Seedcamp Week 2009 applications are open for the next wave of European web-tech talent to apply - 2 WEEKS LEFT!

Seedcamp Week 2009 is a weeklong programme from 21-25th September that connects 20 early stage web tech startups with over 400 highly experienced and sought after entrepreneurs, investors, marketers, product and developer experts.  The 20 teams do compete for seed funding, but most importantly, garner world-class connections and recognition in the European entrepreneurial ecosystem. At the end of the week Seedcamp will invest up to €50K each in 5 teams for a small equity stake (5%-10%).

Applications are now open and being accepted till August 23rd. More details are on our website (www.seedcamp.com) and blog (www.blog.seedcamp.com).

This blog post has been out there for a while, but nevertheless interesting. I like the metaphor with mountains throughout the discussion.

Imagine that products are mountains. To build a product, you will need to climb that mountain. Some mountains have a big pot of gold at the top, and some do not. In order to make money, you will need to pick the right mountain and then successfully climb to the top and gather up the gold. You can fail by choosing a mountain that has little or no gold at the top, or by dying on the way up.

Read more on Paul Buchheit’s blog: http://paulbuchheit.blogspot.com/2008/03/ideas-vs-judgment-and-execution_9197.html

A report by Taige Zhang on the European Web Startup Environment.

This presentation analyzes and ranks 32 EU countries based on three factors that make a country great for web startups: being tech-oriented, having an entrepreneurial culture, and possessing sufficient resources. The best places to start up in Europe are the following countries: Finland, France, Germany, Netherland, Sweden, and UK.

You can find it here: http://intelligentshare.com/2009/04/defragmenting-eus-web-startup.html

The fact that it’s better to have someone else say good things about you is quite well established. But I think this blog post illustrated the differences in a good way:

http://www.quicksprout.com/2007/10/24/the-difference-between-marketing-pr-advertising-and-personal-branding/

I found this good article today:

I hope that by telling you this story, you can make sure it doesn’t happen to you. It’s the story of the Boomerang Founder.Colorado Startups, Dec 2008

You should read the whole article. Good advice that can save you time and money.

Every now and then you see some company that are well known for something specific and it’s not unusual that their slogan is “More than just *something*”. Something being whatever core product or service they are known for. Is this good or bad?

Probably many of these have made a lot of money selling their core product or service and it might still be their main source of income. Naturally they want to expand business and sell other things too, but then they are also entering new territory where they might not have much experience. And do they have a competitive edge over other businesses? It can be risky. What if some of their loyal customers don’t like or don’t identify with the other things they started selling? Worst-case scenario: It kills their core business. But of course it can also play out the other way and result in increased revenue and profit.

What are your thoughts on this?

The Live Market is the name of the startup that I have been planning with my good friend Niklas Larsson (author of Is the coffee still warm?) since sometime around March. It’s the service that online vendors has been waiting for. They just don’t know it yet. Do you know anyone who is selling online? Tell them to sign up for our updates!

We will be posting these updates as we make progress. Go to TheLiveMarket.com and give us your e-mail address to be notified! You will also be invited to our private beta as soon as we get there.

The Long Tail by Chris Anderson

I got myself a copy of this book after being recommended by a friend today. “The Long Tail is revolutionising the way we live. Find out why the future of culture and business lies in a global network devoid of bestsellers, blockbusters and hits.” Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?

I watched a re-run of Bill Gates’ speech and interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos. He talked about what he calls Creative Capitalism. I’m very much pro his efforts and vision. It is all about “how the power of the marketplace can help the poor.” Companies and governments should work together and provide knowledge + resources + cash within their specific areas of expertise.

Startup Weekend

I have been discussing the possibility of hosting a Startup Weekend in Kalmar with a few people. It seems to interest them. It’s very tempting to follow through and so I will continue to evaluate the possibilities, talk to people and see what happens. Let me know if you want to participate and/or help out with the event.