From the monthly archives:

July 2009

Twitter: In with the New & out with the Old.

It seems that every publication whether print or online seems to be talking about Twitter, and rightfully so. The latest numbers indicate that Twitter is getting roughly $50 million a month in media coverage which is nothing short of astronomical (it  equates to $600 million for the year).  What’s even more mind boggling is that Twitter’s founders have yet to make a dime off their innovation and they’re still working on a revenue model.

Don’t get me wrong, I am an avid tweeter (@fndrsroundtable) and understand the value of Twitter for the individual, small business, large corporation, organizations and pretty much anyone who want to leverage themselves or their business.  However, according to the latest reports 69% of adults have no clue what Twitter is or what a tweet looks like. That is a pretty high percentage but I will look at that as the growth potential Twitter has as the 31% of adults who are aware of Twitter are doing a bang up job on publicizing it virally .

To that end I do want to point out that Twitter just made a huge jump to reach all the masses with their new home page which brings the value of Twitter front and center,  that is “Trending Topics” which highlight what’s currently happening in the Twitterverse (Twitter Universe) – hence what I attribute most of the free media coverage to.

Twitter has allowed people anywhere in the world to share stories, news, and excitement with their friends and anyone else who cares to listen. From the Iran elecetion, US Airways crash on the Hudson, Michael Jacksons death and many more, the list keeps going. It brings the power of information to anyone who wants it, giving users the ability to discover and relate breaking news which now can be seen by anyone on the Twitter homepage. Until now the trending topics was only visible to those who have twitter accounts, now it can be seen by anyone and hopefully everyone who has yet to see the value in Twitter will start seeing what all the hoopla is about and see the value in it.

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The Founders Roundtable!

As I have been attending a number of networking events in the NY area for a number of years and they all seem to be somewhat of the same. One big event with a lot of networking, with little follow through and results. Now I am somewhat familiar with networking events and I used to run networking events back in th stone age of Web 1.0 called the J2J Network. As great as these networking events are it seems that there is still a disconnect on how much one can gain from them. That is why I have decided to start a more intimate method of networking in the NY area. This is not a new method as roundtables exist in NY, CA, and many other places and I am not ashamed to say I am copying similar models.

The purpose of networking events is to meet people who can ideally help you or your company. To that point i know how difficult it is to start a company and network effectively. From the initial idea, to fleshing it out, to discussing it with friends, writing a business plan, developing product, capital raising, customer acquisition, public relations, and so much more. As you can see the list is extensive and I have found that networking and speaking with other entrepreneurs, VCs, angels, and industry leaders has been a tremendous benefit to me.

That is why I am creating the FoundersRoundtable which will meet once or twice a month, and brings together entrepreneurs to have breakfast and network with experienced peers, investors and others. The mission is to bring together startups from various sectors and have a sit down with VCs, angels, PR companies, marketing experts, and other leading high tech firms that can help a startup’s trajectory to success.

To that end the Founders Rountable fosters the following concepts:

Exchange: Open discussion with active participation from all attendees.

Intimacy: Select companies and individuals invites, approachable, accessible, and intense networking.

Content: Strong focus on fresh, current, and trending topics in high tech.

Experience: Helping companies succeed by using members experiences, networks, and knowledge.

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