• meltdowns

    Why venture capital won't save your job

    Those who fund young, growing companies love to tout their industry's role in job creation. Jobs — we could use some of those now, right? But with venture-capital firms like Sequoia Capital insisting on across-the-board layoffs, it's hard to buy that argument; jobs may be created at startups quickly, but they are just as rapidly destroyed. But startups aren't the only ones being pinched by venture capitalists — they're also taking their investors for a ride, according to an industry insider. More »

    2:40 PM on Thu Nov 13 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    4,577 views, 8 comments

    Most discussed Shadowlayer: I've to say this is a real eye opener for me: I always thought deep in my mind that the more »

  • guy kawasaki

    Dude, you could've had Jerry Yang's job

    I haven't had a chance to read Mr. Evangelism's latest book, Reality Check, but there's a tidy profile of Guy Kawasaki, the Apple marketer turned startup cheerleader, in USA Today. His biggest flub: Sequoia Capital partner Michael Moritz tried to hire him as CEO of Yahoo in the '90s. "I'd say that was a $2 billion or $3 billion mistake," the Hawaiian-born hockey nut admits. "Now Michael doesn't call me. I can't say I blame him." Yeah, and I'll bet Carl Icahn hates you now, too. (Photo by USA Today / Michael Mullady)

    3:20 PM on Mon Nov 10 2008
    By Paul Boutin
    1,390 views, 9 comments

    Most discussed TomNocera: Like him or not, you have to respect Guy's tenacity and his communications skills. Guy has positioned himself as "The more »

  • Don Valentine

    Legendary VC enjoys living in the past

    The "grandfather of Silicon Valley venture capital," Don Valentine, founder of Sequoia Capital, showered money on the likes of Cisco, Apple, Electronic Arts, and Oracle, and has been amply rewarded — including Thursday night, with a lifetime achievement award from Deloitte, the auditing and consulting firm. But a speech he gave while accepting the prize showed Valentine as more doddering than domineering. Complaining that an internal presentation by Sequoia about tough economic times to come — headlined "R.I.P. Good Times" was leaked to the press, sending a shock wave through Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial set, Valentine said, "We thought it was all in the family." More »

    11:40 PM on Thu Oct 30 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    1,925 views, 6 comments

    Most discussed longtailwagsthevalley: good to see that ageism is alive and well... more »

  • caption contest

    How many more rounds of layoffs are planned at Mahalo?

    What was Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis doing in the weeks running up to this company's layoffs? Traveling around the world, to destinations like the World Knowledge Forum in Seoul, Korea. In his how-to-lay-people-off memo, Calacanis also promised to cut back on his travel budget — which struck me as an admission that his trips to speak at conferences, often on subjects unrelated to his work at his Sequoia-funded Web directory, were being paid for by his investors. Can you think of a better caption? Leave it in the comments. The best one will become the post's new headline. Yesterday's winner: Ted Dziuba, for "Traffic is the new profit." (Photo by JoopDorresteijn)

    4:00 PM on Fri Oct 24 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    1,815 views, 17 comments

    Most discussed kgbeat: Hey Jason, how many more rounds of layoffs are planned at Mahalo? more »

  • sequoia capital

    Google Maps to wantrepreneurs: get lost

    When Larry Page and Sergey Brin wanted funding from Sequoia Capital in 1999, they had no problem finding its Sand Hill Road offices. A decade later, Google Maps doesn't seem to know where 3000 Sand Hill Road is, the swanky-office-park Mecca of venture capital firms, including Sequoia, which funded Cisco, Apple, and Yahoo, in addition to Google. Typing in Sequoia's address takes you to a highway surrounded by brown fields. The real location of the Sand Hill conclave is actually a few minutes northeast, surrounded by a lush golf course watered every day with the sweat and tears of entrepreneurs. So what? More »

    3:40 PM on Fri Oct 24 2008
    By Alaska Miller
    2,270 views, 6 comments

    Most discussed joeinsider: Yeah, WTF. I've noticed that Google maps is all f-ed up lately, with a lot of u-turns, out of more »

  • digital music

    Imeem lays off 20, seeks buyer

    Imeem is laying off a quarter of its 80-person staff, PaidContent reports. The music-centered social network has been more adept than many of its rivals at navigating the cutthroat music business. But one of its backers is Sequoia Capital, the ruthless VC firm which has ordered its portfolio companies to slash expenses. Imeem is also seeking to sell itself, with the help of investment bank Montgomery & Co. Imeem may be better than most digital-music startups — but it is still a digital-music startup, faced with fickle consumers, thin margins, and antagonistic partners in the record labels. More »

    10:00 AM on Thu Oct 23 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    593 views, 2 comments

    Latest by Shadowlayer: Oh noes! where will we get out daily dose of terrible 4kids hiphop now? more »

  • admob

    Sequoia shows its favor

    Venture capital is returning to an old formula: Doling out money for expansion to already-profitable businesses. That's why AdMob, a mobile-advertising startup, has gotten $15.7 million from Sequoia Capital. Sequoia, the backer of Apple, Cisco, Yahoo, and Google, summoned portfolio-company CEOs to an emergency meeting, warning them to cut costs and become self-sustainable. So why did AdMob get the cash? More »

    9:40 AM on Wed Oct 22 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    1,422 views, 5 comments

    Latest by kimbjo: Admob has always cooked their numbers. Maybe the VC's fell for it? more »

  • meltdowns

    SearchMe lays off 20 percent

    "Visual search engine" company SearchMe had, according to CrunchBase, 52 employees and $43.6 million in funding, led by Sequoia Capital. Just two weeks ago, TechCrunch ranked the company No. 76 in "Startups Best Positioned To Weather A Downturn." But VentureBeat confirms the company has fired 20 percent of its staff. Using the ad-hoc Sequoia formula, "you need a year of cash and a revenue model," here's my guess: Too much spending. And it doesn't help that the first demo I clicked on the site's front door broke Firefox.

    11:40 AM on Fri Oct 17 2008
    By Paul Boutin
    1,234 views, 2 comments

    Latest by BaxterHaedjinn: I felt this was a great company, but after reading this news, I believe it's not a good employer. If you more »

  • layoffs

    AdBrite cuts 40 of 100 employees

    Cue the schadenfreude brigade: AdBrite, the online-advertising network funded by Sequoia Capital, has laid off 40 of 100 employees. Why will some view this with glee? Because, a decade ago, AdBrite founder Philip Kaplan ran a site called FuckedCompany, which chronicled layoffs and cutbacks in the bursting of the bubble. AdBrite actually grew out of Kaplan's ad-sales efforts on the site. Two vice presidents are leaving, including Paul Levine, the former Yahoo executive AdBrite hired to run marketing last year. Anyone want to bet Levine will land at Zvents, a startup whose board of directors he recently joined?

    11:40 AM on Thu Oct 16 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    3,432 views, 22 comments

    Most discussed ForeverIdeating: Iggy Fanlo is a dark and evil man and pud is really just a stooge. Is anyone really surprised? more »

  • Skyrider

    Sequoia shutters a startup

    Some Valley investors succeed by spotting good ideas and nurturing them. Some succeed through utter ruthlessness. In that latter category lies Sequoia Capital, the investor behind Apple, Cisco, Yahoo, and Google. Skyrider, a file-sharing startup which had raised $25 million or more in venture capital, has shut down, according to VentureBeat. Startups fail all the time. But Skyrider was backed by Sequoia — and Sequoia, which zealously guards its reputation, rarely lets startups die so visibly. Skyrider was started as an ad-supported file-sharing service; its homepage suggested it was shifting into content distribution. But BitTorrent, a far better known name in file sharing, has struggled to crack that market. What's telling about Skyrider's failure: More »

    11:20 AM on Thu Oct 16 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    1,784 views, 10 comments

    Most discussed It Must Be Take a Worm for a Walk Week: Skyrider is a sweet track by Purple Motion. more »