Just saw this item, which reminded me of my suggestion about Google, where I wrote:
Instead of trying to retain great talent, perhaps Google should encourage them to leave. Start a different kind of founder’s award – one that seeds new startups. Given all the talent and all the interesting new companies springing up from the fertile soil of ex-Google land, I’d wager that fund would do damn well.
More from NYT:
The group, called Google Ventures, is expected to invest up to $100 million over the next 12 months. It will be overseen by David Drummond, who will continue in his role as senior vice president of corporate developing and chief legal officer at Google. Investments will be vetted by William Maris, who joined Google about a year ago, and Rich Miner, a co-founder of Android, a mobile software startup that Google acquired in 2005.
would you have taken their money to start FM John?
do you really think its a good use of their capital?
my thoughts are here
http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2009/03/googles-entrance-into-venture-capital.html
Agreed, John.
It is a great growth strategy, one that will allow them to grow beyond the limitations of AdWords, or even the internet. There is a lot of talent in them there hills, or valley.