Hands On Venture Capitalists

I've been a big fan (and disciple) of Rick Segal and have often referred to him and his expertise in all matters VC. I finally had the great pleasure of meeting Rick a few weeks ago in London.

I asked Rick a bit about his level of involvement with the startup companies in his portfolio and he told me how in some cases he's even had to write code!

My respect for Rick tripled! Most VCs have a tendency to sit back and 'consult' and 'strategize'. We're a startup company with big ideas and lots of spirit, but what we need most in the beginning is hands-on help from experienced folks.

I'm extremely fortunate in this regard by having Geoff Hainebach on our board. This 60-something former CEO of Siemens (Southern Africa) is a great strategic mind and an amazing 'connector', but most of all he has the ability to see when we are struggling with the details, energetically jump in, coordinate a sales plan and throw together a really good presentation!

If you ever get VC funding, make sure you get their money's worth!

Firefox 2.0 has launched!

You probably know it already but I'm so excited I had to say something about it in any case!

If, for some bizarre reason, you're still using IE, now's the chance to switch!

Best thing about Firefox 2.0 is that clicking on links that would normally open a new window, will now simply open a new tab instead!

Go download Firefox 2.0 now!

Isolation and South Africa

I had dinner in London last week with a small group of really smart folks (amongst others: Shel Israel, Rick Segal, Hugh Macleod, David Quinn, Keith Collins, Jason Korman...)

Had a long discussion with Hugh Macleod about Stormhoek (an isolated South African winery that is going BIG in the UK and US) and its very unique marketing campaign.

Hugh's 'unique selling proposition' is cartoons on the back of business cards. Simple concept, yet Hugh has been noted in the Financial Times as the UK's Most Influential Blogger!

Here's the cartoon he did on my Skyrove card:

A Roaming we will go (over to Wi-Fi)

So I got a new phone in London, after having my last one stolen in Berlin. It's on Virgin Mobile prepaid.

Switching it on in South Africa upon my return, I received the following message:

'Virgin Mobile welcomes you to South Africa. Calls cost £1.70 per min to make and 80p per min to receive. Texts cost 35p. For help call 789.'

It's pretty expensive to phone in South Africa in general, about R2.50 per min, which is equiv to £0.18 per min. But £1.70??? The last 2 weeks in Europe I didn't bother with cellphone roaming, as Skype does the trick pretty darn well, and calls only cost £0.012. That means that roaming with Virgin Mobile is 142 times more expensive than simply using SkypeOut.

All you need is an internet connection. Anyone out there still doubting that Wi-Fi will trump cellular? Anyone at all? Show yourself!

North Korean Monkeys

This video is not so new, but I thought it relevant in lieu of North Korea testing nuclear weapons.

Kim Jong-Il, if you want to prove to the world that yours is indeed a great nation, please look at the picture of the man landing on the moon where it says: "The monkeys have so much potential if only they apply themselves".

Nuclear weapons are old news, and advanced civilizations have realised this a while ago. Why don't you try something new rather? Renewable energy comes to mind... It's time to catch up!

YACI (Yet Another Crazy Idea)

Just spent 10+ hours on an aircraft from Cape Town to Doha in the Middle East, and soon boarding a 7 hour redeye flight to Berlin. I'd LOVE to get some sleep, but simply cannot sleep on planes.

How about, in addition to seats, airlines started offering economy class bunk beds? Each one would be compartmentalized, with the head section facing towards the aisle at an angle. Have the bed incline for when you need to eat, lying sideways like an ancient Roman, or decline for having a good solid shuteye.

I see some problems with safety regulations, as seats have to be upright during take-off and landing.

It might even be an idea to have some 'sleeping capsules' on planes available for hire by the hour.

It would lead to the Mile High Club becoming less exclusive though...