All Quiet In Silicon Valley

So does this mean that there is nothing that interests Mr. Clark, nothing interesting that he wants to invest in or has new group of people taken over the vision of the Valley?

It sounds like Jim Clark is tired. That's ok, no one has to keep going forever. But I agree with Andy Grove's opinions on this matter far more:

http://www.businessweek.com/print/magazine/content/03_34/b3846612.htm

"Technology is like a river. The rate of change in technology is as much today as any time in my experience."

My God, talk about a dour view. Does he need to be placed on Celexa? Sure the economy sucks. True entreprenuers continue to go to the plate to swing the bat. I agree with Derek's comment, maybe Jim Clark is just tired. Innovation continues; great ideas exist and continue to germinate.

Wow, those are pretty surprising choices in your list of counters. Aside from Google and blogs (and I guess, wi-fi, though I don't understand where the opportunity is there), I am surprised to hear a VC counter with "social software" apps(wikis, friendster, and most blogging stuff too). Is this an area where VC deals are being made? I've had the impression that it is all angel or smaller pooled fund activity.

In the current funding environment, by the time VC's are funding something its no longer innovative (tongue in cheek).

Seriously, most VCs want to see 18-24 months of bootstrapping/self-funding, a deployed product, an installed customer base, and revenue (profits are preferred). Does that describe very many innovations?

Jim,
Don't cry because you invested in a lot of worthless dot-com crapola. There were a lot of good business that never got funded because they didn't fit the dot-com ponzi-scheme model ... and some of them are doing just fine without your help ... THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Its one thing for people to get tired and leave the stage and another to indirectly badmouth the people who are out there working on something meaningful. Its rather stupid for people like Jim Clarke to think that Silicon Valley will be more like Detroit going forward!!

Also, Clark wasn't the most savvy tech CEO, he let the young bucks at NSCP talk major shit about how they were going to "kill" Microsoft. Bad idea.

Jim is just tired, pure and simple. If I was in his place I'd move to Florida too, get myself a nice condo on the beach and accept my old age. Business and innovation go in cycles and you have to be diligent and patient enough to weather out the dips if you expect to keep riding the waves.

Then again, it's easier and requires less brain cells to make money in real estate...

The Bay Area is crawling with innovation. The new business tinder just needs a capital spark. Fortunately, the bar is now being lowered a bit to a reasonable level.

I've been introducing some truly out of the box companies (some still in concept) to well known VCs. They've been receptive. Of course, all of the traditional good business requirements pertain: have a good management team, or at least a closet full of would-be executives; manage your cash well; know your markets as well as you can; fit your product to the market and customers, etc.

But even the infamous, tired, and often unanswerable deal-breaker question, "What are your current sales?" is now being replaced by, "Who can I talk to who will buy your products?" This more sensible filter ensures that potential big hits are not dissed for trival reasons.