Unrelated to b-school - my new company VMTurbo launched a new website

Apologies for the non-b-school related content, but I am very excited to announce that my company VMTurbo just relaunched our website.

We had a stellar team supporting the project including WordPress coding guru extraordinaire Jason Siffring and Bill Kaligiros of becreative.ca on the layout and design side of the house.

Please take a look and let me know what you think of our virtual datacenter automation, virtual infrastructure health and performance management, and virtual infrastructure right-sizing solutions.

We also have a whitepaper available (registration required) that goes into detail about our unique supply-chain technology and why we think we’re poised to change the way virtual infrastructure is managed!

just started writing a venture capital eBook

Follow it here and let me know what you think!

New Venture Capital Careers Page on johngannonblog.com

Wanted to let everyone know that I have a VC careers page up at http://johngannonblog.com/vc-careers. I plan on posting tips and advice as well as some random job postings that I see in my travels.

VC internship

If you are looking for a VC internship in NYC, please contact me on LinkedIn. I know of at least one firm locally that is looking for multiple interns who are passionate about VC and early stage tech ventures.

launching new blog johngannonblog.com

Hey all -- I have just launched a new blog (http://johngannonblog.com) that will be focused on VC, technology, innovation, and probably include a bit about my life as well. I hope you all continue to stick with me and follow along with the new blog. I won't be updating this blog any longer but I will keep responding to comments here, so feel free to reach out if one of my old posts seems interesting and you want to discuss!

Evaluating startup offers and comp packages

The guys from Venture Hacks just posted regarding how individuals can evaluate job offers from startups. There are two parts (Part 1 and Part 2).

I thought this post was interesting because this past year I fielded similar questions from classmates who were evaluating opportunities with startups versus bigger, established companies. One thing I have seen fairly frequently in the past (and something I myself have done) is people who over-value their options. Most startup companies do not sell for Google or VMware-like prices, so you have to assume a moderate outcome (and therefore a moderate payout). Heck, some of them never sell and just go under. Just the nature of the game.

BTW, if you are really fired up about going to work at a startup after school, you might think about taking a VC class. It helps you understand the financing side of the startup world, and also comes in handy when you are thinking about how to value a startup's offer of employment.

Tech careers post-CBS

There was a comment made on my last post and I thought I would devote a post to the comment. (Thanks for reading and for asking the question, mystery commenter! :)

Here is the comment:


Hi John,

How are you doing Big Daddy? I have few questions about CBS. I am a technology professional working in West Coast. I want to apply to CBS for fall 09. I am looking to move into business development in Technology firms. I am fascinated by CBS for its New York location. Any inputs on "how often do you see CBS students pursuing career in technology? even if they write technology in essays, does adcom suspect that applicant is seeking an admit through back door and finally wants to go to IB because we are in NY?"


And here is my response:

Big Daddy is doing great, thanks for asking :) We're at 32 weeks and counting.

CBS does have a strong, core group of folks who are pursuing careers in new media and technology. Admittedly, that group's size does not rival the number of future i-bankers and management consultants, but it is a pretty vibrant group and one that in my experience is very passionate about the sector.

I can't really comment on what the adcom is thinking related to your admissions essays, but I would recommend to just be yourself and be truthful about what you want to do once at CBS, and afterwards. If you're able to tell a logical account of "why CBS, why now, and why the future career path given your past experiences" I think you will be fine.

What you end up seeing the 1st year is that many people decide that what they came to school to do (i.e. in their app they said they wanted to become a management consultant) was not as exciting as something else they were exposed to early in the 1st year (i.e. they change their mind and decide they want to work at a hedge fund). I think that potential for change is somewhat expected and understood, although you definitely want to go in with a fairly defined vision and plan of what you want to do at CBS in your application.

There are a variety of classes that are tech and new media focused as well as activities (like the Silicon Valley Trek) that cater to applicants and students who are interested in taking that kind of career path.

Does this help? Feel free to post some follow up questions in the comments and I'll try to answer them as best I can.

Fall 2008 Media Electives

One of the club officers in the Media Management Association just sent out an informal list of the Fall 2008 Media-related electives at CBS as well as within the broader university. I hope you find it useful!


Mediaphiles --

Something that seems potentially helpful is a list of the media courses that the B-School is offering, so that you don’t have to search everywhere for them.

Please note – this isn’t an “official” list – just something I threw together based on various resources in hopes of helping other people navigate the bidding process; it’s possible I missed classes or inadvertently left one out that could be deemed media-related; no slight intended. I’ve also added courses from other grad schools that might be helpful. Please see this guide for information on cross-registration.

Please let me know if you have any questions … and I’m willing to bet that professors would also probably welcome questions about the courses.


Media Metrics, Analytics and Economics
Tuesdays (A term)
5:45-9 p.m.
Professors Scott McDonald, David Poltrack, and Horst Stripp

This is a half term course taught by the research heads of CBS, NBC Universal and Conde Nast. This is an updated version of a popular class taught for the last 10 years called “Measuring Media Audiences” and is taught by senior media execs who are on the cutting edge of these issues.

This course analyzes how media companies use audience research both to establish the economic value of media for advertising and to select and develop products. Subjects include methods to collect audience data for the various media (primarily TV, print, Internet, radio); how they are analyzed; the use of data for media planning; program testing and strategic planning; and the impact of digital technologies on audience measurement systems and on the economics of the media marketplace.

Strategic Management of Media
Wednesdays (Full term)
5:45-9 p.m.
Professor Jonathan Knee

The course will be concerned with the economics of strategic behavior as applied to the Media Industry. This course is designed to reinforce and develop student abilities to apply the concepts of industry analysis and game theory to that were introduced in the core course in Business Economics (B6005). The important distinction will be between the nature of content provision on the one hand and distribution on the other. The course will cover telecommunications, digital networks, local theaters, and varieties of retail on the distribution side; and film, program production, books, magazines, newspapers, and databases on the content side. Coursework will be evenly distributed between lectures, cases, and guest speakers.

Communications, Internet and Media (Master Class)
Wednesdays (Full term)
2:15-5:30 p.m.
Professors Robert Atkinson and Eli Noam
Limited to 36 second-year students

The course consists of supervised team projects of students with companies. It begins with weekly lectures on the business dynamics, drivers, technologies, and policy framework of the telecom/internet/media industries. There will be analyses of notable success and failure stories, with the participation of industry insiders, in order to provide teams with a sufficient basis for their consulting assignments. Teams interested in entrepreneurialism will focus on the internet, new media, and content projects. Teams oriented to finance and strategy will work with established telecom and media companies that are trying to adapt to new challenges. In the aggregate, the projects will provide understanding and skills for dealing with management challenges in a sector characterized by rapid change and boom-bust cycles, and to integrate the MBA curriculum with management practice in a feedback loop. Teams will be asked to account for the MBA tools they have utilized in the process. Each consulting team will deliver a report and presentation to senior management at the company, and to their fellow students.

Integrated Communication and New Media (Master Class)
Mondays (Full term)
5:45-9 p.m.
Professor Jeremy Kagan
Limited to 36 second-year students

The Integrated Communication and New Media Master Class will allow students to work with senior executive teams from client companies and their advertising agencies to develop strategic marketing recommendations for integrating new media marketing channels into their advertising, sales, and customer communications channels. The course will be offered in the fall to mesh with the strategic planning cycle of client and agency teams for 2009 brand and company marketing strategies. Students will develop a strategic marketing plan for presentation to client decision-makers integrating new media into corporate and brand strategic marketing plans, including advertising campaigns, customer communications, and brand communities and customer service. The student teams will review the competitive landscape and devise operational recommendations using a variety of interactive channels and new media strategies to reach overall strategic goals and support traditional media buys, “brick and mortar” retail efforts, and customer relationship management (CRM) plans.
Plans will include:
· Interactive advertising plans including search, OLA, social media, branded entertainment, and microsites, etc;
· Customer communications strategies encompassing email, blogs, branded communities, and life cycle management, where appropriate;
· Research and metrics for success recommendations including both primary and secondary research, to ensure success guidelines and a focus on measurable return on investment;
· Thorough reviews of the competitive environment and best-in-class marketing as it applies to the client.

Marketing Arts, Culture and Entertainment
Mondays and Wednesdays (Full term)
9-10:30 a.m.
Professor Joseph Plummer
The course applies the marketing discipline to the Arts, Culture and Entertainment environment. Key areas of focus are

· Similarities/differences between other businesses and the ACE arena

· The discipline of marketing planning in an ACE environment

· Marketing tactical implementation — how to apply marketing in ACE



Other classes of interest:

Developing Strategies for High Tech Firms
Mondays (Full term)
2:15-5:30 p.m.
Professor Raul Katz
The purpose of this seminar is to explore strategy development and implementation, with a specific focus on international high technology industries (e.g., telecommunications, content distribution, software, electronics and semiconductors). Strategy formulation in global high technology industries requires in-depth exploration of sector-specific dynamics with a tailored set of tools to ensure successful implementation. Issues driving complexity range from national/regional markets segmented by different stages of technological development to national regulatory frameworks constraining industry evolution, amplified by the management imperative to achieve competitive advantage in a global world. In other words, the frameworks for industry analysis, the assessment of competitive advantage and the formulation of strategy warrant specific analysis and focus.


Film School:

The Business of Film
Schedule unknown
Professor Unknown
Film R6004 section 001

The Role of the Producer
Professor Ira Deutchman
Schedule unknown
Film R6027 section 001

Journalism School:
No relevant/open courses posted thus far; typically, related fall courses include Media and Contemporary Society and Social Impact of Mass Media

Law School:

Comparative Mass Media Law
Professor Richard Winfield
Wednesdays, 4:10-6 p.m.

Law, Media and Public Policy
Professor Patricia Williams
Tuesdays, 2:10-4 p.m.

Law and Internet Society
Professor Eben Moglen
Thursdays, 4:10-6 p.m.

Law and the Music Industry
Professor Fred Koenigsberg
Mondays, 4:10-6 p.m.

Law and Sports
Professor Robert Kheel
Wednesdays, 4:10-6 p.m.

School of Arts and Sciences:
Mass Media In American Government and Politics
Unknown

Another MBA applicant resource from Marquis

This post from Marquis details a new resource for those of you who are starting the application process. It's a guide authored by a Stanford GSB 2005 grad although it covers the other 'usual suspect' schools as well (HBS, CBS, etc).

Some big news to report

After much consideration (and interviewing!) I have accepted an offer with a venture capital firm here in NYC, L Capital Partners. I will be focused on investments and portfolio companies in the wireless, IT, and digital media sectors.

So what's with the picture you might ask? It's one of the catchphrases that an artist in our neighborhood (De La Vega) often uses. It rang pretty true for me given that I've been working for a long time to reach this point.

While I'm philosophizing, here is another one of his quotes that I really like:

"THE PRESSURE OF SURVIVAL IN THE BIG CITY WILL MAKE YOU LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR DREAM...HANG IN THERE."

I am glad I didn't lose sight of mine, and thanks to everyone who helped me to keep it in focus.

J-term entrepreneurs getting some press

My friend Ryan Petersen from Cluster Y 2008 just had his startup ImportGenius discussed on the Freakonmics Blog. It was also recently profiled on KillerStartups.com as well. It's a pretty interesting concept.

You should also read this post Ryan wrote for the CBS blog about starting a business while in school. A must read for any applicant who is wondering why they should choose CBS as a place to launch their startup.

Amen to the Cold Call

Mike Hirschland, a VC at Polaris in Boston just posted about how he got his job at the firm. He had a very non-traditional background but was able to make a connection with one of the partners, and as they say, the rest is history.

I remember Mike came in to see us at RecordMyCalls.com at the beginning of our fundraising. I remember him as a real nice, laid back guy who was enthusiastic about trying the product and someone who seemed great to work with.

Again, I think the key takeaway here is that you can't be afraid to make that cold call. They are often uncomfortable but you really don't have anything to lose in making them. So do it!

Even Darth Vader sucks at Powerpoint

(Image courtesy of this link)

One of the bloggers I follow just posted about his experience in Edward Tufte's class. Tufte is one of the foremost authorities on the art and science of presenting information, and a big opponent of Powerpoint.

Given that MBAs are going to be doing many presentations in class and outside of class (in their jobs, internships, etc), it really pays to hone this skill. I have rarely seen strong presentations and presenters, but let me tell you that it is a real joy when you come across one (or both). I think its also a great way to stand out from the crowd and your peers.

Check it out when you have a chance.

Easy way to track VC funding and M&A activity

Yesterday I spent some time messing around with Yahoo's Pipes service. Basically this free service allows you to create mashup feeds from a variety of web-based data sources (RSS ,XML, HTML, etc) and filter the output based on whatever criteria you like.

I used it to create an RSS feed that aggregates all RSS feeds from Feedburner's VC network and a few other blogs I read. The output feed is filtered based on keywords like "aquires", "Series A", etc so that now I have a way to easily track VC fundings and M&A activity without having to hunt around individual blogs. I will still read individual blogs, but this really gives me a one stop shop and saves me some time.

You can read the feed in the box below (give it a minute to render, sometimes it takes a few seconds) and in the bottom right corner you can click the title (M&A and VC funding Pipe) to subscribe to it.

My Uncle Richie said it best

I just sent out an update to my family about our soon-to-be-born twin girls (28 weeks, everything is looking good) and my Uncle Richie sent me this gem back in response:

That is great and enjoy these nice quiet moments while you can before all hell breaks loose.

I think that pretty much says it all!

Bringing passion to your job hunt

I just read this post from a guy who was just hired by Amazon to be their Web Services evangelist in Europe. Loved it.

Although he's doing something dramatically different (from a career perspective) than what most people who read my blog are seeking to do, he shows how passion can really help you stand out in the interview process.

Give it a read.

Make sure you call your Dad

I think the subject line says it all!

How I'll try handling "unproductive" meetings

Fred Wilson, ubiquitous VC blogger just posted about taking and managing "unproductive" meetings. By unproductive, he means meetings that are typically one-sided (i.e. guys like me coming to talk to him about getting into VC) where there is a fairly good chance that only one party is getting value right off the bat.

This got me thinking as I go back into the workforce. Just as I got on the phone, LinkedIn, did informationals, etc with a variety of CBS and non-CBS related VC folks during my search, I need to return the favor, especially to the students who are at CBS now. However, in trying to kick butt in a new job, taking care of my growing family, etc there is not going to be alot of time in the day for these sorts of things. I think Fred's tips are useful ones and probably ones I'll have to put into practice to stay sane.

This tip was my favorite ('Jimmy' is Fred's friend who is not in the VC biz):

5) Try to do it right in the meeting if you can. A quick email or phone call right during the meeting can be a great way to get the thing done you agreed to do. Jimmy told me he does this a lot and I agree that it's a great trick if you can pull it off.

I had an informational a few weeks ago where the VC I was meeting with did just this. Not only did it save him time because my follow-up would be limited to a 'Thank you' versus a 'Can you', but it made a hugely positive impression on me because you're actually seeing someone who you hardly know spring into action on your behalf, right in front of you. Pretty powerful stuff if you ask me.

Recent grad benefits

Just got an email from CBS indicating some of the alumni benefits we'll be getting:


Dear Class of 2008,

Again, congratulations on your achievement! I hope that you are all enjoying some time off – you deserve it. I am writing to inform you of some upcoming events, additional graduate information and offers available to you as members of the Columbia Business School alumni network.

Worldwide Alumni Club Event: Please join us on or around Wednesday, June 11, 2008 as we celebrate and recognize the global alumni network during the second annual Worldwide Alumni Club Event. Alumni clubs from around the globe will be hosting events such as happy hours, dinners, panel discussions, and walking tours to provide opportunities for alumni, students and new admits to network and connect with one another.

Reunion 2009: Save the date for Reunion Weekend 2009, when your class will celebrate your 1st year Reunion. The weekend, scheduled for April 3-5, 2009 will be a perfect time to catch up with friends, network with classmates, attend faculty presentations and enjoy activities coordinated exclusively for your class.

Access to Angel: Originally we had said that access to Angel would only be available for 90 days following graduation. Good news – this has been extended. You will now have access to Angel for two years following graduation.

Membership to the Columbia Club: The Columbia University Club of New York is offering a special membership opportunity for 2008 graduates. This limited time offer includes: no initiation fee, regular dues, 15-month membership (June ’08 through August ’09), free use of the gym for the summer months and 50% off your first overnight room stay (up to three nights). To take advantage of this special offer, you must sign up by June 30, 2008. For more information, visit www.columbiaclub.org, call 212-719-0380 or email info@columbiaclub.org. To apply online, visit www.columbiaclub.org.

Job Search: The alumni website is a valuable tool in any job search, featuring a job database and resume upload. Post a Job is a convenient place for employers to advertise job openings to current MBA students and/or alumni, while Job Search allows alumni to explore current job postings by keyword, company, industry, function and more. Visit Alumni Career Services on the alumni website for more information.

Stay Connected: Make sure to log onto the alumni website and update your contact information. By staying in touch you will have access to a wide variety of events each year that spotlight star faculty, notable alumni and key industry executives.

Great tips for those starting internships

This is a post from my friend Marquis, who I used to work with at Scient (my first job out of undergrad). Marquis later went to Stanford GSB and then on to McKinsey (and he is still there).

He gives a bunch of tips for those of you MBAs starting your internships. Take a look.