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RUDE VC – Last question: gimme your password

Imagine this scenario: You just completed a full day of second-round interviews at the Company’s premises following your successfully making the first cut at their on-campus recruiting session. It was a long, grueling day, but you feel good about the positive impression you made on everyone. Your well-prepared questions clearly hit the mark, and you […]

Can France do Social?

Can France do Social?

In my most recent efforts to understand how to take a city and turn it into a startup city, I’ve been toying with an idea given to me by Jason Calacanis: I posed him the question of how European cities could create an ecosystem on the same level as (note: not “replicating”) the Silicon Valley. […]

The Trouble with Blog Comments

The Trouble with Blog Comments

I began blogging on New Years eve 2009 (sad, but true). That was almost 2 years ago. And this isn't the first time I am dealing with an issue involving problematic blog comments...

Smartdate, the French startup everyone is asking questions about

First off, for anyone who doesn't know Smartdate, it's often defined as the French Zoosk. It's a Facebook-based dating platform that helps you date people within your online network. The company officially launched in March 2010 raised some €5.5 million with 360 Capital and 2 well-known French entrepreneurs (in the country where it is supposedly impossible to raise money), launched its platform in 6 different languages and accumulated 650K members within a year.

Bref.The French TV show that is now a video CV.

For anyone who lives outside of France, there's a new show that has taken over the country.

I'm sorry, did you think French companies don't acquire?

It's true. French companies don't have the same acquisition culture as some of the American tech darlings, like Google or Facebook. And it definitely doesn't help the local exit market. French and other European companies often look across the Atlantic when it comes time to go public or get acquired.But just because there are more exit opportunities elsewhere doesn't mean there are none at home.

What's wrong with being a copycat?

It's funny almost to the point of hilarity. We applaud numerous copycat companies around the globe (Yandex anyone?) but are quick to criticize when it comes to Europe.