Rob Go's Tumblelog
03/06/2008
Gorgeous afternoon in Bryant Park
Photo posted at 16:41
Comments (View)Congrats to Dennis, Herb, Miles, and Dmitry
Hollywood reporter published its list of top 50 digital media innovators and it was great to see a bunch of folks in the Spark family included. In addition to the entrepreneurs we have backed like Herb Scannell, Miles Beckett, and Dmitry Shapiro, it was great to see my colleague Dennis Miller on the list as well. It’s been a blast working with Dennis this past year. I’ve learned a lot from his deep industry knowledge, savvy people judgement, and vision for how media is evolving.
Congrats also to our co-investors and friends of the firm who are also on the list. Very cool.
Text posted at 16:07
Comments (View)02/06/2008
Math Magic
I was hanging out with my friend Matt Onsum on Saturday, and being the math nerd that he is, he shared a couple cool “math magic tricks” with me. Check them out… they aren’t too difficult to figure out but are pretty interesting.
Magic Trick # 1
Three guests check into a hotel. The Cashier says the bill is $30 so each pays $10. Later the cashier realizes the bill should only be $25. To rectify the situation, he gives the bellhop five singles to return to the guests.
On the way back to the room the bellhop’s greed sets in and he decides to give each guest 1 dollar and keep 2 for himself.
So in the end, each guest has paid $9. Three times nine is 27 and the bellhop has $2. Two plus 27 is 29. What happened to the missing dollar?
Magic Trick # 2
If a = b = 1, then:
a = b
a2 = ab
a2 - b2 = ab-b2
(a-b)(a+b) = b(a-b)
a+b = b
2 = 1
Text posted at 14:09
Comments (View)What is going on these days?
Is it me, or is there a lot of bad mojo in the air these days? And I’m not even talking about the economy or the stuff hapenning in China and Myanmar.
Boston Common Shooting in broad daylight
I think we could all use some good news
Text posted at 13:53
Comments (View)30/05/2008
» Laugh For Relief - Fundraiser Tonight for the Earthquake in China
This is short notice, but my friend Trent Yang is helping to put together a fundraiser to support the relief effort in China. Details below. Should be a good event for an important cause.
Laugh for Relief 2008
A standup comedy show benefiting China’s Earthquake victims
All proceeds go to the American Red Cross, China Earthquake Relief
Featuring the best comedians in New England.
- Sandy Asai, a favorite in clubs and colleges
- Shaun Bedgood, winner of the Catch a Rising Star competition
- Joe Wong, Finalist in the Boston Comedy Festival
- And more to come!!…
Location: The Cambridge YMCA Theater, 820 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA
Time: May 30th (Friday) at 8:00 PM
Ticket Price: $15 (buy on-line (best)) or pay at the door
Link posted at 09:38
Comments (View)24/05/2008
Hiking in new Hampshire
Photo posted at 12:15
Comments (View)20/05/2008
Palo alto from above the trees
Photo posted at 20:15
Comments (View)» Fidelity makes bid for online-auction glory - The Boston Globe
Nice article about some of Fidelity Ventures’ recent deals. Congrats to my brother-in-law Larry Cheng who led a number of these marketplace investments.
Link posted at 16:54
Comments (View)Price Is Right Idiot is Today’s BIG Thing - MAY 19, 2008
Just in case you were feeling particularly dumb today, here’s someone dumber to make you feel better.
Video posted at 16:43
Comments (View)19/05/2008
Please join us at an upcoming Berkman Center event - "Employee Non-Compete Agreements: Protecting Innovation or Stifling It?"
I’ve been discussing the notion of getting rid of non competes for some time now.
I believe that it stifles innovation and there are better ways to deal with protecting the employer and at the same time creating an environment that fosters the creation of new value, new ideas, new products and new companies.
Many people have agreed with this notion and supported this effort thankfully. At the same time there are plenty of people that disagree and others that continue to have questions in their mind about this topic.
So with the help of the fine folks at the Berkman Center and my firm Spark Capital, we are hosting an event to discuss this topic openly. We will have individuals on the panel that have different points of view and we will very much be looking to hear from those that attend as well.
Here’s the official invite. Please join us and pass along this invite to others. It’s free to attend but RSVP required. Thanks!
~~~
Employee Non-Compete Agreements: Protecting Innovation or Stifling It?
A Discussion Hosted by the Berkman Center and Spark Capital; Sponsored by Gunderson Dettmer and Silicon Valley Bank
Thursday, June 19th from 3:00-7:00PM
The use of employee non-compete agreements by Massachusetts companies is routine, with employers mandating that employees steer clear of any business of a competitive nature once they leave their present jobs, typically for a year or more. Many believe these agreements are critical to guarding a company’s hard-earned intellectual property — protecting legitimate business interests, and thus our region’s economy. Others, however, believe that non-competes are nothing more than handcuffs that prevent talented entrepreneurs from bringing new innovations to market and, in some cases, even driving entrepreneurs to leave the region to pursue their innovations elsewhere. In this session, we’ll bring together some of the area’s best known venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and executives to explore the issue of non-competes and weigh the pros and cons of their use here in the Commonwealth. Are non-competes protecting innovation and economic growth in Massachusetts? Or stifling it?
Panelists will include:
- Jeremy Allaire, founder & CEO, Brightcove
- Melanie Haratunian, general counsel, Akamai
- Paul Maeder, general partner, Highland Capital Partners
- Lee Fleming, associate professor of business administration, Harvard University
- Bijan Sabet, general partner, Spark Capital
- Moderator: John Palfrey, Clinical Professor of Law and Executive Director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law School
Join us on Thursday, June 19th from 3-7PM in the Ames Courtroom at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Mass. The panel will be followed by a cocktail reception.
RSVP required by 6/12: Please email your name, title and company to Amar Ashar at the Berkman Center: ashar@cyber.law.harvard.edu
Text posted at 14:04
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