Disqus - Latest Comments for tetsuotrees

Re: The Internet Is Alive And Well (As An Investment)

tetsuotrees — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:52:12 -0000

Great post, Fred. Of course, James is addressing an audience largely comprised of smallish (in the grand scheme of things) retail investors, and so focuses his critiques on businesses that are either publicly listed or are presumed to be coming public sometime in the not-too-distant future. But I don't think he quite realizes the disservice he does his readers by not considering the amazing amount of activity and innovation taking place just beyond their investable reach. Thanks for helping keep things in their proper perspective.

Re: Bill Ford more resolved than ever to not take federal aid

tetsuotrees — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:56:15 -0000

I can't say I've studied him thoroughly, but Bill Ford Jr.'s actions over the past few years strike me as extraordinarily mature. Relinquishing control of the auto-manufacturer and allowing Mulally to come in, and now this unwillingness to take on the Federal Government as steward - not your typical family magnate. I haven't favoured U.S. auto-manufacturing in quite some time, but it's hard not to root for Ford in this environment.

Re: Weekly Federal Reserve Balance Sheet Update: Week Of May 27

tetsuotrees — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:31:33 -0000

Do we think the Fed has taken over control of Treasury, or rather, that it has ceded its authority and independence to Treasury?

Re: The End Of The IPO Drought Is Coming

tetsuotrees — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:45:16 -0000

@Fred - great post and a very interesting take. RE: cost of Sarbox compliance, the last time I was involved in this sort of thing our estimated "Sarbox nut" was around $1.5mm (itself down from as much as $3mm in the beginning) - has this number come down appreciably in your experience, or does it still remain at about that level? (amount is 404 compliance only, not including audit fees...)

Re: The Ying and Yang of Public and Private Markets

tetsuotrees — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:36:19 -0000

Great post, Fred. I know you've recently written on the topic (re: Facebook and employee stock sales), but it would be interesting to hear some expanded thoughts on the attractiveness of secondary markets for private shares as a potential longer-term replacement for outright public listings, particularly in light of the current market environment's volatility. Anyway, good stuff.

Re: McCain in a Panic!

tetsuotrees — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:29:15 -0000

Why is it that Obama's "new" kind of politics based on "hope" "change" and more "hope" seems so...familiar?

Re: Trying To Make Sense of The Brokerage Bust

tetsuotrees — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:25:26 -0000

Fantastic post.

Re: Sarah Palin

tetsuotrees — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:10:47 -0000

Given the left's penchant for associating the right, in general, and the Bush Administration, in particular, with Nazism, and given the nature of your comment and general tone (which is highly consistent with others on the left who frequently make such associations), I found the comment apt. It's about more than just you, and I apologize if it was above your head.

Your claim of moral relativism is about as ridiculous as your previous post. Using your claim of arrogance to justify your continued existence on this planet at the expense of others "obviously" less worthy is, likewise, ridiculous.

As for my being "too scared to use my real identity" - my name is Forrest Cox. If there's anything you'd care to discuss now that I'm finished being "too scared," I trust you'll message me directly with your suggestions.

Given the incredible skill with which you "called me out" (are you serious?), I'll take your claim about it being a minor skill at face value.

Re: Sarah Palin

tetsuotrees — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:13:53 -0000

@Sethop - just remember not to call anyone else a Nazi. Ever. In fact, while you're being so sanctimoniously moral, why don't you just lead by example and off your own worthless ass. There are, after all, too many of us, right?

Re: Sarah Palin

tetsuotrees — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:33:31 -0000

Excuse me, but to make the claim that one represents the "typical" ANYTHING in a land of 300 million, one must either be: 1.) ridiculously delusional bordering on egomaniacal, or 2.) a politician. I don't know Tracey Hyams from Eve, but my guess is that she isn't a politician...

What a moronic letter.

Re: Sarah Palin

tetsuotrees — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:27:08 -0000

That has got to be one of the most ignorant bits of drivel I've ever heard. I'm shocked you could seriously utter such a blatantly stupid thing.

So if I support Obama (I'm certainly no fan of John McCain), is this the kind of culture I'm throwing my lot in with? Is this the intellectual heritage that guides the policies I'd be casting my support for?

How did it come to this?

Re: Sarah Palin

tetsuotrees — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:22:34 -0000

Wait, so when a woman not of your intellectual ilk has earned her way to a position of power, it THEN becomes her role to stay at home and raise a child? When the hell did anyone ever demand that of a MAN? Nice to know "family values" (what a friggin' joke) are so high on your list of electoral criteria.

You people simply can't help yourselves can you? The hypocrisy excreted from the left over the course of the past month has made me far more ill than did anything the religious right (of which I am NO fan, at all) came up with during the Bush years, or even during the Jerry Falwell heyday. It's been among the more disgusting displays of intellectual dishonesty and infantile rage I've seen - ever.

Re: Sarah Palin

tetsuotrees — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:11:28 -0000

I won't get into the abortion part of your comment - there's just too much there to deal with.

But with respect to the bar being set high for Obama vis a vis Palin - I think you're missing the very same point that the Obama camp has missed (which explains the continual decline in poll numbers after the convention as a result of the Obama camp's reaction to her nomination). That point is this: Palin's experience outweighs Obama's - both objectively and, to most viewers, subjectively as well. Further, because VP picks haven't HISTORICALLY played a key role in determining who wins the general election, the knee-jerk reaction for most people is to look at her in a secondary role, discount the "one heartbeat away" issue, and then look at Obama in a primary role, and come to the conclusion that the attack's around her experience just make Barry's team look even more unexperienced, and bad too boot.

There are a host of substantive areas where the Democrats have a legitimate shot at handing Republicans their asses. Keeping the focus on Sarah Palin will hand the Republicans the biggest electoral gimme we are ever likely to see.

Re: Sarah Palin

tetsuotrees — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:57:15 -0000

So I take it you DID NOT vote for Bill Clinton? Give me a break - you people are starting to sound like the bigoted, racist, hillbilly republicans you so despise.

Re: Time to Decide, Johnny Boy

tetsuotrees — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:24:39 -0000

Interesting plug for Sarah - as my post indicated, I too see her as a compelling running mate for McCain. True, her list of achievements is growing, and she is a nice contrast to the senior GOP senator from her state, who was as corrupt as they come. She's also got some genuine personality, which could play quite well on the national stage. And, let's face it, SHE is a SHE, and given the strong likelihood that Mac will be a one-termer, selecting her would directly pave the way for the first female POTUS.

However, I am not convinced she can fire up the base enough to have a strong impact, and her state is simply meaningless from an electoral standpoint (it's going GOP in a big way come November).

Still, I'd be perfectly happy if John selected her as his running mate. So good luck to the Governor in the days ahead.

(But I really must say that the hours since writing my original post have really set my own "election marketing" gears into overdrive over the possibility of a McCain / Thompson Four Years of Cleaning This Pathetic Government Up blitzkrieg. Seriously, you could hit so many key points with that kind of a campaign. And in an already whacky election season...)

Re: Thinking About Obama

tetsuotrees — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:57:00 -0000

I don't think you could have described anything LESS Marxist, Fred. The fact that you CHOOSE to give your capital away is the ultimate expression of capitalism.

And just why "being Marxist" is such a fashionable thing confuses me to no end.

Anyway, Fred Wilson, hyper-capitalist (who knew?)...

Re: Thinking About Obama

tetsuotrees — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:39:44 -0000

You have to remember here that the Democrats are virtually guaranteed to build on their majorities in both houses. It's highly unlikely that the court moves to the right during the next Presidency, even if someone MORE conservative than McCain were to win.

Also, I think if you look at the trend objectively you'll see that the past 8 years have been among the least "right leaning" of the past twenty-five. More conservative legislation was passed during the Clinton Administration than during the last four years of the Bush Administration, while GWB's first four years were littered with a mix of both very conservative and very liberal legislation. Given the length of the relatively "conservative" trend and it's debasing by the current administration, it's hardly surprising that the country seems to be moving left. But just how far left remains to be seen...

Re: Thinking About Obama

tetsuotrees — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:32:56 -0000

How one reconciles a "Marxist core" with long-standing gainful employment as a venture capitalist is simply beyond me...

Re: Thinking About Obama

tetsuotrees — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:30:42 -0000

Obama doesn't lean toward socialism - he's a socialist. And trying to dissect the man's voting record is almost as much a joke as the record itself. Any mention of the fact that he votes exclusively with his party should be accompanied with the disclaimer "when he votes at all." I don't think anyone in the Senate has voted "Present" as much as he has.

That kind of voting is a change alright. It just isn't the kind of change I can believe in.

Re: Thinking About Obama

tetsuotrees — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:24:44 -0000

I'm not entirely certain you're getting a better picture of what the guy really thinks - in fact, the rhetoric coming from both Obama and McCain is dramatically at odds with their respective actions (which last time I checked, do speak louder than words). Look at Barack's history and it's extremely difficult to reconcile with the things you're hearing come out of his mouth. Are we really to believe that Hillary Clinton's withdrawal from the race changed Barack so much?

When the Opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal have enough ammo to write a piece about you (Obama) that draws on the similarities between your post-primary policy recommendations and those currently in place in the Bush administration, you may have given yourself a credibility problem...

(You can read the piece here: http://tinyurl.com/5r9r2s)

Re: Yodlee takes large financing — could spell trouble for Mint?

tetsuotrees — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:27:46 -0000

Someone else that has access to "the pipes" would make sense as a suitor should anything happen to put Mint.com, Wesabe or Geezeo in play (e.g. Yodlee or CashEdge deciding to go direct-to-consumer in a big way) - but wouldn't it be an extraordinary slap in the face to an Intuit or a Microsoft should they decide they have to buy one of these upstarts? eBay is a very interesting possibility, though - I'm shocked they aren't doing something in this area already...

Ultimately these plays will be about who owns the customer relationship - the closer you are to products and to key functionality, the better your chances of creating meaningful value will be. I am a big fan of what the guys at Mint.com are doing, but nothing they've built is critical in the way a checking account is. And all the analytical tools in the world can't close that gap absent some other kind of "critical" service. It will be very fun to watch this space develop.

re: Yodlee's valuation, as Chris mentioned, the previous round essentially wiped the slate clean. It would be somewhat surprising if this round was down (given that the business seems to be performing decently well) but I seem to recall that the last one was. The last time I heard Anil speak in a meeting (nearly two years ago) he was convinced he had a $bn+ company on his hands - I certainly hope he gets there.

Re: Obama Takes Lieberman Aside -- Political Wire

tetsuotrees — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:36:42 -0000

Umm, hate to break it to you, but everything ObamaSucks wrote is, well, true...

Whether or not these bits stand against Barack in the general are for you to decide, but they are a matter of record.

Re: My Vision For Social Media

tetsuotrees — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:42:52 -0000

Actually, the Brazilian tribe brings up a rather interesting facet of Fred's vision that isn't implicitly stated: the ability to have things about your existence uncovered without your expressed approval. The web allows parties to rapidly uncover and disseminate information about previously unknown quantities, which begins the (sometimes long) process of making those quantities known. The Brazilian tribe is a rather cloudy example, as it is difficult to ascertain whether they would have wanted their existence uncovered had they had prior knowledge of both the processes and technologies involved and the potential consequences of not having their existence uncovered. But just as there will always be people who desire a life "off the grid", so too will there be people with an interest - however innocent - in bringing such people "into the light" so to speak. (I realize the language is a bit extreme.) The recluse may not actively share his life with the world, but in some sense, someone will undoubtedly be doing it for him...

Re: I Got Lucky

tetsuotrees — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:28:05 -0000

Thanks for the great post. I recently read Jim Cramer's book "Confessions of a Street Addict," which mentions your involvement in the funding of TheStreet.com. In one of the later chapters (I'm sure you've read or heard about at least parts of the work), Jim describes a note his wife left for him on her last day in the office. It read: "It's good to be good, but it's better to be lucky." Anyway, without wanting to run the risk of sounding like a bit of a squish, it's pretty cool to see what can happen at the confluence of those characteristics.

Re: Doriot Quote Of The Day

tetsuotrees — Sat, 31 May 2008 11:41:29 -0000

That's a fantastic point, Fred.