Archive for the 'Interviews' Category

Apr2nd2008

Guy Kawasaki to speak at the Houston Technology Center, April 24th

Published
by
kurt
on April 2, 2008
in Conversations, Events, General, Houston Venture Capitalists, IT and Web 2.0, Interviews and VC and Angel Funding
. 1 Comment

 guy.jpg 

I found out today via Marc Nathan and also via Dwight Silverman’s TechBlog that Guy Kawasaki is coming to the Houston Technology Center to speak about The Art of The Start on Thursday, April 24th at 7pm. I can’t tell you how excited I was to hear this news as this is obviously the type of speaker that could increase visibility for Houston in the startup world.

Apparently Guy was pretty impressed by all of the Houstonians at SXSWi and asked Dwight if he could set up an opportunity for him to come to Houston and speak.  With all of the great minds in the Houston tech and startup communities, I’m sure we’ll have a lot more to impress Guy with when he gets here.

You can find more details over at Dwight Silverman’s Chron TechBlog.

You can register for the event on the Houston Technology Center site (here)

Also, we’re putting together a list of startup questions for Guy, so if you have any good ones that you would like to share or get answered, make sure to add them in our comments section.

Update: Hurry and register now because I’m told that they are already nearing capacity

Jan17th2008

Blair Garrou with DFJ Mercury featured in Houston Business Journal

Published
by
kurt
on January 17, 2008
in Conversations, General, Houston Venture Capitalists, IT and Web 2.0 and Interviews
. 0 Comments

dfj_mercury_logo.jpg

The Houston Business Journal put together a great interview with Blair Garrou of DFJ Mercury on what he thinks are some of the hot areas for investment and growth in Houston.  Here are a few excerpts I found interesting.

“Blair Garrou, managing partner of Houston venture capital firm DFJ Mercury, is bullish on the Bayou City as fertile ground for start-up companies.”

“DFJ Mercury typically invests between $100,000 and $1 million in seed and early-stage companies and also builds syndicates through its DFJ network for larger investments. The company has invested in six Houston start-ups over the last two and a half years — three in bioscience and three in technology. ”

“I’m a proponent that this is a fertile ground for start-ups. You can’t compare Houston to San Francisco. Start-ups are in the DNA in San Francisco — it’s been a way of life for generations. You don’t have those kinds of conversations around the dinner table here yet. I think Houston has the ability to be strong in three areas — life sciences, software and Web 2.0 deals.”

You can read the complete article here.  You can also see our previous interview with Blair on StartupHouston here.

Jan14th2008

GameWager…Put Your Money Where Your Mouse Is!

Published
by
Josh Tabin
on January 14, 2008
in Gaming and Interviews
. 1 Comment

GameWager

Several months back, I met George Giannukos and Thomas Marriott, local entrepreneurs from Texas A&M who started a new gaming venture called GameWager. GameWager is an online, matchmaking platform that enables members of all skill sets to win cash/fun prizes & recognition competing in the most popular PC games online. They host pay-to-play (poker style), cash prize tournaments where the entry fees are distributed to the winners in structured payouts and free, token-based (arcade style) tournaments where gamers collect more tokens as they win; all of which can be turned in to their “Reward Zone” which will be full of prizes.

I cannot go into too much detail as this site has not launched yet but from what I am aware of, they have assembled many well respected names in the gaming industry as partners to make it easier to play with friends and offer a secure & fair gaming environment online. The addition of friendly wagering on one’s own performance adds a unique element to the game play which should make their model interesting to watch.

I had a chance to talk with Thomas Marriott recently and here are some excerpts from that conversation:

Josh: Gaming is a huge market. Why haven’t we seen someone succeed with this business model so far?

Thomas: The market size and opportunity are undeniable. However, it’s a tough nut to crack. There have been some fantastic attempts and we can attribute varying factors to the failure of each; from their twist on the model itself to strategy and execution.

Josh: I saw you guys present at the Houston Angel Network. Excellent job! You’ve been very successful in getting funding to date…to what do you attribute that to?

Thomas: Thanks! Although we’re gamers, we further buried ourselves in the industry and paid close attention to competitors failed attempts. As a result, we have taken an extremely methodical approach entering this space - spending a considerable amount of time conducting due diligence, assembling a rock star list of advisors and securing interest in the gaming community. Our efforts created results and that was key to investors.

Josh: Has being in Houston been a plus or a minus so far?

Thomas: As with anything, there are pros & cons - so I can’t say overall its been either. Austin and Dallas are some of the most vibrant gaming communities in the world, the quick drive to them as been invaluable for conferences, networking and business development.

Josh: Do you think you’ll be able to stay in Houston as you grow? What issues do you see going forward?

Thomas: I’m afraid the need for capital and better valuations will pull us out West - we’ll see how things go. For what its worth, we prefer to stay in Texas and will be back if relocated!

Josh: Anything you’d like to add?

Thomas: You guys are doing a great job with Startup Houston…efforts like these will allow startups to stay in Houston longterm!

Also, if anyone in and around Houston (or just passing through) wants to get together to discuss business, entrepreneurship, gaming or anything else we have in common, feel free to each out. We can be reached on LinkedIn, Facebook or GAMEWAGER.net

Thanks guys!

Dec31st2007

StartupHouston visits FireSabre Consulting in Second Life

Published
by
kurt
on December 31, 2007
in Conversations, General, IT and Web 2.0, Interviews and Video
. 2 Comments

firesabre_logo1.jpg 

Recently myself and Josh Tabin interviewed the founders of FireSabre Consulting who have built a business in Second Life constructing virtual environments for businesses, schools and nonprofits.  The founders, Fred Fuchs and Kevin Shaum, who go by their avatar names of Gus Pliskin and Tinker Lafollette, are based here in Houston and took us for a tour showing us some of the worlds and models they have created.

http://www.vimeo.com/462611

One of the great things about using Second Life for school environments is the ability to demonstrate physics concepts in 3D space. Gus and Tinker showed us some of the recent projects that they have been working on, which include projects on both what are called the Main Grid and Teen Grid (separate areas with different permissions and protections for the age groups involved).  One of FireSabre’s biggest projects, and most long-running, is the Suffern Middle School on Ramapo Islands, a private estate in the Second Life Teen Grid. The Ramapo Central School District Suffern was the first school or school district to develop a presence in Second Life.

FireSabre represents what the future could look like for schools and other training institutions. The Future Room (which you can see in our video) is another example of an environment that FireSabre created to demonstrate different communication methods and concepts in Second Life.  Based on what we saw and heard, we look forward to seeing more of what FireSabre and Second Life will bring in the near future.

You can see the latest news on what FireSabre Consulting is up to here.

Nov25th2007

Interview with Ernie Rapp of The UP Experience

Published
by
Josh Tabin
on November 25, 2007
in Events, General and Interviews
. 1 Comment

The UP Experience

When I left my last position and was waffling on starting a consulting practice, everyone told me to talk with Ernie Rapp (LinkedIn, Facebook).  At the time, Ernie had his own consulting practice here in Houston for over 5 years and had made a wonderful go at it. We bacme instant friends and have kept in touch since. Earlier in the year, Ernie let me in on his new project, The Up Experience (Facebook group) and we met recently to talk more about it. Here are some excerpts from that chat:

Josh: Tell me about the UP Experience. Where did the idea come from?

Ernie: UP (to be held February 7, 2008) came from my experiences over the last several years, as I realized how focused I had become on my profession.  So focused, in fact, I realized I needed to add an intellectual/learning component to my life.  I did not want to go back to college, nor did I want to get another certification in a particular field.  I needed to understand what was going on in my world, both my local world and the larger world in general.   Getting unique perspectives from unique people who are doing amazing things and who are experts in their fields was what I was looking for.  I attended a 3 ½-day event in California called TED, and it was so educational and inspirational I wanted to create the same experience in Houston.

Josh: It does sound a lot like the TED conferences that several friends have attended over the years. How does UP differ from TED in format and construction?

Ernie: We have patterned UP based upon my own experiences from TED.  We’ll have 20 presenters each giving 20-minute on-stage presentations during a one-day event.  TED is 3 ½ days and their presenters are on stage for 18 minutes.  A unique feature we added to the UP format is the break-out session scheduled after each group of 5 speakers – during the coffee and lunch breaks.  The experts who just finished their on- stage 20-minute presentations will do another 20 minutes of informal question-and-answers for those attendees that are interested in a particular speaker.  We really wanted to give attendees and speakers this opportunity to get to know one another (and the presenters are extremely interested in seeing this concept succeed).

Josh: Do you feel that Houston can support this in the same manner that California can? What challenges do you see ahead? Continue reading ‘Interview with Ernie Rapp of The UP Experience’

Nov3rd2007

Interview with Walter Ulrich, President and CEO of the Houston Technology Center

Published
by
Josh Tabin
on November 3, 2007
in BioTech/Life Science, Energy, General, Houston Venture Capitalists, IT and Web 2.0, Interviews, NanoTech and VC and Angel Funding
. 5 Comments

When I first met Walter Ulrich at a Houston Technology Center event, what I gathered most about him was that this guy was the real deal: a true “pocket protector” geek in the most admiring sense of the word. Ulrich has been a pioneer in the information technology sector for almost 40 years. In the 1970’s, Ulrich led the development of the first commercially successful email service. That’s impressive.
During the 1980’s and 1990’s, Ulrich consulted with Fortune 100 company’s on technology and business issues until he became the CEO of Houston-based Mincron Software Systems. After leaving that role, Ulrich was one of two Houston technology professionals to be appointed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry to serve on the advisory committee for the $200 million Emerging Technology Fund.

I had a chance to catch up with Walter this last week; here are some excerpts from our chat:

Josh: I know that you have been in and around technology for many years. How did you come to get involved with the HTC?

Walter: The HTC looked like a place where I could give back as a volunteer, and it turned out to also be the place where much important business goes on.  As someone active in the technology world, active and deep participation in the HTC was not only personally satisfying but it is good for business.

Josh: There are all different perspectives on the HTC’s core mission. How would you characterize your vision?

Walter: We aspire to make Houston a globally recognized center of technology innovation and commercialization, particularly focused on IT and Web 2.0, energy and clean energy technologies, bio/life sciences, nanotechnology and NASA-related aerospace. We have the underlying economic strength and have been building the business infrastructure over the last ten years.  Now it is time to execute successful commercialization by driving successes one emerging company at a time.

Josh: There are many groups around town that all seem to overlap in different respects when it comes to supporting technology development and new business creation (Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, University of Houston Small Business Development Center, HTC, Greater Houston Partnership, Mayor’s Office). From an outsiders perspective, there does not seem to be much collaborative effort among these groups. Is this the case and if so, what can be done to have a more concerted effort to work together? Continue reading ‘Interview with Walter Ulrich, President and CEO of the Houston Technology Center’

Oct28th2007

Interview with Blair Garrou, Managing Director with DFJ Mercury

Published
by
Josh Tabin
on October 28, 2007
in General, Houston Venture Capitalists, Interviews and VC and Angel Funding
. 6 Comments

A few weeks ago I had the chance to have coffee with Blair Garrou of DFJ Mercury. For those of you who do not know Blair, you should. Blair was one of the individuals instrumental in the formation and development of both the Houston Angel Network and the Houston Technology Center where he served as Director of Operations from 1999-2000. Blair has been a part of several venture capital groups in Houston, first with Genesis Park and now with DFJ Mercury. In between those VC jaunts, Blair was the CEO of Intermat, Inc., a software development company located in Houston up until its sale to IHS in 2004. He is also an adjunct professor of management at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University.

Today, Blair spends most of his time on a number of boards of directors for both DFJ Mercury portfolio companies and local organizations, while trying to manage, with his partners, DFJ Mercury’s portfolio of assets. DFJ Mercury is a $20 million, Texas-based, seed and early stage venture capital fund that invests in companies that are addressing large market opportunities in information technology, applied materials and life sciences. DFJ Mercury is part of the global intelligence network of Draper Fisher Jurvetson funds.

Here are some excerpts form our chat:

Josh: What more do you think can be done to help foster the Houston I.T. and Web 2.0 startup community so that it attracts more investment from funds such as DFJ Mercury and others?

Blair: I believe that we need more “showcases” of young, exciting IT and web-based companies in Houston. Rice and HTC have provided solid forums to date for these companies, but we can always do more. I think more organizations and information resources like your own, BarCamp, StartupWeekend, and other events allow community to be built and the word to be spread that there are some really exciting ideas and companies launching in our city.

Net, net, though, I believe we need a few Houston-based software and web-based companies to be acquired by well-known, west coast technology companies in order to build legitimacy with both the entrepreneurial and the investment community. We need to prove that you can, indeed, build successful Houston-based IT businesses and make money for your investors. This has happened in various pockets of the software industry – most specifically security & systems management (BMC, Bindview, Mission Critical, Pentasafe). It also happened (on a personal level, without outside investor participation) with Victor Koosh selling his company Meedio to Yahoo! a few years back. Success begets success, and those entrepreneurs who learn valuable lessons from early deals continue to innovate and pass on their key learnings to new generations of managers.

Josh: What is the biggest challenge that you feel small and startup technology companies in Houston face in attracting funding?

Blair: I believe that it’s a numbers game. What I mean by that comment is that there aren’t many funding sources in Houston for start-ups, and it is almost impossible for a Web-enabled business to find venture or angel funding. A few deals will get funding, but from the deals I am seeing, there should be dozens more. This is primarily due to the perception by outside funding sources that you can’t build a sustainable, high-growth technology business in Houston. We battled this notion back in the early days of the Houston Technology Center, and Walter Ulrich, Marc Nathan and others are still fighting those same battles today.

I think the problem lies in the fact that it is very difficult to recruit tech talent in Houston and/or to Houston, and therefore there isn’t the amount of venture capital in Houston that one would expect for a city of our size and resource capabilities. This has more to do with the “critical mass” problem that plagues every part of the country except California and Massachusetts, but it is heightened in Houston since our town is not perceived as a “destination city.” It’s a terrific place to live (I’ve been proud to call Houston my home now for 10 years), but it is not a place visited by the outside world unless you are in the Energy industry.

Continue reading ‘Interview with Blair Garrou, Managing Director with DFJ Mercury’

Oct22nd2007

Interview with Kala Marathi of the Houston Angel Network

Published
by
Josh Tabin
on October 22, 2007
in General, Houston Venture Capitalists, Interviews and VC and Angel Funding
. 3 Comments

I had an opportunity to catch up with Kala Marathi, Managing Director of the Houston Angel Network recently. Here are some excerpts from our chat:

Josh: Can you give me a little history behind the beginnings of HAN to today?

Kala: The Houston Angel Network was founded in 2001 by prominent angel investors and business leaders in alliance with the Houston Technology Center.  We have grown, with the help of our members and alliance partners, to become the largest and most active angel investor network in Texas.

Josh: What are the typical deals the HAN members prefer to invest in?

Kala: Our members prefer deals that meet the following criteria:

  1. The Company must be based in Texas or must be willing to re-locate to Texas;
  2. The Company must be raising between $250K and $3.5M in equity or debt with an equity component (i.e. convertible debt);
  3. Our members tend to focus on companies in the IT, Life Science, Energy, and Consumer Products sectors; and
  4. Companies raising more than $1M must secure a lead investor for their raise before going through the HAN deal flow process.

Josh: What is the general process that HAN has prospective companies go through before presentation to the HAN general assembly?

Kala: One of the biggest challenges I have is to find interesting investment opportunities to share with our members.  I would like to invite entrepreneurs with companies that meet our criteria (listed in the question above) to contact me if they are interested in learning more about our investment screening process.   The application process usually starts with a conversation with the entrepreneur.  This way, we can determine if there is a fit between our members’ interests and the entrepreneur’s company before the process starts.  If there is a fit, I will request that the entrepreneur fill out our application and submit an executive summary to us.  The Company is reviewed by our members, who then select 3 companies each month to give 10 minute investment presentation at our monthly meetings.  I will work with the entrepreneurs who are invited to present, to fine tune their presentation for the HAN audience.  After the presentation, if HAN members are interested in learning more about the Company, they will approach the entrepreneur and request a follow-up meeting or additional information. Continue reading ‘Interview with Kala Marathi of the Houston Angel Network’

Oct15th2007

Houston Business Journal shows StartupHouston too much love

Published
by
kurt
on October 15, 2007
in Events, General, Houston OpenCoffee Club, IT and Web 2.0, Interviews and Startup Weekend Houston
. 1 Comment

houston_business_journal_logo1.gif 

We were very excited to learn that StartupHouston was featured in an article about StartupWeekend Houston in last Friday’s Houston Business Journal, however it appears that they gave us too much credit.

While it is true that StartupHouston helped to promote the event, participated in the event, and helped to even find sponsors for the event, the main credit for organizing the event and bringing it to Houston in the first place goes to Erica O’Grady.  You can see the video interview I did with her here where we talked about her being one of the original founders of the event and how she sees Houston startup community evolving.  Many thanks to Erica for getting this started, as well as all of the other great things that she has organized such as Refresh Houston and BarCamp Houston.  We wouldn’t be the same town without her.

We’re also happy that TipDish got a lot of coverage in the article, but TipDish would not have happened if not for the hard work and creativity shown by all of those who attended the event, those who sponsored the event, and those who hosted the event.  So to share the love, I’ve listed them here:

StartupWeekend Houston Founders: 

TipDish Concept

  • Laura Mayes came up with the concept for TipDish, and what a great concept it is.  Out of all of the previous startupweekend events, most people think this one has the best chance of making money.  You can see my video interview with her here to see where she got the idea and what’s up with her new venture Sk*rt. 

StartupWeekend Houston Sponsors

StartupWeekend Houston Hosts

  • The Method Agency generously let us invade their digs for the full weekend and all I could keep telling myself as I looked around was ‘What a cool place to work.’  They said they had an interview with the Mayor there the day after we left.  Hope he helped himself to some leftover pizza and granola.  :) 
  • You can see some pics from their office on our Flickr set.

Finally, a big ‘Thank You’ to Andrew Hyde and Gwen Bell for bringing StartupWeekend to Houston.  We appreciate the chance to show the other cities what makes Houston a great place for startups.

If we’ve left anyone out, feel free to drop us a line in our comments section or come tell us about it at our next OpenCoffee Club meetup.

Oct9th2007

See Elevator Pitches from the September OpenCoffee Club

Published
by
kurt
on October 9, 2007
in Events, General, Houston OpenCoffee Club, IT and Web 2.0 and Interviews
. 2 Comments

Speaking of OpenCoffee Club, at last month’s get together we brought our video camera and let people there give us their elevator pitch.  Two companies took us up on our offer:

 

advena_artemis_logo1.gif
Misty Khan with Advena Artemis told us about her company and the benefits of their HuntressPro CRM product.  A contact management tool that operates with Microsoft Outlook®, HuntressPro can help increase sales by helping sales people be more efficient and effective. 

 

opmom_logo1.jpgCarrie Pacini with OpMom told us about her company and what OpMom is doing to provide a social community for Mom’s where they incorporate the collective wisdom of thousands of mothers of all ages, sharing advice and ideas around the world’s largest coffee table.

 

You can see their video below: 

http://www.vimeo.com/334045