Comments on: Who screwed the pooch on Friendster? http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2006/10/15/who-screwed-the-pooch-on-friendster/ ... at the intersection of media, technology, business and the web Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:46:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Suzie DIngwall Williams http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2006/10/15/who-screwed-the-pooch-on-friendster/comment-page-1/#comment-66050 Suzie DIngwall Williams Mon, 16 Oct 2006 04:47:29 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2006/10/15/who-screwed-the-pooch-on-friendster/#comment-66050 It's just a new learning cycle for the Valley VCs, much like the one we went through here in Canada 5 years ago. Some of the companies backed by our VCs here lasted as long as a Hollywood marriage, if you'll recall. Riptide wasn't around long enought to print business cards. Youtopia? You what? The real messes in the US to watch for are the public venture capital deals and roll-ups being done by larger private euqity funds. You can sense the vultures gathering for those... It’s just a new learning cycle for the Valley VCs, much like the one we went through here in Canada 5 years ago. Some of the companies backed by our VCs here lasted as long as a Hollywood marriage, if you’ll recall. Riptide wasn’t around long enought to print business cards. Youtopia? You what? The real messes in the US to watch for are the public venture capital deals and roll-ups being done by larger private euqity funds. You can sense the vultures gathering for those…

]]> By: Mathew Ingram http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2006/10/15/who-screwed-the-pooch-on-friendster/comment-page-1/#comment-65904 Mathew Ingram Sun, 15 Oct 2006 18:14:24 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2006/10/15/who-screwed-the-pooch-on-friendster/#comment-65904 That's a fair point, ZF -- you could read Doerr's comment that way. And it's worth wondering why if performance was such an issue, he didn't do more to help whoever it was "execute" on that particular front. That’s a fair point, ZF — you could read Doerr’s comment that way. And it’s worth wondering why if performance was such an issue, he didn’t do more to help whoever it was “execute” on that particular front.

]]> By: Full Coverage: Wallflower at the Web Party http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2006/10/15/who-screwed-the-pooch-on-friendster/comment-page-1/#comment-65894 Full Coverage: Wallflower at the Web Party Sun, 15 Oct 2006 17:54:00 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2006/10/15/who-screwed-the-pooch-on-friendster/#comment-65894 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] Who screwed the pooch on Friendster?  [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] Who screwed the pooch on Friendster?  [...]

]]> By: ZF http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2006/10/15/who-screwed-the-pooch-on-friendster/comment-page-1/#comment-65887 ZF Sun, 15 Oct 2006 17:26:56 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2006/10/15/who-screwed-the-pooch-on-friendster/#comment-65887 You have to understand that when John Doerr says "We completely failed to execute… everything boiled down to our inability to improve performance” that's his way of assigning 100% of the blame to the company's management. To a VC like Doerr the 'executives' are the ones who are responsible for 'executing'. VCs are usually management heroes in their own minds after everything has gone well, but generally seek to distance themselves in this way from shared failures. You have to understand that when John Doerr says “We completely failed to execute… everything boiled down to our inability to improve performance” that’s his way of assigning 100% of the blame to the company’s management.

To a VC like Doerr the ‘executives’ are the ones who are responsible for ‘executing’. VCs are usually management heroes in their own minds after everything has gone well, but generally seek to distance themselves in this way from shared failures.

]]> By: Mathew Ingram http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2006/10/15/who-screwed-the-pooch-on-friendster/comment-page-1/#comment-65854 Mathew Ingram Sun, 15 Oct 2006 15:05:22 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2006/10/15/who-screwed-the-pooch-on-friendster/#comment-65854 Thanks for the comment, Howard. According to the NYT story, a prof at Harvard Business School is doing just that. Thanks for the comment, Howard. According to the NYT story, a prof at Harvard Business School is doing just that.

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