Tim Marman's Loosely Coupled

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• Why you SHOULDN’T start a tech company in Silicon Valley

  There’s been a bit of back and forth on what the best place to start a technology company is these days. The conventional wisdom these days is that the place to start and run a technology company is Silicon Valley. The key reasons put forth to justify this is money, talent, and expertise. If you’re initially choosing where to move and start a company, Silicon Valley seems to be the right choice based on the confluence of these factors – but I would argue that in some cases these advantages are not that strong and there are just as good reasons to start it elsewhere. Money Most of the time when people are talking about money in the context of startups, they’re talking about access to capital, particularly in the early stages of a company. Menlo Park has perhaps the highest concentration of VCs around, at least those focused on technology companies, but for the most part they don’t limit investments based on geography. Sequioa says it is "helpful" if... Posted Jul 08 2008, 09:00 AM by Tim with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Rants, Business, Entrepreneurship, NYC, Startup, Venture Capital, NextNY, Notches

• Notches, a platform for reviews

  We've launched . Notches is a free, open, universal platform for reviews. We're building a network of applications, partners and cool tools. Reviews written in any of the network's sites will be part of the Notches system everywhere. All the pieces share a common back-end which handles the heavy lifting. Today, we have released our developer API as well as a Facebook application and Twitter interface . If you are interested in developing for our API, request a key and get started today. If you are a site looking to integrate reviews, let us know and maybe we can help. Posted Mar 04 2008, 04:49 PM by Tim with | with no comments Filed under: NYC, NextNY, Notches

• Congrats to Nate and Kyle on the BricaBox launch!

  Just wanted to give a quick shout to my buddy Nate for launching BricaBox . We've been building for nearly as long (and are launching soon), and it's a big milestone. Congrats, Nate and Kyle. Posted Feb 26 2008, 03:48 PM by Tim with | with no comments Filed under: NYC, Startup

• MTA's new Trip Planner

  MTA recently launched a new service called Trip Planner .  I've used it a few times since I'm still learning some of the buses and trains around our new offices, and it seems to work pretty well. What I like about it more than HopStop is that it gives you multiple routes and is actually tied into the schedule. After all, something may be 30 minutes of travel time, but if you're waiting on a bus that comes every 25 minutes or something, the real cost of the trip is longer. Of course, as Dan points out, it would be better if they actually tied into the service advisories, but like he said - maybe next version. Posted Feb 20 2008, 06:39 AM by Tim with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Technology, Personal, Web 2.0, NYC

• When will the NFL Network standoff end?

  Like so many others , I was furious when I couldn't watch the Packers-Cowboys games a few weeks back. The NFL Network is only carried on satellite which is simply not an option for many of us in urban areas like NYC. For those who haven't been paying attention, there's been a long-running standoff between the cable companies and the NFL network. (ComCast carries it at a premium, but neither Time Warner or Cablevision offer it, free or otherwise). To sum up: The NFL wants its network carried on basic cable packages with channels such as ESPN or CNN, where it can reach the broadest possible audience. Cable companies including Time Warner Inc. say it belongs on a sports package, or tier, where its audience would include only those fans willing to pay extra. I am a huge fan of the NFL and would certainly subscribe in a second. Much like the issues with net neutrality, the problem is that we're not dealing with a perfect market. If Time Warner doesn't offer me the ability... Posted Dec 27 2007, 12:22 PM by Tim with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Technology, Intellectual Property, Rants, Things that bother me, Sports, Law, NYC

• I definitely picked the right law school...

  I just got an pre-invitation for the 54th Annual Fordham Law Alumni Association New York State Bar Luncheon (whew!). Lunch on Friday, Jan 25th starts at 12:30, preceded by cocktails starting at 11:30. Seriously - cocktail hour at 11:30 on a Friday? I definitely picked the right school... :) Posted Nov 26 2007, 10:47 PM by Tim with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Law School, Things that amuse me, Law, Events, NYC

• Why Notches isn't "Anti-Stealth"

  There's been a lot of discussion about being anti-stealth . A stealth startup is one that isn't telling anyone what they're building and being very protective about the idea. Anti-stealth is the polar opposite - broadcasting everything, from your long-term vision, project status, and even financials. Anti-stealth is, in its purest form, about complete transparency in the business. Being "stealth mode" was in part about protecting the idea, but also gives the impression that the idea itself is revolutionary. In a sense, it's At one point this might have worked, but we realized more and more that many of these companies in "stealth mode" had average ideas at best. Being "anti-stealth" has its own pros and cons. The real value in broadcasting your message is that you'll get feedback and opportunities that would otherwise go undiscovered, as Charlie discovered . There are many benefits I can see being completely transparent. Of course, you actually... Posted Nov 26 2007, 11:08 AM by Tim with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: Intellectual Property, Business, Entrepreneurship, NYC, Startup, NextNY, Notches

• Interested in working at a startup? Come to MatchupCamp

  Next week, nextNY and For Your Imagination are hosting the first MatchupCamp . MatchupCamp – matchmaking for startups – is all about startup networking, creating a place for ideas and talent to meet. There are many events matching professional services to startups – this one will focus on those looking to get their hands dirty and build something new. MatchupCamp has the sole objective of bringing together people looking to start, expend, or join a startup in New York (and the tri-state area). Corey and I will be there and we'd love to chat about Notches with any interested developers or designers. Either way, if you're feeling the itch to work at a startup, come by next Wed and see what others in the NYC area are up to. Event Details : When : Wed, Nov 28, 2007, 7-9pm Where : For Your Imagination, 22 West 27th Street, 6th Floor Posted Nov 21 2007, 10:50 AM by Tim with | with no comments Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Events, NYC, Startup, NextNY, Notches

• No sleep 'till nextBrooklyn

  As Charlie mentioned , Adam Quirk is hosting a party in (and for) Brooklyn. Details here . If you live and/or work in Brooklyn, come join us. Posted Apr 03 2007, 06:34 PM by Tim with | with no comments Filed under: Events, NYC, NextNY

• Arctic Monkeys show at Hammerstein Ballroom

  I missed out on the presale. I got banned briefly because TicketMaster thought I was a bot after it gave me unreadable CAPTCHAs and took 10 tried to get it right. (Have I mentioned how much I hate Ticketmaster?). But I finally got in, and I got 2 tickets to the Hammerstein Ballroom show in May . Sweet. Anyone else get tickets? Posted Mar 23 2007, 12:11 PM by Tim with | with no comments Filed under: Music, Personal, Events, NYC