CandidCapital

Time to walk the talk: blimp launches a business

A nagging thought that crosses the mind of every venture investor is "could I make it as an entrepreneur myself?"

I've been in venture capital for over twenty years without break (apart from a three year foray into working on a couple of start-ups which were abortive - i.e. never really launched) and the desire to start a business has got stronger in recent years. Maybe it's frustration caused by the increasing frequency with which investee management teams make all the same mistakes I've seen before!

Most often the mistakes revolve around the timeless truth that every new venture take three times as long and costs three times as much to get anywhere as the original plan anticipated. For a clear exposition of why this phenomenen is always true when launching an innovative, technology-led business read Geoffrey Moore's timeless Crossing the Chasm.

Anyway, one of my partners in the new business is taking 500 labels with our new logo and strap-line down to Glastonbury next week - in order to plaster them over all the loos and other places people may fleetingly halt to read them.

As for what this business is, and what it does, you'll have to wait a little longer..!

19 June 2009