The coffee at IoD was pretty vile, but the conversations and demos were pretty good, so that kind of reset the karma of the event. (see how reasonable I am being? normally bad coffee turns me into a screaming monster, but the promise of a presentation from Caffe Nero founder in the afternoon helped calm me down.) Quick run down - if you wanted the detail, you would have been there. General mood = optimism for mediatech and for new ventures in general. Specific advice = weatherproof your business and cash is king. In slightly more detail:   more »

I'm not known as a follower of fashion, joiner of clubs, or even someone who knows a good idea when they see it. Not normally. The Entrepreneur Manifesto from the wonderful, effervescent, Julie Meyer at Ariadne Capital is, however, a good idea and I can see it. I've endorsed it, even if previously agreeing with clause 5 has got me into significant disputes with some investors (and even though I agree with clause 5, I have happily taken investment in my current company from NESTA with whom I have no disputes and even find things to agree with :-) ) The only reason I can think of that you would not want to do just that is if you are already based in Silicon Valley (and if you are - please invite me as I love it there) and have access to staggering pools of talent and investment and live in an environment that really understands and respects entrepreneurial zeal. And now, back to a cold, damp, grey day in England...   more »