Tag Archives: startups

Too much seed money could kill HubDub -and the other prediction market startups.

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QUESTION: Why did Monitor 110 fail?

ANSWER: Too much money.

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  1. The lack of a single, &#8220-the buck stops here&#8221- leader until too late in the game-
  2. No separation between the technology organization and the product organization-
  3. Too much PR, too early-
  4. Too much money-
  5. Not close enough to the customer-
  6. Slow to adapt to market reality-
  7. Disagreement on strategy both within the Company and with the Board.

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Personally, my view is that the concept should be excellent.

Being first on a market helps.

Hiring visionaries and leaders helps.

Picking up and developing the right technology helps.

But the key is the concept.

Nigel Eccles got the concept right.

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HubDub CEO Nigel Eccles teaches you startup lessons.

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Video

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Challenge #1: Get that &#8220-Bambi Francisco&#8221- to pronounce your last name correctly. :-D

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Previous blog posts by Chris F. Masse:

  • The FaceBook profiles of the 2 most important men of the field of prediction markets
  • THE HUMAN GADFLY WHOSE OBJECTIONS ROBIN HANSON IS DUCKING…???…
  • Google now considers Midas Oracle as a major blog.
  • Horizon 2015: A long-term strategic perspective for the real-money prediction markets
  • Join our group at LinkedIn to have your “Prediction Markets” badge on your profile. It’s ‘chic’. (“Groups” info should be set as “visible”, in your profile options.) We are 63 this early Saturday morning —keeps growing.
  • If you have been using PayPal to fund your InTrade, TradeSports or BetFair account, please, check that horror story.
  • 48 hours after the launch of the “Prediction Markets” group at LinkedIn, we have already 52 members —both prediction market luminaries and simple people (trading the event derivatives or collecting the market-generated probabilities).

Inkling Markets GodFather Speaks Out.

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Taking his propos and applying them to Adam Siegel and Nate Kontny, you&#8217-d get that:

  • The key is Adam Siegel and Nate Kontny&#8217-s determination. They refuse to fail.
  • The key for Nate Kontny was to find out a good co-founder &#8212-that was Adam Siegel.
  • [M]arket is the biggest determinant in the outcome of successful startups. […] Smart people [like Adam Siegel and Nate Kontny] will find big markets.

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Same things could be said of David Perry and Ken Kittlitz, or Emile Servan-Schreiber and Maurice Balick.

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Predictify got funded… Great for those who will be hired… But is it a good thing, overall?

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Via Nigel Eccles and Mat Fogarty, the Predictify blog, Mashable, and VentureBeat.

NewsFutures, Consensus Point and Inkling Markets were self-funded, are now profitable, and are continuing to address their customers&#8217- problems with a continually improved technology. These 3 prediction market software vendors are proving that you can create a sustainable business without the need to get &#8220-funded&#8221- by angel investors or VCs. With the money from those guys also comes the pressure to &#8220-monetize&#8221- every thing. It&#8217-s not always a good thing to have the suits running the show. NewsFutures, Consensus Point and Inkling Markets are still in the hands of their founders, and they are still free to execute their vision &#8212-the way they want.

What&#8217-s your view, folks?

Previous blog posts by Chris F. Masse:

  • A second look at HedgeStreet’s comment to the CFTC about “event markets”
  • Since YooPick opened their door, Midas Oracle has been getting, daily, 2 or 3 dozens referrals from FaceBook.
  • US presidential hopeful John McCain hates the Midas Oracle bloggers.
  • If you have tried to contact Chris Masse thru the Midas Oracle Contact Form, I’m terribly sorry to inform you that your message was not delivered to the recipient.
  • THE CFTC’s SECRET AGENDA —UNVEILED.
  • “Over a ten-year period commencing on January 1, 2008, and ending on December 31, 2017, the S & P 500 will outperform a portfolio of funds of hedge funds, when performance is measured on a basis net of fees, costs and expenses.”
  • Meet professor Thomas W. Malone (on the right), from the MIT’s Center for Collective Intelligence.

Whose side are you on?

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Mike Arrington–

Michael Arrington refers to this blog post, which I have already linked to.

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I&#8217-m rather in the Mike Arrington camp, but I&#8217-m not necessarily proud of it. (Ducan Riley would tell me to &#8220-get fu****&#8220-. :-D )

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I would be interested to have Adam Siegel or David Perry&#8217-s opinion on all that. Or Mat Fogarty&#8230- Or Emile Servan-Schreiber. Or John Delaney. Or else.