Google recently bought a startup called Aardvark. I wouldn't normally comment on a Web 2.0 buyout but I'll mention this one for a special reason. See, last night I crashed Aardvark's celebratory party at a SoMa nightclub called Temple and saw their employees partying like it was 1999. Remember 1999? It was the height of the dot-com boom and everybody in SoMa was launching Internet startups that were supposed to make us all rich forever.
I missed out on all of the early web hoopla in the '90s as I was otherwise employed. This Aardvark deal is a rare throwback to that era. Congratulations, folks. The outgoing CEO (and now nouveau riche Web 2.0 rock star) gave a rousing speech thanking his employees. I enjoyed the open bar but I tripped over the giant Buddha statue in the entryway on my way over to claim a free Heineken (and I hadn't even had my first drink yet). I met one of their software engineers who'd never been through a transaction like this. I only had one piece of free advice: The best job security comes from one's own abilities and not some big corporate parent. I'll bet some future serial entrepreneurs were born that night.
BTW, if you're wondering how I found out about this party, let's just say I'm well-informed enough about The City's social scene that I can always find a way into places where I'm not supposed to be. ;-)
Nota bene: I have no investment in Aardvark or Google at this time, although Google is the web ad distributor for Alfidi Capital. I have no investment in Heineken but I do contribute to its bottom line with the occasional purchase (just not last night, thanks to Google's generosity with the open bar).
I missed out on all of the early web hoopla in the '90s as I was otherwise employed. This Aardvark deal is a rare throwback to that era. Congratulations, folks. The outgoing CEO (and now nouveau riche Web 2.0 rock star) gave a rousing speech thanking his employees. I enjoyed the open bar but I tripped over the giant Buddha statue in the entryway on my way over to claim a free Heineken (and I hadn't even had my first drink yet). I met one of their software engineers who'd never been through a transaction like this. I only had one piece of free advice: The best job security comes from one's own abilities and not some big corporate parent. I'll bet some future serial entrepreneurs were born that night.
BTW, if you're wondering how I found out about this party, let's just say I'm well-informed enough about The City's social scene that I can always find a way into places where I'm not supposed to be. ;-)
Nota bene: I have no investment in Aardvark or Google at this time, although Google is the web ad distributor for Alfidi Capital. I have no investment in Heineken but I do contribute to its bottom line with the occasional purchase (just not last night, thanks to Google's generosity with the open bar).
