One of the most interesting developments in higher education is the rise of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).  Starting with a course in Artificial Intelligence at Stanford taught by Sebastian Thrun that attracted 160,000 students — or over 20 separate four-year cycles of Stanford’s entire undergraduate enrollment…

Whatever you might be doing Christmas week, week, it’s our guess heading over to Sears won’t be high on your list. The rise of online retail continues, all sorts of new services, and a host of other options have made the mass merchant retailer a dying breed,…

The old marketing maxim — that bad experiences get shared with many people but good experiences only with a select few — is turned on its head with startups.  The success stories are spread widely, generate considerable media, and have a halo effect: almost everyone “knows someone” …

Yes, the holidays beckon.  And there is now substantial research for econ nerds on what makes a good gift. And yes, gift-giving services are old news, but we found one we like: wantful. Through its simple site filled with carefully curated stylish things, wantful gift givers select…

Our monthly feature of five best blogs includes: the roller coaster of startup life includes more than a few down moments, so here is Brad Feld on depression and entrepreneurs; a NPR piece on why the price of a coke stayed the same for 70 years;…

One of the great entrepreneurial success stories that is rarely given its due is ESPN.  Explaining to today’s college students that the world once existed without 24-hour sports television is akin to the evolutionary disbelief in the fossilized existence of a tethered telephone…

t’s a question asked of everyone who has ever started a business: can it scale? The optimal final shape of different businesses can vary, but every new business is consumed with growth. Two different pieces from the Harvard Business Review argue that the notion and advantages of scale economics is changing…

The Apple vs. Google mapping controversy has been clearly defined, but a cartography expert weighs in with an in-depth analysis.  The problem?  Partly that Google had a 400-year head start. Interestingly, when it comes to maps, these two companies and growing rivals seemed…

Our regular feature of the five best recent blogs includes: why it’s better to be a VC than an angel; how Amazon’s same-day delivery strategy will shake up merchants on Main Street, Mark Suster on what you should tell your VC’s during diligence, some thoughts on social proof…

Smart phones are expensive — often too much so for younger users, or even those suffering through the economic downturn.  But there are now apps to help a smart phone pay for itself.  As this article outlines, apps such as easyshift and gigwalk (both VC backed) allow users to do simple local tasks…

The considerable growth in wealth of top earners over the last generation — with one study estimating that after-tax income for the top 1% of earners increased 275% between 1979 and 2007, compared to just an 18% bump for the bottom quintile…

The good news?  Venture capital investment equaled $5.9B in Q2 of this year, up considerably from the $2.6B in Q2 of 2011.  The bad news?  The number of funds raising capital decreased to 38 (from 45 in the same period a year ago, an 18% drop)…

One of the axioms of raising capital is simple: all money is green, so what is the value an entrepreneur should expect from an investor? For many early-stage companies that are growing quickly, with money safely in the bank, the primary need is talent.  And one of the resources…

Our regular feature of the five best blogs includes: Jeff Bussgang on Lean Ideas v. Big Ideas; the NYT’s David Pogue on the Worst Tech Predictions of All Time; Chris Dixon on the ticking clock that starts when you raise money; GGV’s Jeff Richards with Eight Tips for Entrepreneurs;…

We’re fortunate enough to see a lot of interesting products and services, and thought we would start listing — on occasion — those that are our favorites (and where we have absolutely no affiliation).  The first of these is songkick (and particularly the mobile app).  Songkick will scan your music library…

This month’s list of the five best blogs includes: Brad Feld on the need to focus on outcomes, not organization; James Surowiecki on human nature and volatile stocks; former ClearCreek client Roger Dooley dissects a Starbucks loyalty failure; Jeff Bussgang on the difficulty in scaling;…

The ascension and resistance to the presidential aspirations of former Bain Capital head Mitt Romney has lead to a sudden mainstream focus on private equity – even when Romney is mistakenly identified as a venture capitalist.  Fortune Magazine’s Dan Primack sees plenty of faults on both sides…

2011 saw a modest recovery, as venture capital firms raised $18.2 billion from their limited partners – up from $13.8 billion the year before.  However, most of the money was raised by established funds with very few new entrants and a number of VC’s morphing into the Walking Dead…