Just in – the most ridiculous (and, yes, awesome) holiday card ever. First Round Capital, quoting James Brown, says “Any problem in the world can be solved by dancing” and then promptly shows video clips of each and every one of their portfolio companies…dancing. The whole thing is inspired by WhereTheHellIsMatt, they say. It’s not pretty. But I sure am smiling.
The YieldX guys, at 1:48, look like they are about to be hit by a car. Because they are dancing in the middle of the street in San Mateo.
Matt Harding is inspirational in so many ways. I love how Yahoo brought him in to dance around their campus.
http://ycorpblo...d-now-we-dance/
This is very sad indeed. Every face in this video is implicitly saying “yes you f*ck we will dance for your money if that is what we must do”
What recession?
Very Good so Thanks You http://www.jugargame.com/
That’s great!
Nice work, FRC. Great to see lots of familiar faces smiling!
Great video, poor choice of music though. Couldn’t they have chosen something more upbeat to match the dancing?
Made me smile anyway.
It’s the music WhereTheHellIsMatt uses.
First Round Capital rocks
wow, they’ve got lots of investments… and they have a good sense of humor. nice! from pa too… cool stuff can happen anywhere.
kinda goofy, but certainly different and did make me smile. thanks!
I can hear the doomsayers already but I love it {seesmic_video:{”url_thumbnail”:{”value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/5P1RutkOkv_th1.jpg”}”title”:{”value”:”I can hear the doomsayers already but I love it ”}”videoUri”:{”value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/gNvmpLbW3N”}}}
the teetanic?
Really? Making fun of his accent? Can we keep the comments above a third grade level?
Michael, you are officially an asshole. Really?! making fun of Loic’s accent because he disagreed with you on Le Web.
I’m not saying my real because I’m afraid that Mr. Arrington will trash my start up… he have done that before!
So, fuck you Mike! you have one less reader as of today. But I don’t think you care… do you?
Suggestion: if you have uncontrollable ADD (nothing wrong with this, many of us do), write an email instead of posting a distracting video
FABULOUS… made me smile! I’m pretty sure these hard times are no match for the world if everyone has moves like these!
“The whole thing is inspired by WhereTheHellIsMatt…”
They should have titled it “WhereTheHellIsOurMoney”
You want your money? Dance like a monkey. In front of a camera. And post it on YouTube. Then we’ll talk.
You’re a team-player, right?
This is fantastic! I like First Round even more than before now!
That was sad and pathetic, to be exact. Dance? You meant run in the same exact same place without moving forward. Kindof like what many of these start-ups are doing in the business world. Zing! And these guys are supposed to be “rock stars” (of the web world)? There’s nothing rock about what I saw. It was super-duper gay.
First time I’ve ever felt any affinity for a VC. Brilliant move on their part.
That was one of my favorite videos ever. Keep dancing, folks.
Agreed. I like that everyone [geeks and financiers] was effectively outside of their “comfort zone” and just let loose. Great idea and really made me laugh and smile lots.
Brilliant. Great job FRC and everyone involved.
Genius, even if it is a build on “WTHM”.
strange – getting a 404 on the link to my FB profile. Where do I file a bug?
Sean, check your Facebook privacy settings. Make sure “everyone” can see your public listing.
At utest.com?
Very cool. Happy Holidays!
-Larry
That’s fantastic!
After watching a few of those poor older guys dance, for once in my life, I feel like I actually have a little rhythm.
Imagine how they feel. In this economy.
I loved it! It shows everyone that they are real people who you can actually relate to and connect with, not stuffy old Venture Capitalist.
I’ve gotten to know most of that team over the last few years and they are just absolutely amazing. All the founders/CEO’s that have them as investors candidly say the same.
Great video.. I love to dance! Let’s get it up on http://www.dancejam.com
Peter, I honestly don’t know anyone else that likes to dance more than you do. Why don’t you produce a viral video of you dancing? I would certainly watch it!
Here’s their list of portfolio companies: http://www.firs...o/view_list.cfm
Interesting list.
That’s awesome!
Peter
This is awesome
impressive portfolio!
The guy wearing khaki pants and blue oxford shirt is always the worst dancer.
do i over-rate originality? all i could think of was the original, and that this company has no imagination, is derivative, and will probably not think twice about stealing ideas …
I loved the unannounced one :p
thank you FRC…i love it
Am I the only won that noticed that the old guy wearing the khaki plants and blue Oxford is dancing with multiple startups?
Sorry, *one*. I’m stupid.
That’s Howard Morgan…he is a partner in the firm
@arrington I’ll have you know that the red car was barreling down Howard Avenue in front of our SF office. Adventures in guerrilla videomaking.
what a cool idea. nice work First Round!
Any resemblance between what I saw in that video and dancing is purely coincidental
Just kidding, well…the seeming camaraderie is cool though.
@Marcoullier: Next video is required to be shot outdoors. Boulder has a reputation to uphold you know!
that’s just totally cool
Wow. White men really can’t dance. That was painful to watch. If anything, it speaks to the need for more minorities in these start-ups. Let’s get our groove on.
Huzzah!
Michael, that’s actually Howard Street in San Francisco right near Kate O’Briens bar.
wow the old saying is true white guys really cant dance.
Michael, that’s actually Howard Street in San Francisco right near Kate O’Briens bar.
Anyone who has read Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man know that those who have the money can make others dance.
the most EXPENSIVE christmas card EVAR. Dance, baby, dance!
Trying to keep up with the number of blue shirts in that video. I lost count. Still hilarious!
white boy busts a move {seesmic_video:{”url_thumbnail”:{”value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/PS4SN0i7zp_th1.jpg”}”title”:{”value”:”white boy busts a move ”}”videoUri”:{”value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/x74c90oJka”}}}
That was tight!
Awesome , I almost cried :’(
That kicked fuckin ASS. I thought that video was gonna suck when I saw VC’s making their startups dance, but damn that video really makes you smile and be happy — and makes you want to work on your own startup even more
Good vid
Great positive action, love it.
Nice work!
I have huge respect for investors, ours included, that seek opportunities to message across their portfolio – and it is very powerful to see the member companies as a community.
Happy holidays everyone!
Feel free to dance away, 90% of these companies will go bankrupt in the next few years. 5% will end up getting bought out less than the valuation expected.
Cute.
I seem to recall something similar at TheGlobe.com. Or was that Pets.com? Petopia? Wait no I think it was scient? Oh yeah I remember, Webvan.
Let’s have a 2009 reunion dance party next year and see how many will be rocking and rolling from the grave.
“Keep on rocking in the Deadpool”
Loved it.
Was smiling all the way.
Funny video. All the best to all the dancers for 2009 !