Job creation is political topic #1, so we have a particular interest in portfolio companies like Identified and TheResumator, which help match employers and job seekers. Identified launched its public beta last month. Effectively, Identified gives you a score for your desirability as an employee. It’s similar in principle to Klout. Identified uses three attributes...
[Continue Reading]Our Lending Library Principles, and overdelivering on an assignment
One of the first steps I took when I joined ff Venture Capital was to launch a lending library (the original social media). It’s a very cheap employee benefit and more important, a way to promote a culture of both learning and knowledge-sharing. I think every company would benefit by having a small lending library....
[Continue Reading]Ultimate Office for Fitness, Post #2—Photos and Coverage
We’ve received a very positive response to our post about creating a fitness-friendly office. Daily Burn posted some photos, and we thought some additional ones would be interesting. Our intern Matt Fairbank took the photos below. When visitors enter the office, the first thing they see is our portfolio: Though most of the office is...
[Continue Reading]The Ultimate Office for Athletes and People Seeking a Healthier Lifestyle
When Arnold Schwarzenegger first came to America and started becoming the world’s most successful bodybuilder, he and fellow bodybuilder Franco Columbu worked during the day as bricklayers. Effectively, their work was their workout. Plus, of course, they hit the gym hard and heavy. Unfortunately, most people are not that lucky — we work hunched over...
[Continue Reading]I’m joining ff Venture Capital
I am delighted to announce that I’m joining ff Venture Capital as a Partner. Official blog post and more details here. In addition, Michael Yavonditte, CEO of Hashable, is joining as a Venture Partner. Since 1999, ff has made over 100 investments in over 35 companies, and from the beginning has been highly focused on...
[Continue Reading]Venture Capitalists and the Upside-Down Pyramid
In response to my post on VC’s increasing use of operationally focused team members, HBS professor Noam Wasserman sent me an excerpt of his dissertation on ‘The Venture Capitalist as Entrepreneur: The Characteristics and Dynamics Within VC Firms’. A key point he makes in this paper is that, “Most strikingly, a large percentage of the...
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