Random musings on a Sunday morning:

  • Perhaps it is a total illusion, but as an entrepreneur, I feel totally shielded from all the economic malaise.  In my experience, I admit I was a little anxious as I transitioned from "steady paycheck" to "eat what I kill".  But after the dust settles, you realize the endless sea of opportunity you are available to take… and that's cool.
  • I am really, really impressed with Carol Bartz.  If she were at the helm of Yahoo a few years ago, I think the tech/social media/Web 2.0 space would feel a lot different than it does today.  So I just created a Yahoo tag for my tag cloud — I get the impression I'll write more about them over time.
  • After talking with folks re: social media over the last six months or so, I get the distinct impression we're getting into a Social Media 2.0 phase.  What do I mean by this?  Well, the early adopters have their takeaways after being the first to do things with social media.  Folks who have been reluctant to jump in are now catching up.  Adoption #s are now at a point where social media is becoming mainstream across multiple demographics.  Social media is already maturing, perhaps faster than other technologies… so get ready for changes.  More ideas on this later…
  • Willingness to accept fast & repeated failure — I'm beginning to believe this is the key to startup (and VC) success.  Like a baby, you have to let your startup get sick, fall, learn, find out who/what it is.  The more you force it to be something it is not, the less you will enjoy the outcome.
  • On the consulting side of our business, our first Government 2.0 project is humming right along.  I think a lot of startup people will struggle with Government 2.0 — especially people who have not had a bureaucratic corporate experience under their belts.  Entrepreneurs are generally skilled in operating in a "free" environment that allows anything to be done.  Larger organizations, like government that works "for the people", have a lot more to lose by taking risks.  The best Government 2.0 success stories will come from both entrepreneurs and government representatives who are willing and able to meet halfway.  Web 2.0 in the Government context doesn't work when the outcomes are antiseptic, nor does it work when the outcome infuriates the people being served.
  • Finally, I still see *a lot* of business opportunities in/around Twitter.  Although it is certainly different, Twitter is as much a communication medium like the Fax, Phone, E-mail, etc. as it is a social network.  Plan your new ventures accordingly.
  • The one thing that could kill Twitter is spam.  I'd say half the new followers I've earned over the last month have been spam.  This one will be an interesting one to watch over coming months.