morgenthaler

Look out, Google: Siri is poised to take Apple into search (q&a)

Apple's virtual personal assistant, Siri, has led to an avalanche of buzz. Siri's ability to interpret natural language--something that other voice recognition systems just don't yet do--has won plenty of praise. And her sassy personality--yes, she seems to have a personality--has created quite a few fans. Just check out the popularity of the Tumble blog, S*** That Siri Says.

Yet entertainment value aside, Siri is serious business; and depending on how Apple plays it, Siri gives Apple a big opportunity to go after Google's core business of search. That, at least, is the opinion of … Read more

What's in your VC plea?

Editors' note: This is a guest column. See Rebecca Lynn's bio below.

Let's say you have an ingenious new business idea, and you're ready to seek venture capital. Knowing what venture capital investors look for in a pitch could mean the difference between a term sheet and a rejection.

As a VC, I've seen hundreds of pitches. And I can tell you that in today's environment, the best PowerPoint slide decks--whether delivered by first-time entrepreneurs or veteran company builders--share similar structure, content, and zing.

First, what's changed? I recently hosted a panel called "… Read more

Open source and the consumer Internet: an interview with Gary Little

Don Marti has posted an interesting podcast interview with Gary Little of Morgenthaler Ventures, an investor in JasperSoft and MuleSource. It's a great listen on the mechanics of open-source companies, and how open source changes the sales and marketing game for software comanies:

Gary Little, a partner at Morgenthaler Ventures, explains the interaction between an open source company and its user community, and how companies don't just cash in on the community, but the community changes the shape of a company.

Have a listen. Well worth the 26 minutes.