Times article, Kathryn Huberty, a Morgan Stanley analyst was quoted suggesting that Apple’s iPhone is the key catalyst for an important new technology trend. “Applications make the smartphone trend a revolutionary trend – one we haven’t seen in consumer technology for many years.” This argument rings [...]

Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 154 so far )

Google Redefines Disruption: The “Less Than Free” Business Model

Posted on October 29, 2009. Filed under: Internet, Uncategorized, Venture Capital, Web/Tech | Tags: , , , , , , , , |

[Follow Me on Twitter] I like to think of myself as an aficionado of business disruption. After all, as a venture capitalist it is imperative to understand ways in which a smaller private company can gain the upper hand on a large incumbent. One of the most successful ways to do this is to change [...]

Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 394 so far )

Want To Know More About the Future of Internet TV?: Let’s Look to Korea

Posted on September 29, 2009. Filed under: Internet, online video, Uncategorized, video, Web/Tech | Tags: , , , , |

[Follow Me on Twitter] We are clearly at a very important point in time when it comes to Internet video, especially video that is served to your television, but over the Internet (also known as “over-the-top” Internet video). Christmas of 2009 and Christmas of 2010 will mark the point in time that Internet menus began [...]

Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 10 so far )

Bill Gurley’s Online Video Market Snapshot

Posted on May 10, 2009. Filed under: Internet, online video, Uncategorized, Venture Capital, video | Tags: , , , , |

I recently spoke at AlwaysOn’s OnHollywood conference on the subject of today’s extremely dynamic online/Internet video world. Things are moving so amazingly fast that its extremely hard to predict specific outcomes. That said, I believe there are a number of critical issues to understand as we watch this market unfold over the next  few years.  [...]

Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 4 so far )

Benchmark Capital: Open For Business

Posted on December 1, 2008. Filed under: Internet, Uncategorized, Web/Tech | Tags: , , , , |

“People see you having fun Just a-lying in the sun Tell them that you like it this way”      – BTO, Takin’ Care of Business The seemingly chronic state of our economy, combined with the thundering sound of dire financial news has left many in a state of shock.  This unprecedented moment in time [...]

Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 10 so far )

    About

    …focusing on the evolution and economics of high technology business and strategy. By day, I am a venture capitalist at Benchmark Capital.

    RSS

    Subscribe Via RSS

    • Subscribe with Bloglines
    • Add your feed to Newsburst from CNET News.com
    • Subscribe in Google Reader
    • Add to My Yahoo!
    • Subscribe in NewsGator Online
    • The latest comments to all posts in RSS

    Meta

Liked it here?
Why not try sites on the blogroll...

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 2,075 other followers