Scott Poniewaz

Entrepreneur, globetrotter, foodie, and the Silicon Alley Roundup

Silicon Alley Roundup: Facebook IPO, Startup America & AARRR Acquisition

It's all about the Benjamin's.

Facebook filed to go public with the SEC this week.  More below, but let’s just say there are going to be a lot of new millionaires in America that will hopefully start investing in more startups.  I can only see this improving the support for new business in America with an influx of new investors.  Or so I hope.

Most New Yorkers have a big Giants game on their mind for Sunday, I’m sure it will be a great game, but I’m just not that excited for either team to win.  All I can hope for is that this Super Bowl is an exciting game and the commercials are good.  Off to finish the week on a strong note, and catch you up with the Silicon Alley Roundup… Straight from Times Square.

 

Roundup Reads for the Week:

•The big, long awaited news is Facebook this week.  I am actually already tired of hearing about it, but until that expected late May date that officially marks their entry into the public market, we’ll have a lot.  Techcrunch is practically having a wet dream over it all, so here is their endless scroll of stories and Facebook IPO roundup, including Zuck’s face in their logo (seriously? You know what’s cool? Getting written up in Techcrunch. You know what’s really cool? Getting your face in Techcrunch’s logo.)

 

The only story I really appreciated (after reading the NY Times one first), was about the Facebook graffiti artist that took his payment in stock that could be worth up to $200 Million.  Betabeat covers it here: “Facebook Graffiti Artist May Be Worth $200 M, Is Pals With Porn Star Sasha Grey.” Oh, and I guess I did appreciate this CNBC post about how Zuck could potentially leverage debt to never have to pay taxes.

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Silicon Alley Roundup: Leadership lessons and Airbnb on the rise

Grr to getting sick!

I’m finally recovering after a week of the flu and just in time for the weekend.  I wish I could have reversed that, but so it goes.  During that time, I managed to find a new, very dorky hobby I want to get into: Andruino.  Time is short, but any beginning advice is appreciated!   Before we get into this week’s roundup, I compiled 5 tips to avoid getting sick with some help from the CDC:

 

  1. Get a flu shot (I never have and I’m the one that got sick)
  2. Avoid germs. Wash hands, don’t touch your eyes/nose/mouth, and if you can afford it, don’t take the subway in NYC for the 5 months of flu season.
  3. Take vitamin C and drink lots of water through the winter, then at the first sign of a cold/illness, get some Airborne.  When I flew all the time, Airborne worked wonders for me.
  4. Exercise.  It is widely known that regular exercise helps to boost the immune system.  That and the body fuels the mind.
  5. Be careful dating girls in finance.  Their trading floor setups are breeding grounds for germs and the spread of illness (Of course I’m not bitter).

Now that I’ve battled the illness away, it is time to make up for lost time on both building Dibsie, a social shopping site, and training for a marathon.  Enjoy this week’s roundup.

Roundup Reads for the Week:

•Productivity is something everyone strives for, some believe they are experts, but for the most part, it comes down to figuring out the best system for yourself.  HBR lays out an interesting argument against to-do lists, and I have heard from several office mates that Daniel Markovitz’s strategy works: “To-Do Lists Don’t Work”

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Silicon Alley Roundup: Losses, Innovation, and Keeping It Simple

It was a rough week.  The Packers lost to the Giants.  Sure, I live in New York, but there is one thing, okay, maybe two things, I will never agree with New Yorkers on: the Giants and the Yankees.  Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the team just didn’t even come out to play, and unfortunately, it cost our team the season.  Sure, there is next year, but it isn’t this year.  I’ll just need to wait for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 20/20 cricket to begin in April.  Today, January 20, is officially Cheese Lovers Day, so go find yourself some good cheese to celebrate.  Murray’s Cheese near Union Square may be in order for a grilled cheese lunch today.

Sarah Burke (September 3, 1982 – January 19, 2012)

On a more serious note, I am deeply saddened by the loss of freeskier Sarah Burke (via Powder Magazine).
Some of you may know that skiing holds a deep place in my heart, and unfortunately too many of my idols and peers from the freeskiing and outdoors world have passed away at a young age.  Sarah Burke, is yet another skier that was tragically taken from us after she ruptured a vertebral artery while training on a half pipe at Park City, UT which led to further neurological complications she was unable to fight through.  Her family has amassed over $550,000 in medical bills and a fund has been set up for them at GiveForward.  Sarah will be deeply missed.  If you can, please donate here: http://www.giveforward.com/sarahburke?t=2

For my friends and family, ski fast, go big, and most importantly, ski safe.

Roundup Reads for the Week:

•On a more positive note, Betabeat reported that Amit Gupta, co-founder of Jelly NYC and Photojojo, has found a bone marrow transplant donor after months of social media searching.  It is amazing what the tech community can do when it comes together.

•Matt Wilson couldn’t be more right with his letter to startups, “Dear Tech World, Please Grow Up” on Under30ceo.com  Yes, flip flops and hoodies are comfortable, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t act professionally.  Rolling in at 11 am is fine, but you know what’s cooler? Rolling in at 7 am.

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Silicon Alley Roundup: Accelerating into 2012. ‘Siri’ously.

2012 is off to a great start and my New Years resolutions are still holding strong.  I’m not going to curse it, but so far, so good.  Dibsie has been rocking in the first week as one of the 10 new companies in the Entrepreneur Roundtable Accelerator’s second class.  It is an incredible opportunity and one I’m extremely grateful for.   Over the next couple months, I’m sure I’ll touch on this more, but for now, let’s get into this week’s Silicon Alley Roundup, which seems to be taking both a serious and ‘Siri’ous tone this week.

 

Roundup Reads for the Week:
•Meet ERA’s second class.  Be sure to support us, follow us, and help us succeed.  Here is Betabeat’s introduction to the 10 lucky companies.  Also, don’t forget to see ERA highlighted in Forbe’s Magazine’s Top 10 Incubators, which are considered more difficult to get into than Ivy League schools.

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Going the extra mile in running and in life

Over the weekend I had a run where your mind stops working and your hunger pangs and dehydration take over.  You miscalculate the math and rather than turn around at your pre-calculated spot, your confused mind at the 9 mile mark decides you’re supposed to run another half mile.  Increasing your 13 mile run to 14 miles.  Fortunately it was one of those great sunny days along the West Side Highway and the Hudson River.  It was 50+ degrees, sunny, running in shorts and a t-shirt, so it doesn’t get much better in January.  Chasing a marathon in March, and Jay-Z hits the headphones with Young Forever (and specifically the lines below the video).  Then it becomes unbeatable and inspiring.  That realization that your turnaround point was wrong at the 12 mile mark just got wiped away, its all about the chase and achieving a goal.  I’ll be that much better for it by literally going the extra mile,  I’ll never be afraid of that.


Jay-Z – Young Forever [Jay-Z + Mr Hudson] by AtlanticRecords

So we live a life like a video
When the sun is always out and you never get old
And the champagne’s always cold
And the music is always good
And the pretty girls just happen to stop by in the hood
And they hop their pretty ass up on the hood of dat pretty ass car
Without a wrinkle in today
Cuz there is no tomorrow
Just some picture perfect day
To last a whole lifetime
And it never ends
Cos all we have to do is hit rewind
So lets just stay in the moment, smoke some weed,
Drink some wine,
Reminisce talk some shit forever young is in your mind
Leave a mark that can’t erase neither space nor time
So when the director yells cut,
I’ll be fine,
I’m forever young…

-Jay-Z

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2012 New Years Resolutions for an Entrepreneur

Oh boy, here we go again.  I’m not generally one for making resolutions, mostly because I like to challenge myself throughout the year in different ways, however this year I feel a bit differently.  Most resolutions, like rules, are made to be broken.

 

Lisa and I for my first pilgrimmage to Lambeau Field

After starting off the year with my first pilgrimage to Lambeau Field on New Years Day, I feel like I’m off to a productive and successful year and feel the momentum that I can ride that wave into 2013.  As Warren Miller always says at the beginning of his films, “If you don’t do it this year, you’ll only be one year older when you do.”

 

Here are a few things I hope to achieve in the coming year:  Continue reading →

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Why the Packers are the best team in the NFL (and why you shouldn’t be a Chicago Bears fan)

Many of you know that I’m a Packers fan already, but I also happen to have a big contingency of Bears fans in my circle of friends. This season I’ve been tired of hearing talk about how the Bears are still better than the Packers (despite already losing and the Packers being 8-0 to date after week 9). I put the data where it needs to be and figured I’d put this up. Thanks to ESPN.com and Statsheet.com for a lot of this data I’ve been able to compile.  Christmas against the Bears will make for an interesting holiday and I’ll keep the updates coming.

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