Archive for Invest in 2du Media
Experience – a Silicon Valley Opportunity
Posted by: | CommentsWhy does Silicon Valley ignore people based on age?
Go into any creative industry (such as a startup or an advertising agency) and it is absolutely impossible to find anyone over the age of 40. And yet, in many creative fields, older people completely dominate.
- Steve Jobs reinvented industries from age 21 thru 56 and the world would agree that he would still be surprising us with his creativity today if he was still with us at age 60
- Albert Einstein was working on the Manhattan project at age 61
- Thomas Edison filed for more than 200 patents between 60 to 73.
- Andy Bechtolsheim was the first investor in Google, age 54
- The average age of the five Best Director Oscar nominees is 62.
- The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction went to Jennifer Egan, age 50
- The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was awarded to Bruce Norris, age 52
- The Noble Prize for Literature went to Tomas Transtromer age 83.
- The Emmy for Best Comedy went to Modern Family creators Christopher Lloyd, age 52 and Steven Levitan, age 50
And I am sure that NONE of these people would get an investment, or be hired by ANY company in Silicon Valley. Dan Sheinman (the original investor in VMWare) is one of the only exceptions to the Silicon Valley bias. He says “Older entrepreneurs are the mother of all undervalued opportunities.“
Entrepreneurs – Opportunities and Executing Your Vision
Posted by: | CommentsHow does one turn good ideas into successful corporations ? A large number of entrepreneurs start this path every year and become a significant percentage of the world economy. The existence of entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Richard Branson are known, but do people really understand what they accomplished ? Does the “man on the street” really realize what it takes to go from working 20 hour days in a garage (surrounded by old pizza boxes) to being the richest man in the world ? Their riches were not due to ancestry, they were not due to conquest, they were not because they owned natural resources. This great wealth was due to the creation and execution of a GOOD IDEA !
Note the sentence above… creation and EXECUTION. Executing on an idea requires that you first create a vision of the future. What is your goal ? How big will your company be ? What markets will you be in ? What problem categories will you be solving ? What environmental factors will be affecting your business in the future? This vision should not be a straight-jacket though… this is based on information that you have right now… as you get more information, your vision can change… but at ALL TIMES, you must know what the end game is or you don’t know what steps are needed to get there.
With my 2du company, I have a pretty aggressive “vision”. The reason that I think this is attainable is primarily due to my opinions concerning the future of new media technologies. I think we are in the first phase of a “perfect storm” where a combination of events are going to dramatically change the way that businesses communicate and create value for their customers. Radical changes are happening all around us… sales, marketing, and support techniques, the ways that we pay for goods and services, the visibility and power of individual opinion, and more… all of these are being enabled by NEW MEDIA technologies. I think this is a business tsunami that will effect ALL business (world-wide) ! This is NOT a niche, this is ALL business (world-wide). Think about it… I can’t even say what that dollar value is or people will just roll their eyes ! I really do believe that new media technologies will be purchased and integrated into EVERY business in the coming years. The NEW MEDIA opportunity is one of those situations like the early days of electricity… very few people have it and EVERYONE needs to be connected !
As long as we execute our WIN-WIN ideas… well…. I better get back to work !!
Worldwide Mobile Ad Projections – Lets Ride the Wave Together !
Posted by: | CommentsI don’t think of myself as terribly materialistic, but I enjoy being where the ACTION is and would also like to make enough money so I can do what I want for the rest of my life. I think I found a subject that might fit the bill…
This graph is a little out-dated, but I’m sure the shape is still similar !
So where is this $$ coming from?
• Text ads to opt-in customers (VIP Clubs)
• Display ads on mobile web sites (scaled down to work on your phone)
• Display ads on mobile search results
• Display ads in mobile games or in TV-like guides
• Video ads that come with streaming video, or mobile TV
I know… that sounds like a LOT of ads on my little phone display. 2du is doing something to address that issue… we have created GeoHelp (web + SMS + email messaging) that lets every member manage their own messaging. You get your own account where you select exactly what local businesses can send information and discounts to you. You decide who can send messages, how many, and how often ! We are just getting started, so “pardon our dust”… I hope you agree that this is the most powerful messaging system you have EVER SEEN ! Click here to see GeoHelp
Would You Invest in This Team?
Posted by: | CommentsI love this photo !! This is the original Microsoft team from 1978 ! That’s Bill in the lower left ! If you were talking to them in 1978 would you have seen that they had a “billion dollar opportunity” ahead of them ?
Well… to be perfectly honest, I think the 2du team ALSO has an opportunity to create a billion dollar company. This is not because we are some kind of super geniuses, this is because there is a “perfect storm” of new media and social change opportunities happening RIGHT NOW !! Advertising is undergoing significant changes, mobile two way communications will become mandatory for all businesses, retail business models and technologies are changing, POS and mobile payment systems are changing, the technology divide between business owners and customers is growing, information filtering is increasing in value, and more ! A lot of the established infrastructure in these markets will be abandoned and reinvented. This is a huge opportunity for the right team with the right resources. 2du’s business model, accomplishments and VISION proves that we are positioned to be a significant player in these markets. Help us move to the next level… it will be a FUN ride !
