Safka's an interesting duck. He started out essentially as an AT&T salesperson before coming to Match.com where he pretty much alienated everyone who didn't get fired, so they left. But, to his everlasting credit, he got Match back on track, sorta, and became Diller's golden boy (always a danger spot) and handpicked to run the IAC VC-thinktankesque-Primal Ventures. BTW, that was announced back in June 2007 to "start in a couple of weeks" so evidently someone at corporate isn't flipping the pages on their Far Side calenders. So now Jim is at Ask, after barging around stepping on people's toes and snubbing others at the corporate levels on various projects. He likes glitz (he threw a LOT of dollars at Match) to make it, and its supposedly older sister, Chemistry.com, glitter and shine. The marge simpson set is not his dream. Knowing Jim, I'd bet he tries to rework this into some sort of entirely slick new search engine focused on some kind of cool, slick trendsetter-esque audience. The problem is, the moms were probably the right audience to go after, Jim's preference notwithsanding, so this might be the time the golden boy starts to tarnish. However, if he pulls this shit off, look for him to assume the cursed president and coo position (if there is still a Diller run IAC) in about 2 years.

Does it work on the iPhone?

@Foggytown - you're right on. Slick Jim.

Safka's reputation at e-trade was the guy who pitched big, sexy, expensive ideas that sounded good but never panned out. Spent millions of dollars on sponsoring Rolling Stones tours and other things that got him on the gravy train but did nothing for the business.

He's at his best in the board room, winding up and giving the pitch. But definitely is not a man of the people. Very shifty, not a good communicator. Has a few loyal yes-men but everyone else distrusts him. It's Jim's world, everybody else just lives in it. He should be a sales or deal guy, not an operating executive.

No chance he pulls anything off at Ask. You need talent. They don't have it.

They just fired it.

In the all-hands on Tue, he still showed Marge Simpson as the new target. She was all over his presentation. so if "Safka changed his mind over the weekend and executives spent all day Sunday scrambling to put together a new plan." why would they still show her on Tue?

There is this quote floating around "Everyone at Ask is excited about our clear focus and the trajectory-changing results it will deliver" Umm... no, not even close. Safka must be in some sort of delusion. Lots of people here looking for new jobs, I know I am.