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<channel>
	<title>HipMojo.com</title>
	<link>http://watchmojo.com/web/blog</link>
	<description>Covering Online Video, Web, Search, Investing, Technology, Strategy, Investing, M&#038;A, Financing, VCs</description>
	<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:40:57 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Greedy Fool Theory: When Smart People Make Dumb Investments</title>
		<link>http://watchmojo.com/web/blog/index.php/2008/06/09/greedy-fool-theory-when-smart-people-make-dumb-investments/</link>
		<comments>http://watchmojo.com/web/blog/index.php/2008/06/09/greedy-fool-theory-when-smart-people-make-dumb-investments/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:01:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ashkan Karbasfrooshan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Internet &#038; Web]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Financing]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Facebook.com]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Sequoia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Online Advertising]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[RockYou]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Slide]]></category>
<category>Facebook.com</category><category>Financing</category><category>Internet &amp;#038; Web</category><category>Online Advertising</category><category>RockYou</category><category>Sequoia</category><category>Slide</category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Step 1: After f*cking over Sean Parker at Plaxo, Sequoia is shunned from participating in Facebook funding, who raises money from former Paypal President Peter Thiel.
Step 2: Sequoia is snubbed once again from Facebook craze when Slide - founded by former Paypal encryption wunderkind Max Levchin - launches slide show maker for social networks.  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Step 1: After f*cking over Sean Parker at Plaxo, Sequoia is shunned from participating in Facebook funding, who raises money from former Paypal President Peter Thiel.</p>
<p>Step 2: Sequoia is snubbed once again from Facebook craze when Slide - founded by former Paypal encryption wunderkind Max Levchin - launches slide show maker for social networks.  Social networking craze ensues&#8230; then starts to fizzle.</p>
<p>Step 3: Having had enough of being shut out of the FB ecosystem, Sequoia leads Series A (in January 2007 at $1.5M) and Series B (in March 2007 at $15M) rounds for Rock You, Slide&#8217;s arch enemy in FB app ecosystem. Note timing of Series B: right before FB launches apps.</p>
<p>Step 4: Realizing FB apps is as valuable as a warm bucket if spit, Sequoia (along with initial investors First Round, and Lightspeed Ventures) <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/09/slide-got-theirs-now-rockyou-gets-some-too/" target="_blank">pass</a> on investing in Series C round to display greater fool theory in mimicking Slide&#8217;s mammoth $50M round, get DCM to ride on Sequoia and First Round&#8217;s coattails by investing a $35M - the day after Slide says FB apps are pretty much <a href="http://watchmojo.com/web/blog/index.php/2008/06/09/investors-get-rocked-today-fleeced-tomorrow/" target="_blank">useless</a>.  It&#8217;s worth noting, by the way, that according to <a href="http://thefunded.com/funds/item/71" target="_blank">one contributor on TheFunded</a>, &#8220;would not <em>take</em> money from DCM if offered&#8221;.</p>
<p>Step 5: Sequoia can brag that they are participating and helped finance the FB craze&#8230; blah-blah-blah until next fad; DCM can claim that they invested alongside the great and venerable Sequoia.</p>
<p>Rock You now has raised over $51.6M in funding.  Slide is up to $58M.  That is early $110M in funding alone&#8230; would you pay $110M for both companies in a buyout?</p>
<p>I wouldn&#8217;t&#8230; see our first piece <a href="http://watchmojo.com/web/blog/index.php/2008/06/09/investors-get-rocked-today-fleeced-tomorrow/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p><u><strong>UPDATE</strong></u>: Venture Beat <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2008/06/09/widget-maker-rockyou-raises-36m-but-at-lower-valuation-than-competitor-slide/" target="_blank">notes</a>: &#8220;<span class="fund"><acronym id="Doll14">Doll</acronym> <acronym id="Capital14">Capital</acronym> <acronym id="Management14">Management</acronym></span> led the round, providing $30 million. The <strong>remainder $5 million was provided by existing investors, Sequoia, Partech and Lightspeed</strong>.&#8221;</p>
<p>Yeah&#8230; that changes <em>everything </em>I said.  Right&#8230;</p>
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