Bill Clinton - candid Q&A
As expected, the PanIIT 2009 conference team put up a great show. Of the 30+ sessions, here are my personal favorites/picks:
- Keynote - Bill Clinton Former US President
- Panel - Financing the New Venture
Ramneek Bhasin, EIR Mayfield Fund;
Lon Chow, GP Apex Ventures;
Keith Crandell; MD, ARCH Venture Partners;
Raja Krishnamoorthi, Candidate for Illinois Comptroller;
Moderator – Arjun Malhotra - Keynote - Aneesh Chopra, CTO US Government
- Panel - Business Leaders
B. Muthuraman, Managing Director Tata Steel;
Rich Lavin, Group President, Caterpillar;
Subodh Bhargava, Chairman, Tata Telecom;
Sanjay Khosla, EVP and President, Intl., Kraft Foods;
Moderator – Mohanbir Sawhney, Professor, Kellogg School of Business - Rounding it off was an excellent performance by Kailash Kher and his band Kailasa. I’m sure a few bootlegged video clips will show up sooner or later. In the meantime, enjoy one of their performances from a live event in 2008.
Former President Bill Clinton - keynote
Financing the New Venture - Panel
Aneesh Chopra, CTO US Government - keynote
Business Leaders - panel
You might need to download and install the dyyno plug-in to watch.
An interesting coincidence indeed. I find myself on the panel addressing Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Pan IIT conference in Chicago later this month. Serving as a mentor on a class titled the same at the Haas School of Business at Cal Berkeley had nothing to do with it.
I have been thoroughly impressed with the energy and enthusiasm the students of the Fall ‘09 class at Haas are demonstrating. That, coupled with structure they are being provided with, is certain to create a substantial enterprise or two. I hope to learn a thing or two myself from my co-panelists at PanIIT 2009 in terms of getting these ventures financed and off the ground. I’ll report back – stay tuned. [Oct 11. Blog post now available]
For the soul, there is never birth nor death, nor having once been, does he ever cease to be. Bhagvad Gita
Gautam Bhargava's speech at memorial
With an elegant memorial service for Mots, the final chapter was written this past Friday, September 25th, 2009. This post is dedicated to all those who had the great fortune of knowing him as a friend, relative, colleague, alum, investor, mentor, prankster, or, as Sergey Brin put it – with a “Motwani factor of 1.”
This is (and will be) be a compendium of links to articles that I find particularly meaningful in chronicling the life and legacy of Rajeev Motwani.
- Remembering Rajeev (a living web tribute)
- A Workshop on Randomized Algorithms in honor of Rajeev Motwani (Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Sep 27th)
- The importance of living life (Om Malik, Sep 26th)
- Memorial service at Stanford recalls genius and generosity (San Jose Mercury, Sep 25th)
- Celebration of Life (Prakash Narayan, Sep 25th)
- You Are Invited To Celebrate Rajeev Motwani’s Life (Michael Arrington, Sep 14th)
- In memory of Rajeev Motwani (Lakshmi Pratury, Jul 16th)
- Expressing Grief for Mots. Not writing an Obituary (Ramneek Bhasin, Jun 21st)
- Forever etched in our hearts and minds (Ramneek Bhasin, Jun 8th)
Private concert by Indian Ocean at Stanford amphitheater
A fitting finale with Indian Ocean singing Kandisa (meaning Praise).
Largely due to self-imposed constraints (as an EIR at Mayfield and a “mentor” for Carl Nichols’ EWMBA 295A class at the Haas School of Business), I can’t really blog about some of the really cool ideas I get to review and the bright individuals I have the privilege of working with. IOW, my blogging has been bogged down. That said, there are a few abstract topics I am going to jot down as time permits.
Both at Mayfield and Haas, I’m frequently asked by entrepreneurs about objective criteria by which an investment can be evaluated. This is a very broad question and there are no easy answers for early-stage companies. It often comes down to intuition about the market, the team, technology underpinnings and proposed business models. However, mid/late-stage companies do have a variety of parameters one could review. Not surprising, the same tools that a CEO uses to run a company can be used for building an investment thesis as well.
Here is my “1-page” dashboard. Each line item is owned by someone on the exec team and serves as a living document that can be used for internal management meetings, board meetings and, of course, investor meetings. There is always the alternative – a wing and a prayer.
Market
- 1-line market & industry description
- Direct competitors
- Indirect competitors
- Outliers and/or market dynamics that could be disruptive
Business
- Revenue & Forecast
- Sales Pipeline
- Partners and/or Channels
- Regions (regional differences that can impact)
- Legal issues, if any (patents, copyrights, other)
People (& Locations)
- HR (headcount, issues if any)
- Locations
- External (Board of Directors, Board of Advisers)
Product
- Current/shipping products
- Roadmap 12-18 months out
Financials
- Cash Flow & (if applicable) Zero-Cash-Date with & without revenue
- Top parameters from Balance Sheet
- Top parameters from Income Statement
Your mileage may vary, based upon your company’s unique situation and market it’s operating in. Feel free to adapt from here and leave ideas so others may benefit.
I’m sure by now everyone has read many a tome examining Twitter. This 4:23 min video clip captures this quite succintly. So, with twitter induced brevity, without further ado… enjoy.
The edge is finally coming off the pain and I can turn to some fun and memorable moments with Rajeev. The last time we chatted was at the Jagjit Singh concert, just a few days before the ill-fated accident. We reminisced about the first time each of us had heard the maestro. Prompted by the editorial team at Indogram to write, not an obituary, but a personal anecdote or two, I’ll begin with my very first recollection of meeting Rajeev… in 1978. The mind is a strange muscle indeed when it comes to sifting through gobs and gobs of data. Ironically, Rajeev would have enjoyed this analogy.
The first encounter was a very typical one during freshman ragging season at IIT Kanpur. Here was this nerdy-looking, bespectacled guy with a great (low) JEE rank that we sent to the mythical IIT Simla. (For those who may not know, there is no IIT in Simla. This is the moniker given to the crawlspace between the top of the dorm-room closet and the ceiling). The only way to get out of there was to answer a few really crooked math problems, or sing the corny, obscenity-laden IIT anthem (Gungoo mochi and oil bottles, anyone?). Needless to say, Rajeev chose the math option, and you guessed it – answered any and all problems thrown at him. Now, in hindsight, it seems obvious. At that time 30+ years ago, who would’ve imagined that I was ragging someone who would become a world authority on algorithms!
Life moves on, and we fast forward to circa 2000 — way before angel investing had become a passion for Rajeev. We had both been in the Bay Area since the mid 1980’s, so our paths would cross socially every now and then. However, it was not till Gautam Bhargava (Rajeev’s IITK batch-mate and a mutual friend) and I teamed up to form Vialto, raised an angel round, and started exploring VC-funding that I got to know Rajeev at a professional level. I am taking the liberty of posting a snapshot of my mailbox from those early days of forming the company. I chanced upon this gem as I flipped through my mailbox, much like reviewing a scrapbook in search of memories. The text is self-explanatory. Rajeev is exhibiting simple purposefulness — to advise, help, invest and offer any associations he can. He and Asha (DotEdu + Deutsche Banc) were the first institutional investors in Vialto and the catalyst for us eventually securing a VC-round. Rajeev joined our advisory board and continued to help the company through its multiple ups-and-downs, all the way to the acquisition. There are now several such similar stories that are emerging [See Renkoo, Adchemy, Chingari as examples].
Rajeev's FB wall on Jun 21, '09. Wall post at bottom by Sunil Singh (IITK 78-83)
Over the years of my professional friendship with him, rather than struggle with some ill-conceived ideas about technology and incomprehensible Greek, I would shoot off an email to Rajeev. He would reply, often within minutes, sometimes during the wee hours of the morning. He always had an insightful point of view, or a link to a referred contact.
Our email exchanges slowed a little as he amassed his massive portfolio of emerging startups. However, not surprisingly, some exchanges moved to Facebook. It is social media that he used, characteristically and unassumingly, that truly showed the way he viewed the world – one big connected universe of entrepreneurs and friends. Whether it was household names Larry and Sergey, or the wannabees Gautam and Ramneek, he was a connection, a channel, and never hesitated to foster the links.
What a phenomenal legacy he leaves behind. The 30+ years blur in to one giant memory – what an honor to have been a small part of his large life, incredible legacy and – in all humility – to just know him.
Rajeev Motwani (in May '05) from my personal stash
Very sad and extremely tragic. There is no other way to describe this.
This post is for those several of us grieving in our own quiet way; those who knew Rajeev as a fellow alum, a colleague, a mentor, an investor and most importantly as a friend. A friend you could trust with technology, business, personnel or personal challenges, anytime, anywhere.
Rest in Peace my friend. We all carry a piece of you in our hearts and minds – especially your enigmatic smile.
Links:
- Rajeev’s home page (at Stanford)
- Obituary on IITK CS site
- Rajeev’s wikipedia entry
- Remembering Rajeev (by Sergey Brin, June 8th 2009)
- Goodbye Old Friend (by Om Malik, (June 8th)
- Professor Behind Google, Dies at 47 (NY Times, June 9th)
- Expressing Grief for Mots. Not writing an Obituary (June 21st)
- In memory of Rajeev Motwani (by Lakshmi Pratury, July 16th)
- You Are Invited To Celebrate Rajeev Motwani’s Life (Michael Arrington, September 14th)
- Memorial service at Stanford recalls genius and generosity (San Jose Mercury, Sep 25th)
- The importance of living life (Om Malik, September 26th)
As a part of my ongoing effort to compile memorable content – here is a great commencement speech delivered by Paul Hawken to the Class of 2009, University of Portland, on May 3, 2009.
Great gems in here include:
Civilization needs a new operating system, and you are the programmers [to make it happen].
This planet came with a set of instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them.
And he quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson…
… what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course. The world would create new religions overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead, the stars come out every night and we watch television.
Healing or Stealing?
When I was invited to give this speech, I was asked if I could give a simple short talk that was “direct, naked, taut, honest, passionate, lean, shivering, startling, and graceful.” No pressure there.
Let’s begin with the startling part. Class of 2009: you are going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth at a time when every living system is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Kind of a mind-boggling situation… but not one peer-reviewed paper published in the last thirty years can refute that statement. Basically, civilization needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades.
This planet came with a set of instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like read more…
- Commencement Speech of May 16, ‘09
A milestone post for me, a milestone for my daughter, and a milestone for the family, yet words escape me. I guess one can get overwhelmed with the gush of thoughts and emotions. So, the best I can do is to pen down a short, open letter to her.
Namita
You make mom and I proud. It is a lot of personal adversity that you have overcome to get, not one, but a double major from one of the toughest academic institutions… and, in 4 years! You have done this with grace and without compromising any of your ideals and values. Contrary to popular belief, the proudest moments were not necessarily your acceptance to Berkeley, or seeing you on stage as the student speaker at the commencement. These were simply points on a continuum of how you have traversed this path so purposefully, yet elegantly. You were, and have remained strong-willed and clear in setting directions and goals for yourself. You are a delightful daughter to us and a great sister to Neal.
Congratulations again on your graduation, not just from Cal, but graduation to adulthood. You and your fellow grads are graduating in perhaps the most challenging economic conditions in generations. But take heart – you have many opportunities, a great life ahead and, we know you’ll make the most of it. This is just the beginning. We love you very much and are proud to be your parents.
Here’s to you Namita (and the class of 2009), in the prose by Dr. Seuss that we used to read together when you were 5, maybe 6…
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the [woman] who’ll decide where to go.You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care. read more…
The masses in India couldn’t have asked for a better outcome, and if the country could’ve asked, it couldn’t have asked for a more practical result. It is a giant step towards stabilizing and building on secular and truly democratic foundations.
There are several articles and news reports now available from venerable sources with most of them chronicling the elation. The Sensex is supposed to sky-rocket in celebrating the unexpected and the euphoria, especially for Congress supporters is at a fever pitch. In a time like this it is easy to forget that India’s challenges still remain daunting, starting with the security situation.
When you are surrounded by nations such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and China — each presenting its own set of unique challenges from the outside — it is a tough balancing act inside. However, the burdens of extreme poverty, lack of education, malnutrition, power, water… on and on, still remain. Tavleen Singh has published a short but excellent OpEd piece in the Indian Express – “Great! Now get to work.” It’s definitely worth the read.
Here’s rooting for the new government to take shape quickly and get on with things purposefully. India can’t afford to waste this golden moment and the opportunity it presents.
Other good write-ups:
WSJ: Driving India’s Economic Reforms and Vote Tally Could Aid India Stocks
Economist: Congress comes back
