Hollyisco - Tech, Data, and Bankrolls

Mayans Shmayans. 2012—It’s Simply Time to Move with the Cheese! Q&A with David Siemer on M&A, Venture Cap Trends & the LA Tech Scene in 2012.

by Kathleen Blackwell

Welcome, 2012. I, for one, am happy 2012 is underway and look forward to a year of opportunity and change, even amidst global uncertainty. On my holiday reading list was a pay-it-forward book passed to me by a friend: Who Moved My Cheese, a New York Times business bestseller since it’s release. The book describes change in one’s career and life and the four typical reactions to change by two mice—Sniff and Scurry—and two “littlepeople”—Hem and Haw—during their hunt for cheese. Cheese is a metaphor for what we want to have in life, such as a job, a relationship, money or a big house. Cheese can even be an activity, like jogging or golf—or starting a business, or investing in one with traction.

2011 brought widespread disruption across the globe on all levels, from the Occupy movement in the U.S., to the tsunami devastation in Japan, to the Grecian fallout, and the ending of the U.S. invasion in Iraq—this list barely touches the surface and left many people wondering what 2012 would bring against the backdrop of events that will undoubtedly lead us into a new future—yes, change. When the only constant is change, how you manage change can make all the difference in the world. How do you handle change? How do you lead your business into a new year and navigate the high seas amidst uncertainty? Do you “sniff and scurry” or do you “hem and haw”?

David Siemer – Siemer & Associates LLC / Siemer Ventures

Let’s check in with David Siemer, Managing Director of Siemer & Associates LLC, a global boutique merchant bank, and Managing Partner of Siemer Ventures, its early-stage investment arm and an active investment fund in Southern California, to see how he handles change with some Q&A on the global M&A market, 2012 venture capital trends, the LA tech startup scene, plus Siemer’s golden nugget advice for success as an entrepreneur.

Prior to the mad-dash holiday rush, I had an opportunity to interview David Siemer, and while it’s common knowledge the Mayans predicted the end of the world as we know it in 2012, Siemer and company have another perspective. Siemer sees ample opportunity in the right places, in the right sectors, and at the right time. Pursued with excitement and armed with data—moving with the cheese is Siemer’s golden ticket to success in 2012. While Europe is in a funk, Southeast Asia is wide open, brimming with momentum for investments and growth, and the LA tech scene is stamping its mark. Change is your ally—welcome to the future. Now let’s get cozy with Dave Siemer:

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40 VC Meetings + 40 VC Rejections = Google Funding

By Kathleen Blackwell

Last Thursday night, I attended the second installment of one *badass* Meetup event: Tech Cofounder Dating L.A. featuring Google AND Justin Timberlake funded “Miso Media,” a developer of music education apps for Mobile/iPad devices, held at BLANKSPACES LA. Organizer, Aaron Abram brought his A-game—securing Miso Media’s Founder/CEO, Aviv Grill, and VP of Engineering, Brandon Goldman, for an upfront and personal discussion on what it takes to build a successful tech startup company. Aviv and Brandon shared their “off the record” journey—from flat-broke living with their parents to $3 million in Venture Capital (VC) funding.

In one word…WOW! Don’t take your butt off your seat until you read this inspirational story of Miso Media—it’s all about “the CEO hustle.” Do you have what it takes? Hang on for the ride.

Tech Cofounder Dating L.A. – Jonah Light Photography

Organizer Aaron Abram’s opening remark: “Tech Cofounder Dating L.A. is designed for people who are looking to join, build and expand their tech companies—we are a resource to help you succeed, and Miso Media is committed to our endeavor.” It was a sold-out crowd with 51 participants. Many familiar faces returned to the “cofounder matchmaking series,” which debuted as an instant hit this past November. As a matter of fact, at a recent fireside-chat I attended hosted by DocStoc, featuring TechCrunch Founder, Michael Arrington, Arrington himself mentioned that if he had the extra time, he would help develop a series focused on connecting up founders. […seems like Organizer Aaron Abram is ahead of the curve!]

Tech Cofounder Dating L.A. also saw the return of the trendiest mini cupcakes in town sponsored by BIGMANBAKES—(serving up fresh, moist, mini cupcakes in assorted flavors like “old school,” “red velvet cake,” yummy “carrot cake” and “black & white”—delish!) which attendees cleaned off by the event’s end, leaving no crumbs in sight. Also making the rounds that night, was celebrity/corporate photographer, Jonah Light, whose long list of loyal clients include: UCLA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Warner Brothers, Forbes, Virgin Records, Creative Artists Agency, National Geographic, ESPN, LA Dodgers, Carl’s Jr., Robbin’s Brothers…just to name a few.

Now Introducing Miso Media

Miso Media is a Silicon Beach-based startup that develops ground-breaking music technology and mobile/iPad applications. By combining polyphonic note detection and real-time feedback, Miso Media is revolutionizing music education and music notation, and teaching people how to play music in creative, new ways. Think Guitar Hero with real notes, real instruments and real learning.

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Golden Nuggets of Wisdom for Startups by VC Mark Suster from The Startup Conference LA – #startupconf – Plus 5 Cofounder Mistakes

By Kathleen Blackwell

Last Tuesday I attended The Startup Conference LA as an entrepreneur looking to continue my learning curve and carve a local networking niche with other like-minded business people. The Startup Conference LA was organized by Alain Raynaud, Director of the Founder Institute in Paris, who delivered a fun opening line to kick-off the days events…“Having wifi work in a room full of crazy geeks is really, really hard.”

The Startup Conference LA was centered on delivering experienced talent and straight-forward rules of engagement to a room full of, naturally, startup geeks, where Raynaud said the headlining activity included “a mix of famous speakers and soon to be famous speakers” in order to give attendees a balanced perspective [and to get to know the ones on their way to the top]. The speakers were fantastic—ranging from a keynote by Mark Suster (GRP Parnters / “Both Sides of the Table”), to gamification wizard Gabe Zichermann (Gamification for Startups: Supercharging Engagement), to Rebecca Woodstock (Cofounder of Cake Health / “From Bootstrapped to TechCrunch”), to Paige Craig (Cofounder of Better Works), and an Elevator Pitch Competition, to highlight just a few.

Before introducing the keynote presentation, Organizer Alain Raynaud, who also runs a Cofounder Meetup in Silicon Valley, had some excellent tips on the subject of cofounders. First, Raynaud said that most people ask the following two questions about cofounders:

1. How do I find a cofounder?

2. How do we split equity?

Raynaud said the best cofounder is usually someone you’ve already worked with. That sentiment was echoed by the Founder of Cake Health, Rebecca Woodstock (“From Bootstrapped to TechCrunch”), when she gave an open talk about the “dating” process she went through to secure a cofounder, who turned out to be someone she had known and trusted in the end.

5 mistakes people make in a cofounder search:

Mistake #5: I can’t tell you my idea

• Raynaud suggested that most people are not going to go out and copy your idea and even if they tried, they do not have the same blueprint in their mind as you—the creator of the idea. So, don’t worry, just do.

Mistake #4: We split the equity equally—25%/25%/25%/25%

• Raynaud said, “Splitting equity in this manner shows that you have not had frank discussions with your team. A 50/50 split would mean that the company could not exist without that other person. Usually, you do not split equity equally.”
• [If you’re looking for a tool to help you calculate equity, Raynaud created a Cofounder Equity Calculater, which is very cool because it acts like a middleman, or a counselor, between you and your cofounder(s). Raynaud suggested that you each use the calculator independently, then compare your results with your cofounder(s)—a great tool for determining how you each think up front.]

Mistake #3: We haven’t decided who the CEO is yet

• Raynaud said frankly, “You need to have this discussion.”

Mistake #2: I’m full-time, everybody else is part-time.

• “Part-time people will be left on the side of the road quickly—it’s just a natural byproduct,” said Raynaud.

Mistake #1: We have lined up a great team! All we need now is a developer.

• So, how do you convince a developer to join you? Raynaud pointed out that showing traction helps significantly—1) show that you have customers signing up, 2) show that you have investors lined up, and 3) show that big names are partnering with you.

Enter keynote speaker, Mark Suster (GRP Partners / “Both Sides of the Table”), with a stream of experienced insight, practical knowledge, and golden nuggets of wisdom for startups. I really enjoyed Suster’s energetic keynote, where he opened with a term called “wantrapraneurs.” What’s a “wantrapraneur”? Basically, there are a whole lot of “wannabe entrepreneurs” out there who talk the talk, but don’t get down and dirty—they don’t get the doer work done. (In the music business, as a former executive at Sony, we used to call those types posers.)

Suster had this to say about entrepreneurship: “98% of people think they need an epiphany, like they need to beat the Google search engine algorithm,” when in actuality, all you need to do is have a great concept and simply…start. “You just need an idea, you don’t have to be a genius, just get started.”

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Millionaire Matchmaker Meets (her) Match…

By Kathleen Blackwell

Move over Pattie Stanger, there is a new matchmaker in town. Scratch that…a new “matchmaking group” in town. Last Wednesday night I attended one *badass* meetup event: Tech Cofounder Dating LA. Organized by Aaron Abram and sponsored at BLANKSPACES LA, the evening was the first “dating kind” on the burgeoning L.A. startup scene—and much like a first date, too, all sorts of tech people were in attendance looking for their better half…their cofounder. A Wiki-moment in the making, file-stamped “Cofounder Matchmaking,” Wednesday, November 9, 2011 marked the official launch of Tech Cofounder Dating LA.

Organizer Aaron Abram says he founded this concept based on a “selfish need to find a cofounder who actually wanted to build a tech company rather than just talk about building a company.”

Yes, like many of us who have run up against the “douchebagery” types—the “I’ve got a million startup ideas” person (yet, never seem to actually start anything)—Tech Cofounder Dating LA was actually founded on the premise that somewhere in our land of silicone in the Silicon Beach, there does exist…doers.

Aaron saw a problem in the market based upon his own need and wanted to fill that void by creating a viable solution, his meetup group. He quickly determined that there were a slew of people seeking their “better business half,” for as quickly as he posted the event on meetup.com, they were over-capacity and had people on the wait list chomping at the rope to get in—as if this was their “only hope” for a true business hookup.

I discovered Tech Cofounder Dating LA through a Google search, as I, too, was looking for that proverbial “significant other, left-brain business development strategist” to round out my creative energy and the moment I stumbled upon this meetup—I signed right up! I couldn’t help but hope my new business partner in crime was right around the corner. And guess what? The über-sweet news is the Tech Cofounder Dating LA event was every bit as cheeky-geeky cool as I imagined it would be because the people who showed up were there with a serious intent to make a connection—yes…doer!

In his opening remarks, Aaron said to “think of this group like your Y-Combinator.” The format was warm and welcoming, as if a large group of friends were sitting around a campfire…lots of camaraderie.  Everyone was mingling (and snacking on the trendiest cupcakes in town sponsored by BIGMANBAKES—serving up fresh, moist, mini cupcakes in assorted flavors like “old school,” “red velvet cake,” and “black & white”—delish!), then moved into what I would classify as an open mic session for entrepreneurs whereby everybody had an opportunity to introduce themselves “on the mic,” and explain their business model and/or startup, along with their “dating” needs, i.e. “I’m looking for a full-time CTO or business person to backup our frontend development on a major social networking platform that we have investor interest on.”

I was duly impressed with the array of entrepreneurs present, from tech to business savvy, veterans to new-bees, all with the intent on building awesome technology companies here in Silicon Beach, Los Angeles.

What were a few general themes that popped up in the open mic sessions? Well, 1) the word “content” was used frequently, 2) there were what seemed to be a handful of “groupon-esque” related businesses attempting to isolate and dominate a niche, as well as 3) crowdsourcing in a niche, like crowdsourcing around the concept of getting a tattoo, or in one humorous moment, “crowdsourcing a boob job—boobfunder.com,” (which in Hollywood, well, almost seems natural nowadays, plus aligning the concept in support of breast cancer), 4) there were a few location-based travel ventures, and 5) in several instances many presenters were marketing the fact that their startups empowered people by giving individuals a new economic opportunity.

"BORAT"

"GREGG"

What were the most unique pick-up lines? I’ll highlight two: 1) “Hi, my name is Gregg and I look like Borat.” (Insert crowd laugh here, because Gregg did look like Borat.) And for the record, (one of) Gregg’s businesses is boobfunder.com. So, now you can put a face to the concept—meet Gregg Martin! And, 2) “Hi, my name is Tracy, and I’ve been a licensed nerd for 30 years.” (Insert intrigue here. Tracy definitely led the room in all around experience—a former executive at toy-giant Mattell—with a cutting-edge vision for whether a consumer-based product would actually work. Tracy also claimed to be a “professional naysayer”—which is a great quality in business.)

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Startup Spotlight: IgnitionDeck Looks to Ignite Crowdfunding by Empowering Creators with a DIY Twist—Funding On Your Terms (#WordPress)

Hallelujah—it’s here! Finally, an intelligent twist within the crowdfunding platform that speaks to creators (musicians, filmmakers, software developers, artists, etc.), and aims to put the “$-kaching” back into the hands of developers, versus middlemen. IgnitionDeck is a newly launched WordPress plugin allowing artists to self-fund their projects without asking for permission, or giving away more money than they have to when using a crowdfunding platform like Kickstarter or IndieGogo.

Last week I ran across a post on Facebook talking about IgnitionDeck and instantly became smitten with the “take charge, empowering concept,” so I reached out for a quick “Startup Spotlight Q&A” with the IgnitionDeck Founders—Nathan Hangen and Shawn Christenson. Super smart guys, awesome concept twist—enjoy the Q&A!

1. What is the IgnitionDeck app? Who is the intended, or target audience?

Here. We. Go. IgnitionDeck is a DIY crowdfunding platform for WordPress that installs as a plugin and allows creators to raise money without the restrictions of other platforms. The problem we see with Kickstarter and similar platforms is that if your campaign fails to raise, you end up with zero investment despite the fact that you’ve worked your tail off trying to drive traffic to the Kickstarter site. We’re building IgnitionDeck for those people, and anyone else that wants to crowdfund on their own terms, rather than the terms of the middle man. It’s perfect for musicians, filmmakers, software developers, artists, and anyone else that has something cool to sell.

2. How is IgnitionDeck different from Kickstarter, or other crowdfunding platforms, like IndieGogo?

For starters, it’s the only product of its kind that empowers the creator, rather than the middle man. With ID, the creator is in complete control—they get to drive traffic to their site instead of another platform, get to keep the SEO benefit of linking/sharing, and get to keep all of the money (outside of Paypal’s fees). Another big benefit is that it works outside of the U.S., so anywhere you can use Paypal, you can use IgnitionDeck.

3. Are you the sole Founder/Creator of IgnitionDeck?  If not, who are the other team members?  Backgrounds?

The team is made of two co-founders, Nathan Hangen & Shawn Christenson, who live in Florida and Alberta, respectively. We both do a little bit of everything, but Shawn, being the better designer by far, does much of the product design, while Nathan focuses heavily on development and product management.

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The Techie Minute (VIDEO 2) – 1) Facebook & the No Email, Email 2) Facebook & the Holy Grail & 3) Groupon COO & Spinal Tap

Welcome to the second installment of ‘The Techie Minute’—a ‘one minute dish’ on tech gossip of the week—like Talk Soup meets MTV News for the tech world. Yes, this is a homemade video—recorded using PhotoBooth, edited using iMovie and Picasa—trying something a little fresh here at HOLLYISCO—a boutique press site covering entertainment technology from Silicon Valley, to Silicon Beach, to Silicon Hills.

HOLLYISCO – The Techie Minute – Video 2

In this video:

BOOTSTRAPPING:

What is ‘bootstrapping’ your business? Bootstrapping is the art of building your business without much external help and on a budget. Two bootstrap concepts introduced this week on “The Techie Minute” are 1) Bootstrap Lighting—for when you don’t have the Hollywood budget, or a P.A., and 2) Bootstrap Branding—how to make a mockup product using just your business card and packing tape only—kaching! The featured mockup product this week on “The Techie Minute” is WineBeer by HOLLYISCO.

THE DISH:

#1. FACEBOOK and the ‘No Email, Email Announcement’

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Siemer Silicon Beach Summit Aims to Brand Southern California as the Epicenter for Technology Investing — Banking on the Power of Hollywood

HOLLYISCO is excited to be covering The Siemer Silicon Beach Summit—a premier event formulated to meet today’s hottest trends in entertainment technology. In this article:

• Siemer Silicon Beach Summit (Keynote by Arianna Huffington)
• The Rise of “Silicon Beach” (The Next Wave)
• The Emerging Celebrity-Tech Crossover (Celebrity Branding)
• The Boom of Digital Multi-Media Companies in L.A. (Global Interest in Hollywood)

Siemer & Associates, LLC—a global, boutique, merchant bank serving digital media, software, and technology companies will host a specialized invite-only conference at the famous ‘Shutters on the Beach Hotel’ in Santa Monica next week, aptly named Siemer Silicon Beach Summit—bringing together an elite group of leading players in digital media and emerging entertainment technology companies from around the world. Co-hosted by Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP—a leading national law firm representing a sophisticated client base from Fortune 500 to a diverse range of emerging companies—the Siemer Silicon Beach Summit will draw 300+ CEOs, VC’s, and global media executives with a focused intent on increasing the recognition of Southern California as the premier epicenter for technology investing—banking on the power of Hollywood. Online media pioneer Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief of the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, who launched HuffPo right here in Los Angeles—aka “Silicon Beach”—will present the opening keynote.

The Siemer Silicon Beach Summit is seen as a way to foster relationships and connections throughout the burgeoning international tech community—especially those companies centered on entertainment technology that comprise a large part of the “entech” startup scene currently thriving in Southern California.

“The Siemer Summit presents tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators to shape the future of digital media. Connections and networks define the new media landscape, and this Summit will build both,” said Hale Boggs, a partner at Manatt who, with firm partner Jonathan Bloch, created the Summit with Siemer & Associates.

The Siemer Summit is on the cutting edge and poised to become the premier “must-attend” conference on the West Coast—“SoCal is leading the world in digital content creation, content monetization, game development, and celebrity-focused media and commerce, fueled by the expanding focus on major film, television, and music studios who are increasingly becoming purveyors of streaming video, music, and digital content,” says Seimer & Associates, LLC.

The Siemer Summit will provide 50 industry-leading companies an opportunity to showcase their visions. A sampling of presenters in attendance include:

BuzzMedia: the web’s fastest growing entertainment publisher reaching more than 50MM monthly pop culture, music, and celebrity enthusiasts worldwide. BUZZMEDIA’S more than 40-category leading brands include Buzznet, Celebuzz, Absolute Pink, and GoFugYourself to name a few, plus the official sites for celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Whitney Port, Kimora Lee Simmons, and others.

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‘The Techie Minute’ (Video) – TechCrunch/AOL Brouhaha, Netflix Uproar, and Mea Culpa’s Oh My!

Welcome to the very first installment of ‘The Techie Minute’—a one minute dish on tech gossip of the week, like Talk Soup meets MTV News for the tech world. Yes, this is a raw, homemade video—we’re trying something a little fresh here at HOLLYISCO—a boutique press site covering entertainment technology from Silicon Valley, to Silicon Beach, to Silicon Hills.

HOLLYISCO – The Techie Minute (Demo)

#1. TechCrunch/AOL Brouhaha

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My 3 Big Beefs with A TechCrunch Writer and Her Article Featuring 500 Startups-Backed Kibin

Kathleen Blackwell (aka "Tech Bitch" for the purpose of this article)

Okay, so I should probably entitle this article “Tech Bitch,” as that’s the way I’m going to sound, alas I can’t hold back anymore. I suppose I am prompted to let go here based upon an article I read earlier today that was posted in the Los Angeles Startup Digest Reading List for this week. The article? “Getting Users For Your New Startup,” in which author Philip Kaplan (Pud’s Blog), simply states to “Start Controversy.”

Here we go. Ready?

I have three big beefs and it’s in regards to another article I read today. TechCrunch writer, Alexia Tsotsis, wrote about 500 Startups-backed Kibin in an article titled, “Editing Community Kibin Helps You Proofread Your Writing Fast And For Free.” Tsotsis writes, “Kibin is an editing community that allows you to upload a piece of writing and get it edited and proofread for free in a matter of 24 hours.” Tsotsis then goes on to make this statement, “You have no idea how much I want this to succeed.”

Great! Me too. The problem I’m having with Alexia Tsotsis’ statement is that I don’t believe she really wants this startup to succeed and as a practicing editor and writer myself, that totally bums me out. Why do I feel this way? To be honest, it’s because I think an editing service like Kibin is desperately needed. They are aiming to fill a market void with a creative approach and when I heard the concept emerge as one of the favorites at 500 Startups Demo Day earlier this week, I was thrilled…until I read Tsotsis’ TechCrunch article today.

My 3 Big Beefs:

1. EDITORIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The proofreading example provided by Tsotsis showing how Kibin works had a huge, glaring, grammatical, this-is-not-rocket-science mistake. Whether the example provided was insisted upon by Kibin, or not, or whether Tsotsis drummed it up herself, I feel that since Tsotsis appears to post her own articles, she had an editorial responsibility to at least review the example, find the this-is-not-so-rocket-science mistake and as a common courtesy to Kibin, ask that they provide another example.

Kibin – Proofreading Example – TechCrunch

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Music Education Startup Chromatik Is on a Three Month Funding Tour—a Slam Dunk for Any Early Stage Investor

We are experiencing a bit of “June gloom” in Southern California, but that doesn’t mean we are without our requisite ray of sunshine. Last Friday here in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to visit with Chromatik Founder, Matt Sandler, who is heading-up one of the brightest startups based in Southern California—Chromatik Music—a ray of sunshine indeed. As a matter of fact, Chromatik might just be one of my favorite startups eva’ because Chromatik combines my love for music, education, tech, and yes—a ton of progressive innovation << and all that entails. Least not, one of the most important factors for any startup, the combined RAQ (relationship acquisition intelligence) of the Chromatik team alone makes this startup gleam—they’ve covered their court with cross-platform strategies and any investor interested in courtside seats should get ‘em while they’re hot.

What is Chromatik? In essence, Chromatik is doing for music what the Rosetta Stone did for languages—Chromatik (a word-play on a musical term, as in a chromatic scale) is redefining how students learn music by offering an adaptive learning platform that brings the world’s best music techniques, teachers, and resources to students’ fingertips via mobile and desktop applications. Founder Matt Sandler says,

“Our overarching goal is to blend the best practices of music education with what is possible in technology today. Tons and tons of people are learning music throughout the world, but music education hasn’t changed since Bach and Beethoven. Yes, we’re seeing the ‘gamification’ of music—Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Miso Music—and those are great stepping stones, but the fact remains we don’t have anything that actually helps you learn an instrument and approach music in a pedagogically-appropriate way.”

And in a world where schools are adopting new technology left and right (Kindles, iPad’s), whether state-funded, parent-funded or self-funded, and in a world where kids live, breath, and eat “gadgets and tech”—the melding of Sandler’s concept (education + music + tech) sits beautifully in a steady-state pocket of harmonic overtone perfection coiffing through band hall just moments after a Mozart Quintet releases its last note, um…let’s say the Mozart K452 Quintet in E-flat Major. Yes, that’s it. Sweet!

Founder Matt Sandler

Twenty-three-year-old Matt Sandler is energetic and perfectly-cast in the role of Founder. Sandler, an East Coast transplant whose father was a Salesman and whose family has roots grounded in music, attended UCLA, has his degree in Saxophone Performance (<< cool!), and has taught woodwinds in Los Angeles Unified and Huntington Beach Unified School Districts. Sandler has also worked A&R at Capital Records in Hollywood (<< the gig I always wanted!), helped program music at the “world famous” KROQ (106.7) here in Los Angeles, (plus attended a couple of “them KROQ Weenie Roasts”); and in the startup world, Sandler curates the Los Angeles Startup Digest and was on the early team of the social media marketing startup CitizenNet.

For a twenty-three-year-old relatively new transplant, I’d say Sandler has transitioned exceptionally well to the Los Angeles lifestyle (currently residing in Santa Monica). When we met he was adorning the “native Angelino uniform,” aka Hollywood Casual, which consists of a great pair of blue jeans and an even greater pair of flip-flops (that all non-natives adopt the minute their ship sets sail, their anchor strikes pay-dirt, and their heart docks somewhere between the worlds 18^th largest Port in Long Beach, the 18^th hole on Trumps National Golf Course in Palos Verdes, and the 18 bikini-clad ‘girls gone wild’ in Malibu).

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What’s the Problem With the Economy? ‘The Truth’ In Less Than Two Minutes Fifteen Seconds.

Whenever a complex issue like the economy can be summed up in a matter of seconds, or in this case a matter of minutes, regardless of viewpoint—it’s worth a  post.

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich delivers “the big picture in less than two minutes fifteen seconds.”

• Economy doubles since 1980, but wages flat

1. Since 1980, the American economy has doubled in size. But adjusting for inflation, most people’s wages have barely increased.

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Touche To The Douche TechCrunch—From The Silicon To The Silicone

A TechCrunch article today announced a new Silicon Valley douchebag: “There’s a new douchebag in town. We’ve written several times about how easy it is now to start a company in the Valley, and this new gold seeker isn’t the biz dev guy. He’s the knock-off wunderkind.”

Funny—just yesterday while attending an AIMP (Association of Independent Music Publishers) lunch at The House Of Blues in Hollywood, I sat next to a native Angelino in the independent music publishing business and yes, I proceeded to chat his ear off—that’s what I do best—great conversation ensued, including that of “the douchebag.” We were there for a panel called “Show Me More Money” (reviewing royalty statements, questioning PRO’s, conducting royalty audits, etc.), which I suppose is oddly appropriate for a quick-blip commentary on “douchebagery,” plus nary I waste a face-to-face opportunity to meet and greet industry people—relationships are king. Although, make no mistake, yesterday’s AIMP panel was the bomb—brilliant minds in the fields of finance and litigation, including the creator of (David) Bowie Bonds, coming together on a serious subject. I merely found the panel title, “Show Me More Money,” somewhat humorous against the douchebag backdrop of this post.

Anyway, during our conversation when I found out my ‘new best friend’ was born and raised in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills to be precise, I asked him how he felt about all of the transplants, i.e. non-natives, who manage to follow the yellow brick road, making their way to a place where dreams come true and only the tough survive—welcome to Hollywood. On the whole, he said that he loved the influx of new people into the L.A. scene, but very keenly noted that yes, there was a Hollywood Douchebag, often a transplant, and it wasn’t pretty.

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Lipsmack: Social Music Scene On The Rise—Turntable.fm

Read Article Here: http://tinyurl.com/452g97j

A couple nights ago, I spent some time spinning Turntable.fm—the latest social music site currently in beta. Well, not literally spinning, rather perusing this precious new site and I wound up spending the majority of my time in the “Coding Soundtrack” room developed by Andrew Brackin, a young entrepreneur-coder in South London. It was quite delicious. The “Coding Soundtrack” room had the most visitors that night with a steady stream of social chat in the mix. At last check-in on Turntable.fm just minutes ago, there were 200 visitors in the “Coding Soundtrack” room—up 105 from two nights ago—and yep, the chat stream was still cranking. Turntable.fm hosts a really cool vibe—tune in and take a listen today.

Turntable.fm ‘Coding Soundtrack’ Room Created by Andrew Brackin

“Be fair, don’t spam, no bots, play coding tunes and chill!” — Andrew Brackin

Watch How To Use Turntable.fm—Overview:

HOW TO USE TURNTABLE.FM

SF MusicTech Summit—Music. People. Tech.

On Monday, May 9, visionaries and high-tech players from all parts of the music technology spectrum will meet in San Francisco for the SF MusicTech Summit to “talk shop” on the evolving music industry ecosystem—converging culture and commerce and bringing together the best and brightest developers, entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, journalists, musicians, and organizations in a proactive dealmaking environment.

The range of guest speakers, panelists, and attendees include founders and representatives from leading music-tech companies like Slacker, SoundExchange, Pandora, Topspin Media, Live Nation, and MOG, to tech and business press like TechCrunch, Bloomberg / Businessweek Magazine, and Billboard Magazine, to musicians like Lead Singer of Incubus, Brandon Boyd, and Incubus Guitarist, Mike Einziger, to VC groups like Walden Venture Capital, and organizations like GoGirls Music —”Cuz Chicks Rock!” says their Fearless Leader and Founder of Social Networks for Business, Madaln Sklar.

One of my favorite, new music-tech businesses in attendance is StageIt—a platform that brings together artists and fans, akin to a modern-day fireside chat. StageIt was founded by Evan Lowenstein of Evan and Jaron—the Pop/Rock, Top 40 hit-making duo who topped the charts in 2000 while signed with Columbia Records with their self-titled album Evan and Jaron—the StageIt concept is ripe and ready to blow-open living room doors across the globe by providing a platform for artists to “interact with your fans LIVE at anytime and from anywhere. It doesn’t matter if you have millions of fans or just a few, you now have an online stage where you can showcase your talents to the world and make money!”

“StageIt isn’t about broadcasting concerts online. It’s about sharing the amazing moments that happen in between. Did a friend drop by to jam? StageIt. Got a new tune you’re working on? StageIt. Getting ready to go on stage? StageIt. The front row seat is the most expensive in the house, but the place everyone wants to be is backstage. We made it so easy for you to finally give your fans a row seat to your ‘backstage’ experiences.”

How cool is that? What’s even cooler? Alongside an artist’s live performance onscreen is a tip jar, merchandise store, and chat window—clever, classy, brilliant, and 100% on par with the future.

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Seven Is Her Lucky Number. Was Booth No. 7 Her Lucky Break? One Hopeful Recounts ‘The X Factor’ Audition.

For those of us who have slugged through an audition round—film, music, TV—we are all too familiar with the roller-coaster ride. Yes, once, as a songwriter I auditioned for a new show on Bravo, called “Hitmakers” (now “Going Platinum”), and you guessed it, they were looking for the next big songwriter—Hitmaker. My assessment? The process was, well, an experience to say the least. For anyone interested in a one-off audition, or heck, maybe more than a one-off audition, to any of the “biggie” TV shows that makes the rounds once a year—um, like “American Idol”—here’s your chance to get an inside glimpse at the mass-level audition process.

One hopeful, Chaeya, recounts the journey of her “The X Factor” audition—did she make it? I, for one, could not stop reading, I had to know.

Chaeya’s Story:

So occasionally I get these little insane moments where I actually think I could audition for something which would be aired during prime-time television. This is exactly what happened when one of my friends urged me to try out for Simon Cowell’s “The X Factor” show, coming this Fall. At first my reaction was a sniff, then a smirk. Then later I thought, hmmm, maybe I might get picked? Of course, that little voice in the back of my mind was laughing at me, no gentle cautions, no “go get-‘em siss-boom-bah’s,” like I get whenever I feel an epic win coming my way. Just laughter.

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4chan and Canvas Creator, Christopher Poole, Says Facebook Creator Zuckerberg ‘Is Wrong’ and Talked Anonymity, Internet Memes, and a Surprise Result with ‘Refrigerator Magnets’ at SXSW

The standing-room only, speech-style conversation given by Christooher ‘Moot’ Poole, creator of the ubiquitous 4chan and newer Canvas websites, at SXSW Interactive was totally refreshing—quenched my thirst.

If you are not familiar with 4chan, in essence, 4chan is an image-board BBS-style website made up of an anonymous image-sharing community responsible for popularizing such Internet memes as lolcats, Rickrolling, “Chocolate Rain,” and many others. Basically, on 4chan people post and randomly manipulate images, thus naturally hyping and creating potentially imitable trends. 4chan has become the go-to study site by media professionals, advertisers, educators, and just about anybody with a penchant for social trend-setting looking to market and capitalize on the next big thing.

« Powerful? You betcha. Another Facebook? No way. The two thrive on antithetical concepts. »

So what makes 4chan tick? Well, according to Poole, one word—anonymity. While anonymity is nothing new to the online gaming world, and has been depicted in group psychology in novels like Lord of the Flies, anonymity in the world of social networking is less pervasive, with known status updates and social surveillance at its core on sites like Facebook. Yet, posting on the quasi-social collaborative-community of Poole’s 4chan is anonymous—no username required—and herein lies the philosophical difference between two of the worlds most influential and formidable creators—Christopher Poole and Mark Zuckerberg.

Poole asserts, “Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg says, ‘Anonymity is a lack of authenticity.’ I think that is wrong. Anonymity allows you to contribute in an untarnished way. We believe in content over creator.”

“Fluid identity is important. We felt like without the ability to post anonymously, what we were loosing was the loss of the innocence of youth. Stick into that who you are and that doesn’t allow for the cost of failure—to fail in an environment where you are being identified. So, when you have the ability to choose to be anonymous, it allows people to be more creative.”

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Entrepreneurial Guru Jason Cohen—Capital Thought, Capital Factory, WP Engine, and Life—Talks About Startups, Mentoring, Investing, and What Makes a Great Idea Work!

Jason Cohen is ‘one of those guys’ anybody would aspire to be—genuine, motivated, brilliant—and indeed, in a class of his own. ‘Entrepreneurial Guru’ of Capital Thought (Lean Customer and Product Development for Startups), Capital Factory (Early Stage Accelerator Program for Tech Startups), and WP Engine (Finely Tuned WordPress Hosting Service), Cohen shares his thoughts with HOLLYISCO on a series of questions surrounding his business, business models, startups, tech, the future (hint: mobile and ‘gamification’), seeing internet darling Amanda Palmer in New Zealand, and yes, Cohen references liking one of my classical favorites, Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff, along with Depeche Mode.

Jason Cohen is Managing Director of Capital Thought. Co-Founder, WP Engine. Director, Capital Factory.

So, if you’re in the business of life, and the game of understanding some inalienable truths—tech, business, startups, or what-not—Cohen’s interview answers are a must read. As well, for any startups considering this summer’s Capital Factory Accelerator Program—deadline to apply is March, 27. Cohen says, “So hurry up!”

« Introducing Jason Cohen »

How many business ventures are you personally involved in? Capital Thought, Capital Factory, WP Engine, and anything else that you can share?

That’s enough right? (Wink!)

Capital Thought is the structure by which Joshua Baer and I launch new startups and help others through consulting. In particular, we launched WP Engine last summer and it’s doing great!

Capital Factory is an incubator in Austin, TX (with applications for this summer due March 27, so hurry up!). I’m a mentor and investor.

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Foo Fighters – Red Carpet – SXSW Film Premiere of ‘Back and Forth’ + Bob Mould

“Back and Forth,” directed by James Moll, was an exquisite look at the life of a full-fledged, respected, American rock band—Foo Fighters. The line to get in to see “Back and Forth” last night was wrapped around the block of The Paramount Theatre on Congress Avenue in Austin, TX, as the SXSW Film Festival rolled on. Just as I was entering The Paramount, the Foo Fighters arrived, and I was able to capture their moment—a mere glimpse into the fantastical elements of their life. Seen in this video are Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel—Foo Fighters.

Foo Fighters – Red Carpet – Premiere ‘Back and Forth’ SXSW

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Foo Fighters ‘Back and Forth’ Documentary Film Premiere at SXSW Film Festival Tonight

The Foo Fighters are coming to the big screen tonight with their world premiere documentary “Back and Forth,” by Director James Moll (Oscar-winning 1998 documentary “The Last Days”), at this year’s South By Southwest Film Festival.

According to SPIN.com, “Moll’s visual portrait will chronicle the Foos’ 16-year-history, from its start as a one-man project started by Grohl up through the sessions of their latest album. The documentary promises to be a no-holds-barred look of the band.”

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Seedups US Launch Party Tonight SXSW! (Create, Fund, Grow)

Got a tech start-up? Need funding? Seedups is a crowd-funding platform matching entrepreneurs with investors, and their US Launch Party is tonight during SXSW at Latitude 30 at 8 PM.

Marketing information for Seedups says that Seedups for entrepreneurs uses the crowdfunding platform and gives new start-ups a secure platform upon which to pitch for seed and early stage funding of up to $250,000 from a ready-made pool of high net worth, accredited and sophisticated investors. If you have a new technology venture, a plan, and the team to exploit your market opportunity, get funded faster with Seedups.

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It’s a ‘Hurricane Party’ Par-tay during SXSW!

Arguably, the coolest new app on the planet this year at SXSW 2011 is Hurricane Party, which deserves a big, “Woot!” For those of us who have ever lived around an area, think South Texas, where hurricane warnings and tropical storms have created an instant need to commune, gather, take refuge, etc., the term ‘hurricane party’ conjures up an image of party-on-the-spot—and that’s exactly what this app does:

“Hurricane Party is a free mobile app that helps friends find, share, and create spontaneous parties. It’s social networking that’s actually social.”

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SXSW 2011 ‘The Power of the International Geek Community’ and Sound-Bites with Tim O’Reilly

I’m at the Austin Convention Center as SXSW “Day 1″ is officially underway. Parking was almost a nightmare, but I narrowly escaped the loop-around by finding an open lot on 7th & Trinity, phew. On the way in, I spotted one of Chris Sacca’s latest ventures—Uber Cab. I had seen him tweet that Uber was making its debut in the Austin market during SXSW.

While awaiting keynote speakers, or interview rather, with the amazing Tim O’Reilly (O’Reilly Media) by Jason Calacanis in Ballroom D on Level 4, everybody is friendly and opening up conversations centered around technology and living. For example, the two guys next to me are talking about the latest trends in education-based technology, Bill Gates, and The Food Network.

The opening remarks from the SXSW camp centered around “The power of the international geek community,” and indeed, that is the feeling of the day and perhaps the week here as the SXSW Interactive, Film & Music Conference rolls on. As well, SXSW has set up relief efforts for Japan, hoping to raise $10,000 this week. To donate, please visit SXSW4Japan. Yes, the power of the international geek community is alive.

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SXSW ScreenBurn Arcade + RockLive + Mike Tyson

The 2011 ScreenBurn Arcade began today at SXSW and was brimming with activity, featuring an emporium of geek lifestyles, and showcasing the newest in video game releases, as well as video game-related toys, game culture and more.

The three-day ScreenBurn Arcade showcases the latest developments to independent developers, publishers, consumers, digital media industry professionals, and internet trend-setters and taste-makers from all around the world with one of the ScreenBurn Arcade exhibitors being RockLive, based out of Irvine, CA, makers of custom apps that continue to change the definition of mobile and social gaming for the iPhone, iPad (which I’m typing on now), iPod Touch, and Android devices.

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SXSW 2011: Day 1 “Hot Tech Cold Beer”

I’m headed to the Austin Convention Center to begin my SXSW 2011 journey, and I am looking forward to a variety of keynote, distinguished, and featured speakers; notably, Barry Diller (“Insights On All Things Media”), J. Craig Venter (“Does The Future Include Synthetic Life”), Tim Ferriss (“The 4-Hour Body: Hacking the Human Body), Guy Kawasaki (“The Art of Enchantment”), and Gary Vaynerchuk (Vaynermedia), to name a few.

A quick visual scan of the attendees during registration yesterday indeed saw the “hipster-geek” style in action and yesterdays evening activities saw no shortage of the creative drive, with Capital Factory (an early stage accelerator program for tech startups) hosting a “Start-Up Crawl – Hot Tech Cold Beer” meet the founders tour around the Austin-area; replete with shuttle service and of course, cold beer. Fun!

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CEO: YOU. Navigating The Digital Frontier In Today’s New Music Business From The New Music Seminar

If one of your biggest questions as an independent artist is, “How do I break through the noise and get my music heard,” then stay tuned as I outline key take-away components to help your artist career, as presented by CEO’s, Co-Founders, Managers and Partners of some of the hottest music-business technology companies today, who recently attended and showcased their wares at The New Music Seminar that took place in Los Angeles, February 14-16, 2011.

Although day two of The New Music Seminar was lightly attended early in the day, in my estimation it was indeed THE place to be and a hotspot for information and accessibility to some of today’s biggest music tech players—like Reverb Nation, Nimbit, Pandora, Topspin, TAG Strategic, and Sound Exchange, along with artists and managers, like Moby, Lisa Loeb, Mike Posner’s manager, Daniel Weisman, and RuPaul, plus merchandise companies like Jackprints, and artist-entrepreneurs, like Author Gilli Moon, and more—in what is now aptly coined: The New Music Business.

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