World Vital Records is running more smoothly, and is closer to achieving our near-term financial goals, with sales 136% higher in September than in our best previous month.

This is definitely worth passing on:

Rocky Mountain Voices Syndicates Podcasting Tribute to Ray Noorda

Insights and Praise for the "Father of Network Computing"

From Those Who Knew Him Best

I don't mind criticism when it is private and communicated with a motivation to help. In fact, I've been very grateful in my life for harsh private advice that helped me change my course.

I know I have a ton of weaknesses. That's why I try to learn so much and work so hard. And I've got a long ways to go.

But anonymous public criticism, or behind the back complaining, is both cowardly and unproductive. I am not sure if it makes the critic feel good inside, or feel smarter or better than the person they are tearing down. I certainly don't understand it or like it.

Amazon Launches Storage Service for Developers

So how are you planning to use this massive, low-cost storage service from Amazon?

Here's a way to get $2,000 worth of work done for $1,000. Time is running out ...

Apple is expanding its work with universities, trying to get more to join its iTunes U program, where students (or the general public) can download recorded lectures.

Our mp3books.com web site will be aggressively increasing its content offerings this year, and I hope to see us provide a lot of educational content as well. iTunes is just slightly ahead of us. :)

I've been thinking a lot about goal setting recently. As a Christian, I have always liked that Ezra Taft Benson (Secretary of Agriculture under Eisenhower and later, President of the Mormon Church) explained that all of us should follow the example of Jesus Christ in making progress in four areas of life.

The single biblical verse that describes Jesus' life from age 12 to 30 says: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man." (Luke 2:52)

(Note: these are my notes from Alan's Hall speech at the E Station ribbon cutting. They are his words, as well as I could capture them, not mine.)

I hope that in the future we'll look back on this date and realize that this initiative has been a success.

If just one great company comes out of all this investment, perhaps the size of MarketStar, then we would count this as a great success. But we think we have a secret sauce and have the ability to create many successful companies.

My one day trip to California unexpectedly turned into two.

Yesterday Dave Bradford and I had an incredible half hour meeting with the
reigning VC champion of the world, Tim Draper.

He is amazing. He liked our ideas for FundingUniverse but he freely gave us an
even bigger idea, and our whole team is now on fire.

Dave and I left the meeting amazed at how much value he added in just a few
short minutes.

I first met Tim in 1999 when MyFamily.com was looking for our first venture
capital. He and Steve Jurvetson both liked our idea, but we ended up getting a

Infobase Ventures is expanding our operation.

We need to hire someone to help us do accounting for all the companies that we
are incubating. This will be a part-time position, probably 20 hours a week.

We need someone who is excellent with Quickbooks and Excel, and who has
experience with online banking.

They have to leverage automation and technology to reduce overhead costs in
accounting.

The person must understand financial models, cash flow forecasting, and have
some experience with cap tables (keeping track of company ownership through