Tipping Points

Reason #3 Why 2009 Was a Watershed Year for Tipping Point Partners

We formulated an investment approach that I'm excited about (I will write soon about what ideas interest us in 2010):

• Data=information=conversation=social
• Focus on applied technologies and business model innovation in large ecosystems
• Non-conventional entrepreneurs
• Active management by us is essential
• Operational scalability and sustainability matter
  
• Contrarian bets
• If it's not a good fit we don't do it
• Agnostic to capital type
• Focus on "highest and best use"
• No pressure to exit

Reason #2: Great Partners

Reason #1: Amazing Team

Supporting Haitian businesses here enables remittances to Haiti

I was touched by the following email, which made me realize that supporting Haitian businesses in the U.S. allows those business owners to send money to their families back home.  This is a nice way to show support for our Haitian neighbors and give them additional resources to help the aid effort in a very personal way. 

===================================

From: Nicholas Arons
Date: January 14, 2010 5:33:04 PM EST
To: nicholas.arons@gmail.com
Subject: [PWF] dear new york friends
Reply-To: nicholas.arons@gmail.com

Just wanted to give a shout out to my favorite Haitian restaurant: Kombit Kreyol, in Brooklyn. http://kombitrestaurant.com/

The food and drinks are incredible there, but obviously that's not what I'm suggesting it: the three sisters who own the restaurant lost many loved ones in Haiti. I just spoke to Marie who said they are keeping business open these days to, inter alia, raise money to send home. I am sure many of you have already donated in some form, but if you do find yourself deciding where to dine out these next few days, you could perhaps consider this jewel of New York...

-- Nicholas G. Arons
nicholas.arons@aya.yale.edu
http://www.islandsfirst.org/

Haiti Relief Text-to-Give @mobilecommons

It's been reassuring to see the overwhelming support American citizens and corporations are showing to Haiti.  As of Thursday, January 14, over $5 million has been donated via text messages, according to TechCruch.  The wireless carriers have agreed to waive their normal fees, which are typically 50% of the cost of these types of campaigns.
The following is a list of simple Text-to-Give campaigns that allow you to have a direct impact on the lives of the people of Haiti:

• Habitat for Humanity: Text HABITAT to 25383 to donate $10

• CARE: Text CARE to 25383 to donate $10

• International Rescue Committee: Text HAITI to 25383 to donate $5

• Oxfam International: Text OXFAM to 25383 to donate $10

• Americares: Text AMERICARES to 25383 to donate $10

• American Jewish World Service: Text AJWS to 25383 to donate $10

• Catholic Relief Services: Text Relief to 30644 to donate

This list represents campaigns powered by Tipping Point Partners' portfolio company Mobile Commons.

Reason #2 Why 2009 Was A Watershed Year for Tipping Point Partners

We have great partners.  In my mind, partners amplify my efforts, anticipate my needs and give me regular doses of frank honesty.  In our mutual actions, we trust (and verify), own up to our mistakes and shortcomings, underpromise, and do our best to overdeliver.  In short, partners make Tipping Point Partners better.  By this definition, I am lucky to be surrounded by people who act like partners, ranging from my colleagues to our co-investors and company founders. There are actually too many to mention, but you know who you are.  And I hope that you believe that I've lived up to my own standards.

There are three partners who deserve special recognition for the vital role they played in 2009:

• Pivotal Labs. Tipping Point Partners is a better firm because of Pivotal. Working with Pivotal has forced us to adopt a highly disciplined approach to agile development, which has forced us to think deeply about the business processes that can support and grow product-and-service centered companies. Our company creation and development process now meshes pretty seamlessly with Pivotal's agile software development methodologies, including our growing capability to manage to budgets and timetables.  And we are really proud of the software they've built with us, including Cookstr and Casebook (not public yet). 
• Engineyard.  Our companies are succeeding in making the transition to cloud computing because of Engineyard's Rails network management business.  Tipping Point Partners has become much smarter and thoughtful about infrastructure, thanks to Engineyard's deep experience and huge investment in thinking about cloud enablement and open source software hosting. 
• Aion Partners.  It's so easy to forget the vital role that real estate plays. But financial crisis has a funny way of showing business partners' true colors. I feel very fortunate for the great relationship Tipping Point has with our landlord - and partner.

Next, Reason #3 - Investment Thesis

Why 2009 Was A Watershed Year for Tipping Point Partners

2009 was a watershed year: the first in what I hope and believe will be a number of watershed years for Tipping Point Partners. 

Reason #1.    We built the foundation of an amazing Tipping Point Partners team.

Tipping Point would not be where we are today without their tireless efforts, intense focus, creativity, and passion. Nicole Tecco Reece created a non-secret, sharable sauce for how to manage an agile process to a budget and milestones, for government human services, of all things. Abby Schneiderman has been adding hands-on expertise in ad operations to her already deep skill set in online media -  both showcased at Cookstr – while working on other projects and new business development.  I’m really pleased to announce that Nicole and Abby were elevated to Principals.  And, of course, our business heart beats on a daily basis because of Tia Ba and Christine Marie Brown. 

I’m also gratified that Scott Penberthy has chosen to work with us as our CTO-in-residence after amazing stints at IBM, Photobucket, Heavy.com, and Gilt Groupe.

We are actively hiring for Tipping Point and our portfolio companies.  Check out my blog, under the category “Jobs”.

Tomorrow, Reason #2. 

Seeking Product Manager - Case Commons

Case Commons’ mission is to transform public sector human services through technology.  Case Commons enables workers serving the most vulnerable families and children to be more effective and efficient via new software tools. Casebook™, Case Commons’ marquee technology, is a collaborative, family-centered case management system that leverages the capabilities inherent in social networking technology for the public sector child welfare segment. A growing number of policymakers believe that Casebook™ can be a citizen portal for government services, including health, education and human services. Case Commons is funded by the $2.5 billion Annie E. Casey Foundation, which has spent 20 years pursuing human services system reform; since 2007 AECF has been building Casebook in partnership with Tipping Point Partners.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Strong desire and skills to succeed in a startup: tenacious, self-directed, flexible, strategic but can turn on a dime, able to inspire others and to be inspired
• Willingness to go the extra mile to make things happen; ability to travel 50% of time
• 2 to 5 years experience as a public sector social worker
• Prefer experience in product management using agile methodologies
• Experience in project management with large projects with multiple streams, complex dependencies and complicated stakeholder ecosystems
• Strong inter-personal and team skills, with active listening abilities and instincts
• Strong verbal and written communications skills, particularly ability to translate complex technical ideas into writing accessible by non-technical readers
• Exceptional analytical, visual, writing, and caring skills
• Common sense, limitless curiosity, terrific taste, and an appreciation for the absurd
• Multi-tasking fiend with a nearly photographic memory or tremendous organizational capabilities
• Nice to have: technical or scientific background; multiple languages; multicultural immersion experiences; actively engaged in social web

DESCRIPTION:

• Title: Product Manager, reporting to Head of Product Development
• Ecosystem: users, administration, domain experts, designers and software engineers from prototype through deployment
• Manage software development and customization, using Case Commons’ agile process
• Responsible for project management: design, scope, budget and quality
• Manage product plan and roadmap
• Produce and edit materials for user design meetings, story breakdown meetings, user tests, community management, and product marketing
• Translate field observations into detailed software development “stories”
• Demonstrate and explain existing product functionality to user community
• Design and conduct user testing
• Collaborate with and provide support to training team

About Tipping Point Partners.  Tipping Point Partners has worked on Casebook since 2007, leading product development and business functions.  Tipping Point builds and renovates Internet-based startups using innovative approaches to solving business model challenges. We look for opportunities to create new businesses that have significant social and/or cultural importance in markets that are ripe for disruption, both for-profit and not.  Since 2005, Tipping Point Partners’ unique approach to startups has included co-founding, interim management, strategic deal making, financing, investing and strategy, generally all at the same time. Our portfolio has included IGA Worldwide, FashionGPS, Mobile Commons, Cookstr, Rapid Ratings and many others. We achieve the highest and best use for our companies with an agnostic approach to capital sources and huge doses of sweat equity to accelerate development, extend runway and amplify opportunities. 

INTERESTED?
Send resume, biography, and link(s) to writing samples to art@tippingpointpartners.com, with a copy to christine@tippingpointpartners.com

Tipping Point Partners is seeking a part-time controller.

Job Opening:  Part-time Controller, Tipping Point Partners

Interested in building Internet startups? We are looking for a part-time Controller to help us manage our financial activities and those of some our younger portfolio companies. We promise make-or-break challenges, thrilling victories, great satisfaction and fun.

REQUIREMENTS:

·       CPA, CFA designations and/or finance or accounting degree

·       2-5 years of working experience in the following areas:

·       budget planning, forecasting and cash management

·       technology startup bookkeeping and accounting

·       not-for-profit bookkeeping and accounting

·       Fearless about technology and asking for help

·       Exceptional analytical, visual, writing, and caring skills

·       Common sense, limitless curiosity, terrific taste, and an appreciation for the absurd

·       Obsessive, detail-oriented person with a passion for simplicity and clarity

·       Process designer who can account for variety within human nature and the law of exceptions

DESCRIPTION

·       Controller, reporting directly to the CEO

·       Part-time, potential to lead to full-time position

·       Review current financial operations and recordkeeping and recommend changes

·       Establish financial management and control processes

·       Look for opportunities to achieve efficiencies, avoid risks and prevent surprises

·       Benefits available

·       Hourly rate, commensurate with experience

Tipping Point builds and renovates Internet-based startups using innovative approaches to solving business model challenges. We look for opportunities to create new businesses that have significant social and/or cultural importance in markets that are ripe for disruption, both for-profit and not.  Since 2005, Tipping Point Partners’ unique approach to startups has included co-founding, interim management, deal-making, financing, investing and strategy, generally all at the same time. Our portfolio has included IGA Worldwide, FashionGPS, Mobile Commons, Cookstr, Rapid Ratings and many others. We achieve the highest and best use for our companies with an agnostic approach to capital sources and huge doses of sweat equity to accelerate development, extend runway and amplify opportunities. 

INTERESTED?

Send resume, biography, and a writing sample to art@tippingpointpartners.com, with a copy to christine@tippingpointpartners.com

Interested in building Internet startups?...

...We are looking for an Analyst.  We promise hard work, awesome obstacles, black diamond learning curve, thrilling victories, great satisfaction and fun.

REQUIREMENTS:

·       2-5 years of working experience

·       Proficient with communications tools for social media and business

·       Web native: actively engaged in social web

·       Fearless about technology, math and asking for help

·       Exceptional analytical, visual, writing, and caring skills

·       Common sense, limitless curiosity, terrific taste, and an appreciation for the absurd

·       Multi-tasking fiend with a nearly photographic memory or tremendous organizational capabilities

·       Nice to have: experience in consulting and/or corporate finance; technical or scientific background; multiple languages; multicultural immersion experiences

DESCRIPTION

·       Analyst, reporting directly to the CEO

·       Assist with communications, including public presentations, Board and investor presentations

·       Perform research

·       Analyze data and quantitative information to create insights into the present and intriguing visions of the future

·       Build relationships with team members, portfolio companies, partners, and prospective portfolio companies

       ·       4 weeks paid vacation

·       Benefits

·       Salary commensurate with experience

Tipping Point builds and renovates Internet-based startups using innovative approaches to solving business model challenges. We look for opportunities to create new businesses that have significant social and/or cultural importance in markets that are ripe for disruption, both for-profit and not.  Since 2005, Tipping Point Partners’ unique approach to startups has included co-founding, interim management, deal-making, financing, investing and strategy, generally all at the same time. Our portfolio has included IGA Worldwide, FashionGPS, Mobile Commons, Cookstr, Rapid Ratings and many others. We achieve the highest and best use for our companies with an agnostic approach to capital sources and huge doses of sweat equity to accelerate development, extend runway and amplify opportunities for our companies. 

INTERESTED?

Send resume, biography, and link(s) to writing samples to art@tippingpointpartners.com, with a copy to christine@tippingpointpartners.com

Apple Approves Spotify iPhone App Ahead Of U.S. Launch (AAPL)

Congrats to Daniel Ek for his calm perseverance in getting Spotify to this position.  Competes with iTunes with the slickest and most advanced streaming music service I've ever used.  And where did he get his catalog?  Check out the YouTube demo.

Apple Approves Spotify iPhone App Ahead Of U.S. Launch (AAPL).

What Happened to the Ad-Network Apocalypse?

..."rampant consolidation" and "decimation" were used to describe the impending, inevitable shakeout that was sure to come.

Almost a year later, no apocalyptic shakeout has hit yet. So what happened? 

What Happened to the Ad-Network Apocalypse? - Advertising Age - DigitalNext.