Recent Blog Posts
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Mapping Company Raises Millions
Nov 20 20094:09 pm EDT -
Facebook Valuations Are All Over the Map
Nov 20 200911:30 am EDT -
The Future of Tech, 2010 Edition
Nov 20 20099:13 am EDT -
Automatic Pancake-Making Machine Attracts $2 Million in Capital
Nov 19 20094:53 pm EDT -
Apple Talk of Microsoft's Annual Meeting
Nov 19 20091:27 pm EDT -
There Is Still Hope for the News Business
Nov 19 200911:50 am EDT -
The Google Phone May Be Near
Nov 18 20094:10 pm EDT -
Amazon Grocery Service Goes Mobile with iPhone
Nov 18 20099:13 am EDT -
How Microsoft Blew It in Mobile
Nov 17 20093:55 pm EDT -
Ten Reasons Why Startups Fail
Nov 17 20092:18 pm EDT
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Sep 30 2008 4:59pm EDT
Financial Crisis: Great Tech Start-ups In; iPhone Beer Simulators Out
Kevin Maney writes: Certainly tech guru Tim O'Reilly is onto something when he says that in this economy, if your tech start-up is making a beer chugging simulator for the iPhone -- you may want to rethink things.
But what's going to happen to one of the great engines of the U.S. economy -- i.e., tech start-ups? Some on the Web argue this could be a bleak time, with sources of money drying up and squeezing off all but the most robust start-ups. VC Fred Wilson has a more thoughtful take, signaling that venture-backed start-ups probably will be fine -- although new companies might have a harder time getting funding for a little while.
As I'd noted early in this financial debacle, tech start-ups often benefit from down times. One of the worst situations might be to start during good times with one set of expectations and have to adjust. But going forward, new start-ups will be born into a market where they have to keep costs low and take their time building a profitable business model. When things turn up again, those companies are in a tremendously good position.
In general, the Wall Street mess looks worse the closer you are to Wall Street. Silicon Valley will certainly feel the effects, but should be able to keep the start-ups and innovations coming. Let's hope so.
