Comments on: Historical Perspective: At Least This Time Around We Don’t Have Incubators For Incubators

By: Corporate R.& D. as the Ringmaster of Innovation | Mostly (New) Media - Definitely Digital

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:27:34 +0000

[...] Historical Perspective: At Least This Time Around We Don’t Have Incubators For Incubators (techcrunch.com) [...]

By: Haven’t Tried It Yet, But FutureFeed Tells Me I’m Going To Love It

Haven’t Tried It Yet, But FutureFeed Tells Me I’m Going To Love It — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:26:43 +0000

[...] it isn’t surprising that people are making fun of it. Jonathan Abrams (who has mocked Incubators of Incubators and Feed aggregators, now goes after Real Time with FutureFeed, which “answers the simple [...]

By: Glenn

Glenn — Sat, 09 May 2009 03:58:11 +0000

I think that you are playing it slightly tongue-in-cheek but it is a relevant question. Who will incubate the incubators? Not every new venture needs the same expertise from the same domain.

Actually, that’s an open question of mine right now. Where do you go for expertise? http://www.dyna...e/identify/guru

By: Lisa Smith

Lisa Smith — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:18:01 +0000

Reference to the “taxonomies manager at business.com” stated in this post is incorrect.
I am the Director for Information Architecture and Search at business.com and am not married to (and have never met ) Alberto Saavedra. As far as I know there has never been a Mrs. Saavedra at business.com.

Also, business.com is currently a division of R.H. Donnelley Interactive; it was sold to R.H. Donnelley in 2007.

By: David Brian Ward

David Brian Ward — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:29:47 +0000

While illuminating more recent excesses, your article doesn’t go back far enough to spot a very successful incubator of incubators — Teknekron Corporation. Teknekron incubated vertically focused technology services businesses in the 70’s and 80’s during a period of expensive capital. Entrepreneurs either became profitable and self-funding within a year, or dismissed; once a going concern, your goal was to incubate proprietary IP, productize, and exit in an all-cash deal. TIBCO is the best known direct descendent.

By: Marah Marie

Marah Marie — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:34:51 +0000

Incubator model/venture capital = same difference. Semantics, man, that’s all it is. Word games, anyone?

By: Michael Mucha

Fri, 08 May 2009 03:34:46 +0000

Why should people looking to make a buck be limited to gouging startups? Why can’t we gouge the people looking to gouge the startups? For future reference, we’ll just call it “Comprehensive VC consulting services” to avoid the incubation^2 shame.

Sadly, “angelangels.com” is already taken.

By: nick b.

nick b. — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:45:37 +0000

ouch

By: Jay Cuthrell

Jay Cuthrell — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:42:07 +0000

Traditional (can I use that word?) incubators that don’t evolve the “needed services” side become ghost towns… and from the curb, they look just like any building or office park…. maybe just a funkier looking one.

One of the primary confusions people have with incubators is the following: leased space providers are not incubators.

Having a spiffy sign, sales people pushing flexible leases, or being known as startup “friendly” does not an incubator make.

Solid broadband, a flexible IP centrex system, access on site to modern (this decade) conference rooms and equipment, and access controls are just a start on the bottom rung of the facilities side — you have to include the services and people that aren’t attached to the plate of the structure and they have to have value, drive, and determination to make the endeavors that they host a success.

So, for those that might want to comment about an incubator: Is there one in your city? What is the reputation? What are the terms?

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:55:21 +0000

I am launching incubatorincubatorincubator.com in 2011.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:08:29 +0000

See: Twitter

By: giafly

giafly — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:45:31 +0000

also see name

By: Pete Austin

Pete Austin — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:38:49 +0000

Better idea: site to shorten everything: content, links, movies, comments. Don’t super-size, mini-size!

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:21:45 +0000

idea for a startup: “content shortener” – while we are all so busy and reading such a long article may be of a hassle (even though it is interesting!), we need some kind of an online processor that will digest this artcle, and split out short summarize, or just bullet-by-bullet layout.

that would be sooo coool!!

By: mikael

mikael — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:11:58 +0000

The biggest value of an incubator or investor is the “connections” or network they bring with them. Its as simple as that.

That value remains today as it did in the 90’s and shall remain till end of time.

Even on non internet related such as dragons den, its easier to get the cash for a startup via banks, other sources but the network and the people the incubator can open doors to is the key factor.

By: Carl J

Carl J — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:49:30 +0000

The sign language says “WTF”. I’m sure you recognize that the first letter is a “W” and that there are 3 letters.

By: Joe Bauers

Joe Bauers — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:29:25 +0000

Yo dawg, I herd u like incubators..

By: Julian Cosmin Panait

Thu, 07 May 2009 15:29:09 +0000

Pets.com IPO or BUST oops…or should I say IPO AND BUST

By: Raj Alam

Raj Alam — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:13:00 +0000

I never understood the incubator thing. If you’re not capable to hire an accountant, get an office space, get an office manager, then why are you capable of creating the next big thing? The nuts and bolts of business are not that complicated.

By: Envy

Envy — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:02:13 +0000

people might take you more serouis if your site was complete before you pitched it… You can’t even get your own business off the ground why would I trust you to help me?

Your jobs section still has Test link, test link, and jobs for “php nija” and “php rockstar” that ohh don’t work.

Your portfolio has 4 logos with the same repeated crap text and ohh links that don’t work..

Before you pitch your service you might want to finish it, I would never trust my affiars with a company that does not have the ability to handle their own first.

By: fountainhead

fountainhead — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:52:27 +0000

I got my start at an incubator in Toronto in 1999. My job was to review business plans. I was hired right out of university without ever having worked on anything Internet related. Needless to say, the company did not work – but it inspired me to do my own thing. 10 years later I’m posting on TC anonymously. Success!

I’m not sure what to think of this article – except that I remember that buzz in 1999, and can totally relate. Brings me back. There were a lot more incubators than most people are aware. I was tracking 4 just in Toronto alone at the time.

By: jenny

jenny — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:40:23 +0000

well yes, but those guys are the exception to the rule

By: tom

tom — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:10:50 +0000

easy to look back on something 5-10 years later and call it stupid… much harder to do while it’s occuring and the froth about it is screaming that it’sgoing to be the next big thing…

so is twitter the next ‘incubator of incubators’ or the next netapp/linkedin…

by the way… given the cost that it now takes on the resource side, and that these costs have seriously dropped, an incubator’s most important function would probably be to hook people up… ie, a biz/developer hook up function…. which would allow the resources to easily find/vet each other to come together in a sense..

as as been mentioned numerous times, it’s pretty easy to start building something with the right team, with the team working on a project after hours.. it’s a matter of getting the right team/resources, with the right idea…

peace..

By: BaconCDN

BaconCDN — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:02:39 +0000

Pathetic MA.

Get off your ass and find something with real meat to write about. You are far too talented to waste your time and ours thumbing through the past to criticize the inane.

We love you for pulling the covers back on what’s going on.

By: nick b.

nick b. — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:08:17 +0000

the biggest asset that incubators provide are the human resources… not the rent/other expenses (most startups uses garages anyway).

so in that sense, they still make sense.

and if you need more proof that, check out the track record of these guys… http://qzip.in/n3