Tim Draper’s Keynote at ETRE

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I know that it was laced a bit, but we liked Tim’s keynote. Why? It was original and it was in keeping with his maverick innovative style (almost can’t use the world “maverick” anymore in this political climate).

He addressed the price of being pessimistic – which he used a simple example – if you bought TBills in the 80s it would only be worth $5,000 USD today versus stocks which would be worth about $15,000 to $20,000 versus venture which would be $150,000 to $200,000. See his point?

He was clear about how much he dislikes Sarbanes Oxley and how it has stiffled entrepreneurial growth through the paying of  “blood money” to accountants, but he also talked about the cost of communism (India and China are rocking), opportunity versus entitlement, earnings versus rights, business solutions versus government intervention and Let losers die versus bailout (re: AIG). He was all about enough with the fear, that we all needed to keep moving and not be paralyzed by that the media had fed and to move forward with optimism.

He also nailed what is driving a lot of the technology change today – acceleration — the world has opened up through all the communication that is available to us and since we are all connected through technology we are truly world citizens – peace, scientific breakthroughs, global campaigns, borderless citizens  – connected no matter where we are. This does make a difference in terms of product adoption as a new product spreads must faster than ever before and the adoption of tech has accelerated this.

Innovation has changed they way we shop, think, eat process. Amazon rennovated the  bookstore
Hot Mail the  post office, Skype the phone companies, Google the broadcasters. These businesses solved problems, maybe they made some more problems -but they also rennovated traditional forms of business through technology.

He also addressed the one topic that we had been talking about for weeks and said what we hav been saying… the Markets are not efficient and they don’t value things accurately, but they serve a purpose. Simple. Well put. Thanks Tim.

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Tags: Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Timothy C. Draper, venture capital

Red Herring ETRE 2008 – what a line up

This agenda is amazing – the speakers, the topics. We are so excited to get access to all of these technarati in one room for three days. For starters, we have three key notes that I am sure will have you bucked into your seats – Tim Draper, Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Travis Katz, Managing Director, Fox International Media and Rob Glaser, Chief Executive Officer, RealNetworks. Last time we say Tim speak he broke into a song, maybe this time, we will get a little dance to go along with it – always pushing the envelope, he is one never to miss.

On the wireless panel we have Shashank Jain, Head of Business Incubation & Development, Nokia Emerging where I know we will be able to hear about the next wave of innovation which is we think, going to take us to the next mobile level.

On the global outlook which we know will be interesting in these current Market (see how cool that word is!) conditions we have Wolfgang Hanrieder, Managing Director, Carlyle Group,  Bastian Luecken, Partner, Texas Pacific Group, Dominic Lester, Global Head of EMEA Technology, UBS Investment Bank and Annika Falkengren, Chief Executive Officer, SEB. Now that one we are not missing.

Not only that but there are 24 emerging tech, some unlaunched companies that will reveal the next big thing. This is where the future lies.

Other keynotes include Ken Kannapan, President & CEO, Plantronics  and Jean-Philippe Courtois, President, Microsoft International (we like him even though he works for MS)

But the panel that will keep us in the front row and get immediate coverage is the Telecoms panel and this one doesn’t look like your fathers Telecoms panel — Christian Miccio, Director, Google, Frederique Schepens, Regional VP, Belgacom, Carsten Birkschulte, Chief Executive Officer, Synchronica  and Peter Trinkl, Head of Strategy & Business Development, Swisscom. Sit tight -we will give you all the details live from the event

Tags: Belgacom, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Rob Glaser, SEB, Swisscom, Timothy C. Draper