A blog? Me? You’re kidding, Mark, right? I don’t even have time to read blogs! Well, maybe one… every now and then… Our friend Brad Feld…he’s a VC in Boulder and really smart…and creative, I like his blog. I’m sure I could learn a lot from reading blogs - After six years, I still sometimes feel like I’m new at this VC stuff and certainly have a lot to learn. My partners Mark and Glenn know that…..they are always watching out for me and sending me good things to read. Things I’ve learned from. Tac also sends me stuff. Tac agreed to be an EIR for Highway12 Ventures – (Entrepreneur-in-Residence), but he’s really teaching us about social networking and its impact in the world. Very cool stuff. Our other partner George just talks to me in my office or in rental cars as we head out to see start-ups. Great partners and friends all. Now that I think about it, I’ve been very fortunate to learn from many great friends – many of them entrepreneurs.
I love entrepreneurs – I love other people too, but entrepreneurs are special. They will probably solve most of our current challenges and save the world.
You know maybe a blog where we share the lessons we have learned about start-ups from our own experiences and others isn’t such a bad idea…maybe it would be fun…and maybe even helpful. Inspirational is probably too much to hope for, but you never know. In talks and emails back and forth with partners, friends, and entrepreneurs, I often close with the words: “Your thoughts?” I’ve learned a lot that way…..
Your thoughts?
My thoughts? My thoughts are that this kind of low-ego (like low-emmissions) type of approach is what makes Hwy 12 so successful in your “mountain states” investing. An entrepreneur recently said “some VCs tell stories to brag, but you tell stories that teach.” Given how many successful companies you have started, we’ll all benefit if you occasionally switch from “listening & learning” mode to “typing & teaching” mode. Bring it on, Phil. Welcome to the blogosphere.
Phil, you're gonna have a lot of fun blogging.
I like to think of it as low-risk conferencing. Sometimes you will come away swimming in awesome ideas - other times, the ideas will be just so-so. But here you don't have to drop a couple hundred bucks on airfare and conference tickets to find out which ideas you're gonna get.
Cheers to George Seybold for implementing IntenseDebate! I'm sure this system is going to facilitate a lot of conversations going forward.
Phil, Once again you are on the cutting edge of technology! Who knows where each individual will get their next dose of inspiration. Don't underestimate simple communication between folks in similar situations. Keep sharing your insights. "the greatest danger in the current economic crisis is that the United States will lose its appetite for risk." quoted from WSJ editorial by Daniel Henninger America Needs Its Frontier Spirit dated 12/4/08. Happy bloggin', Phil