Telegraph UK Tech Reporter set for “Grim Northern adventure”

Manoj Ranaweera a fellow Web Mission 08 guy put this event together http://www.nwstartup20.co.uk/jun09 , he invited me and a number of the other Web Mission companies who had been through the startup process to get involved – which we were delighted to do. Well the bottom line whether the attached article  makes you happy or not is that the entrepreneurs gained a great deal from the day. Both North and South shared experiences and the access to Michael Birch of Bebo fame will probably stay with these startups for many years to come. I must declare an interest here being originally from Northern Ireland which has its own challenges in the startup world, there really isn’t a simplistic answer to whether one is better than the other, hence why we have been debating London versus Silicon Valley CA for the last 20 years. London has its benefits, volume for one thing and access to the big game particularly for product/internet service based startups – this is less of an issue for agency type organic growth plays. There is more investment in London, but that does not mean there is none outside London. Quality of life? who knows depends where you are standing and where you are on life’s rich curve. If you are young single and want to be at the centre of the big game in Europe and touch on the players who you are on TV and in the press then you will have more of a chance in London – there are more of them obviously. But that does not guarantee success for your startup as there will be more competition, better business plans, better and more experienced entrepreneurs to compete with. Its a rough, tough world out there whether you are in Stirling, Newcastle or London most will not succeed this is something the US startup market accepts and the UK/Ireland struggles with still. But when I hear people bursting to tell me about their latest great idea who could deny them the chance to have a go, wherever they are.

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There’s a Rat in My Kitchen – UB40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrGc5Rkz3J0 So there I was peacefully working away when the people at Being Digital conference wanted to know what I thought – #beingdigitalmeans – using that hashtag on Twitter will give you more ideas I am sure. Anyway these were my immediate thoughts as the WildIrishGuy tried to stay cool in the kitchen. 

MBA is it still relevant?

Noticed that some of my circle were still chasing the MBA prize, and wondered is it really as big a thing as it used to be, and more importantly does it still have a positive effect on your career. Well I am sure as these people are intelligent  they would not be there in the first place if they had not reasoned yes, given the cost and time spent. From my point of view I believe it is the process of the MBA rather than the outcome that is always the win, it is the network created off the back of the travelling and the course that really gives you the lift.  

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Racism in the Internet World

I wrote about this subject many moons ago – 1994 perhaps, I wonder if anything has really changed?  Then I was concentrating on the world of IT and the lack of black or asian front line sales people that seemed to be missing from most hardware or software vendors or their distribution channels. The Carol Thatcher episode made me think again was that hidden racism still around behind closed doors, particularly in the hiring process of the digital internet world that I have spent the last decade in. That shiny new world of digital media and the latest Web 2.0 application or platform that looks on the surface to be very open and accepting of all sorts of players. I suppose at the bleeding edge, an analysis of the twitter/facebook populations in London/UK/Ireland would be a start, as they tend to be representative of the core of the network that drives the game we are in. I just wonder what that would show in terms of spread and access, particularly in customer facing roles or senior management positions?  

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• Oldfangled racism (guardian.co.uk)