bookofjoe

YouNoodle — Venture-Capital-in-a-Box

"Is your start-up worthy of investment?" is how Matt Richtel's article in today's New York Times begins.

Got my attention, fer shur.

Long story short: YouNoodle has a black box (as opposed to the black ball [top] I've been using, with not a whole lot of success when it comes to the money —not that it's about the money, but still...) that predicts how a start-up will fare.

It's worked pretty well for them so far, as they've raised real cash from such backers as Paypal co-founders Max Levchin and Peter Thiel, and the venture capital firm Founders Fund.

Here's the Times piece.

A Start-Up Says It Can Predict Others’ Fate

Is your start-up worthy of investment? Ask the venture investor in a box.

Two former Oxford University students are getting attention (and seed money) in Silicon Valley for developing new technology that automates aspects of the venture capital decision-making process.

Kirill Makharinsky, 21, and Bob Goodson, 27, call their software a “start-up predictor,” and they say their company, YouNoodle.com, might give an edge to venture capitalists and other investors trying to decide whether to sink money into an early-stage company.

“We don’t want to replace investors,” Mr. Goodson said. “We simply believe that industries of comparable size have utilized artificial intelligence to inform decision-making.”

“Give us some information, and we’ll give you some idea of what the company will be worth in five years,” he said.

Starting Monday, the company is emerging from a private test and is opening up parts of its Web site and services to the public.

The idea of a start-up predictor has drawn skepticism. Some venture capitalists say that the idea of using formulas or historical data from past deals to predict how other start-ups will do in the future has been tried many times in vain.

Paul S. Kedrosky, a venture capitalist and the author of the Infectious Greed blog, said that his industry was indeed inefficient at picking winners; typically, 90 percent of venture investments are not home runs. But he does not particularly trust a company that professes to be able to do better than venture capitalists.

“If their tool did such a good job, they’d raise a fund themselves and beat the tar out of us,” Mr. Kedrosky said. “It’s hard to imagine what they’re mathematical combination of factors is.”

On that point, the founders of YouNoodle.com are not forthcoming. They say their algorithm uses sophisticated modeling pertaining to how social capital and networks can affect an organization’s performance.

They also say that they are focusing in general on assessing the experiences and social and business contacts of entrepreneurs who start a company, and on how the entrepreneurs within that company might fit with one another. They will not disclose precisely what factors they use to predict a start-up’s success, or how their algorithm processes those factors.

They certainly have their own well-heeled network. YouNoodle’s financial backers include Paypal co-founders Max Levchin and Peter Thiel, and the Founders Fund, a venture capital firm. YouNoodle has not disclosed the amount of its seed financing.

The company is also is trying to build a network of early-stage companies, and to provide tools that can be used for business plan competitions, businesses school classes and other emerging entrepreneurial ventures. It provides those tools free, but in so doing the users provide data about their new ventures that YouNoodle uses to refine its predictor algorithm.

The company plans to give away a simple version of its predictor but will charge investors who want the newer and more powerful version of the software.

So the question arises: Has YouNoodle used the predictor to determine if it will itself succeed?

“So far, we haven’t run ourselves through it,” Mr. Goodson said, adding that the results could prove baffling. “If it says we’ll fail, and it’s right, that’s something of a paradox.”

MorphWorld: Carly Smithson into Leelee Sobieski

Ms. Smithson's one of the 24 contestants still standing on this season's "American Idol."

When I saw her photo (above) on the front page of today's USA Today my first thought was, uh oh, Leelee Sobieski (below)

has gone and signed up for another weird movie like "My First Mister", where she has to dye her hair black.

But then I learned that the photo was of Ms. Smithson, a 24-year-old Irishwoman who back in 1999, at the age of 15, when she was known by her maiden name of Hennessy, was signed to a recording contract by MCA and released a pop album (below)

called "Ultimate High."

Marco R. della Cava's story in USA Today examined the question of whether "Idol" hopefuls with a past like Ms. Smithson should even be allowed to participate in what, after all, is a show about discovery, not revival.

If Ms. Smithson doesn't win the big one, she shouldn't be too crushed — after all, life as Ms. Sobieski's double won't be all that harsh.

FunFact: They're both 24.

Google Girlie — Arnold Schwarzenegger's favorite search engine

Yo joe — are your eyes closed?

No, why?

'Cause you're in the Bizarro World.

Never mind.

[via UpdateorDie.com].

Kool-Aid Scented Shoes — Because teen spirit is so last century

From Adam P. Knave — out there on the bleeding edge where only the wild survive and thrive for more than a few moments before tumbling overboard into the plasma wake — comes news of this remarkable creation from the combined minds at Reebok and Kool-Aid.

Lauren Messiah (now there's a name to conjure with, out of William Gibson's next novel — oops, wasn't supposed to mention it... sorry) brought the glad tidings in her January 27, 2008 StyleDash post, which follows.
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Smells like Kool-Aid... and feet!

Finding the words for this post was nearly impossible. I sat at my desk for five long minutes with my head hanging low, swaying side to side, and wondering why... why would anyone want a Kool-Aid scented pair of sneakers?

Clearly Reebok bypassed any of those thoughts/questions because they have teamed up Kool-Aid to create a line of scented shoes. February 1st these sugary shoes will hit shelves (not grocery store shelves) in three "yummy" flavors: Grape [above and below], Cherry, and Strawberry. I am a tropical punch girl myself but whatever....

If the shoes aren't enough you can pick up the matching hoodies, tee shirts and hats from the Kool-Aid collection.

Can't you just hear the Kool-Aid man now, laughing with delight? Can you hear me screaming in horror?...................

But wait, there's more!

"Reebok packed each of the kicks with extra flavor by crating [sic] scent-infused sockliners!"

Could a Kool-Aid-scented antiperspirant be in the final stages of testing?

Wait a minute... what's that smell?

We get email: From Jay Minkoff, president of First Flavor (the folks who brought us 'Lickable Ads')

Last evening Jay was kind enough to take a break from his activities out back in his company's skunk works, where he and his crack research team (do I hear cries of "Throwdown?"... but I digress) are hard at it creating their next sensory sensation — to give me a bookofjoe World Exclusive©™® on last week's sensational introduction by Welch's of First Flavor's new "Peel 'n Taste" technology.

Long story short: The Wall Street Journal's February 13, 2007 story got it partially wrong.

Here's the straight scoop from the top, in the form of Jay's comment (still in the sidebar when I last looked) in its entirety.

Not one word has been omitted.

A new comment from Jay Minkoff was received on the post "'Lick or 'ick?' — The rise of lickable ads"

Relating to the partially incorrect February 13th article in the Wall Street Journal: As the president of First Flavor (www.FirstFlavor.com), the company bringing this Peel 'n Taste product to market, there is a major correction to the WSJ article: This is not about Lickable Ads.

Welch's used the term "lick" in their ad and no one seems to have bothered to read the fine print. Our product, which can be attached to a print ad and peeled off, is a sealed tamper-evident foil pouch containing a piece of edible film (similar to popular breath strips.) One peels opens the pouch and places the piece of edible film on your tongue. The edible film dissolves quickly leaving you with a burst of flavor — no licking involved!

The point that was really missed was that finally consumers now have a way of trying the taste of a product before they buy it. We call it taking a product for a "Taste Drive!"

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"Taste Drive"... I likk — I mean like — it.

Note to Jay: What with Flavor Flav's return tonight on VH1 (9 p.m. ET) for a third season of "Flavor of Love" (top), it seems to me the time is ripe for First Flavor and Flavor Fave to sign off on an endorsement deal that will benefit both parties.

Flav?

Jay?

Flautist?

Anyone?

Auto-Off LED Mini-Lights

For some time now I've been searching for ones like this that automatically turn off.

My problem with the usual type is remembering to turn them off — close the door with them on and next time you need them, the battery's dead and they don't work.

From websites:
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Stick 'Em Lights

Designed for all the places at home you used to need a flashlight

Add bright accent lighting without the hassle of wiring or cords.

This convenient and extremely bright little light is a great solution for any dimly lit space.

Powered by three AAA batteries (not included), this energy-efficient light uses high-output LED floodlight technology and runs over 60 hours on one set of batteries.

This makes for a brighter and wider swath of light.

It also has the ability to swivel 360 degrees and pivot up to 30 degrees from side to side for a more directed light source.

Compact yet powerful, the light will install in seconds with its adhesive-backed Velcro fasterner — no wires or tools required,

With just a tap the 5 internal LEDs shine light right where you need it most.

Tap the light again and the lights become brighter.

Tap the light a third time and the light will turn off.

Stick 'Em Lights also have an auto-off feature —they turn off five minutes after you walk away from them.

For closet, medicine chest, kitchen, workshop, storage room, boat, under a cabinet and anywhere added illumination is sometimes required.

White finish with frosted lens cover.

2" high x 3.5" diameter.
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Three for $19.95.

Top 15 spy novels of all time

Any other nominees?

I have one: "The Rope Dancer," by Victor Marchetti.

It's my all-time favorite, the only novel of this genre I reread every decade or so.

Room-in-a-Box

Kithaus is an instant freestanding 9-by-13-foot aluminum-framed room

which comes insulated and wired for electricity.

From $29,500.

[via treehugger and Aric Chen in the New York Times]