Riptides

My Google status is slipping, so I guess the gods are telling me to blog more. I've promised to write more on my experiences at Novell, but I'm going to defer that for one more post to talk about another hat that I'm wearing this summer and throughout the school year.

As a BR Ventures fund manager, I get to focus my attention on two of our portfolio companies, one of which is Jodange. The investment decision to move forward with Jodange was made last Spring, but as most people know, a VC's job doesn't end with an investment. So, to the extent that Fund managers can successfully juggle full-time academics, summer internships, clubs and activities, as well as our comprehensive responsibilities for the Fund, we should and must work to promote the success of our portfolio companies. Of course, their success is our success, so I'm not talking about charity.

Jodange is an exciting company, technologically at the forefront of its field. The company's products are based on technology developed in Cornell's Computer Science Department under the direction of Dr. Claire Cardie. Larry Levy, the CEO, has a strong track record and all the right things VCs look for in a manger. And, the company already has substantive customer success, which speaks for itself.

BR Ventures believes that Jodange is positioned for big things (hence the investment), but that's not to say there aren't mountains to climb en route. For any company in today's economy, cash is king, but start-ups have a unique relationship with cash. By that I mean, they must do more than everyone else with far less than everyone else, with burn rates constantly pulling them out and under like dangerous riptides. I've read articles like this one on how down economies are good for first-rate start-ups. To be honest, I think that's seeing the world through rose colored glasses.

Yet, some start-ups will persevere and Jodange is at the top of my list.

p.s. I'm writing this post on a ferry headed from the Cape to MV. Lucky me.