Taylor Davidson - Latest Comments

Re: How crowdfunding could impact the venture capital industry

Trish — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:19:10 -0000

Passed now! I think it'll also open up funds from a whole new kind of investor. Beyond the VCs interested in more than a 20% return, people will now have a viable venue for investing in local businesses or businesses that support their personal values.

Re: How crowdfunding could impact the venture capital industry

Sabine — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:21:53 -0000

interesting contemplations - I know of one example where too many investors were simply difficult to "please" and the venture fell apart as a result. Planning to step into the "money raise" for SabinesHome.com shortly...important to think about all implications ahead of time.Thank you.

Re: How crowdfunding could impact the venture capital industry

Taylor Davidson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:04:49 -0000

Perhaps, if Super PACs are primarily funded by wealthy individuals.

Not all crowds are communities; but even in investment terms, I can imagine a crowd getting smart and connected enough to be a community.

Agreed. So much potential.

Re: How crowdfunding could impact the venture capital industry

Taylor Davidson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:02:13 -0000

VCs will still have their place in rounds of funding earlier than Series A. The choice between the VC and the crowd won't be about the stage, but about the type of business, industry, and specific situation and skills of the entrepreneur.

Re: How crowdfunding could impact the venture capital industry

Taylor Davidson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:58:44 -0000

Still unknown if this crowdfunding legislation will pass (last time I checked, it's stalled in the Senate ( http://www.betabeat.com/201... ). But even if it doesn't pass, the root pressures aren't going away.

Money is enough to get started, but mentors (advice, networks, access) have a big impact on success. Smart entrepreneurs and VCs know that, and they'll find opportunities and industries where access and relationships are critical.

Re: How crowdfunding could impact the venture capital industry

Brian Driggs — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:00:21 -0000

I didn't even know this sort of legislation was in the works. Probably end up as part of a public works/highway deal or something like that. (They're really good at randomly bundling things in Washington.)

As a complete outsider, what strikes me as most interesting is the mentor proposition. If a company might be able to raise $2MM on the crowd, that seems more than enough for a lot of ventures. (I figure I could run all three of my projects full-time for a year on a tenth of that.) But those looking to rapidly scale to ginormous levels would really stand to benefit from the wisdom of seasoned VCs.

Interesting to see things from this perspective, Taylor. Thanks.

Re: How crowdfunding could impact the venture capital industry

Paul — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:25:01 -0000

Taylor, great post. I wish there was more commentary like this on the potential ripple effects of crowd funding. IMHO it will be a big win for the economy and society as a whole. More competition and more access to capital can only be a good thing. VCs will still have their place for Series A and beyond.

Re: How crowdfunding could impact the venture capital industry

gregorylent — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:38:39 -0000

in political terms, vc = super pac and "crowd" = individual donors. ?

like "cloud" (somebody else's servers), "crowd" has lost its meaning. it's just a bunch of normal people and in investment terms it's only a community in the sense that it's an aggregate of small pockets. ??

questions aside, i see the kickstarter model being the way of the future for many many things.

Re: Five Digital Resolutions for 2011

Taylor Davidson — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:59:42 -0000

Funny you should ask. I have the recap written up, just haven't published it yet.

Re: Five Digital Resolutions for 2011

Will Dearman — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:47:11 -0000

Curious minds want to know... How did your 2011 digital resolutions hold up?

Re: Dream Amplifying

Taylor Davidson — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:07:58 -0000

Sounds pretty similar to what I did!

Re: Dream Amplifying

ryancoleman — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:06:40 -0000

Mostly shapes. Then shaded them... Lots of mucking with perspective & depth too ;)

Re: Dream Amplifying

Taylor Davidson — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:57:06 -0000

What did you doodle?

Re: Dream Amplifying

ryancoleman — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:33:45 -0000

Heh - interesting. Was the same way in school (still am today) have to distract my brain with doodling so I can pay attention to what's being said in presentation/classes otherwise my mind would wander.

Re: My Cities 2011

Brian Driggs — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:05:46 -0000

Indeed it does. In a way, things like this are new traditions.

To me, the number of cities is important, because I would like to spend more time traveling to meet other gearheads, getting their stories in person, and then sharing them with the world.

Definitely looking forward to 2012. The best is yet to come.

Re: My Cities 2011

Taylor Davidson — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:36:46 -0000

We'll fix that this year.

Re: My Cities 2011

Taylor Davidson — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:36:22 -0000

Consistency matters! And it's not a competition, so the number of cities isn't important: it's the reflection and forward-looking goals and ideas that is important. Hope you're looking forward to 2012!

Re: My Cities 2011

Taylor Davidson — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:35:19 -0000

Awesome. Glad you chimed in with your list. And I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of the notation either, but it works for this simple goal :)

Re: My Cities 2011

Revelry — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:47:38 -0000

Here's my list: http://gerardramos.com/my-c...

Looking forward to Pittsburgh in 2012!

Re: My Cities 2011

Brian Driggs — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:09:52 -0000

A cool idea made cooler by your consistently doing it every year. My travels are relatively small by comparison, but I'm looking to get out more in coming years.

2011
Ridgecrest, CA
* Indianapolis, IN (2)
Cincinnati, OH
Norwalk, OH
Creede, CO

2012 (tentative)
Ridgecrest, CA
Toronto, ON
* Creede, CO (2)
Berlin, Germany
Norwalk, OH
Honolulu, HI

Re: My Cities 2011

Darren Herman — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:51:14 -0000

You went to Scarsdale, NY twice and didn't visit me once.

Re: Reflecting

Danielmilsteinabc — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:25:28 -0000

That is so true Taylor As an author and business man, I like how you said “The iPhone people are going to be there when the bomb goes off, when the
house burns down, when the assassination goes down,” says Bennett.
“They’re going to crush that market, and there’s nothing I can do about
it”. I hope more people discover
your blog because you really know what you're talking about. Can't wait to read more from you!

Re: Do you fall asleep reading electronic books?

Sandra Karwel — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:25:31 -0000

This is a great start on comparing reading from a book to reading on the computer or ebooks; but the article never went anywhere with answering the questions. Okay, I'm old-school I have this strong need/desire to read from books, and I am finding it hard to switch (even though ebooks are notably better when it comes to carrying around weight). I want to switch; but I just can't seem to get involved with reading online. Consequently, I was searching the web to find: tips, hints, instructions, methods in which one can break the habit of reading from hardcover to reading the glowing computer screens or ebooks. Anyone out there have any tips to offer, suggestions, or similar?

Re: Unsilent Night, 2011

Taylor Davidson — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:39:15 -0000

Very cool. Post a photo or two?

Re: Unsilent Night, 2011

Josh — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:29:13 -0000

looks amazing! we have it here in Seattle tomorrow night... can't wait