addressable market size – follow up & responses

so after the alootechie folks decided to repost my last blog post, i’ve gotten a mixed bag of responses; everything from gleeful agreement to death threats (no, not really). i thought i would take some time to follow it up by responding directly to some of the commentary. i won’t be responding to individuals, rather to their ideas. let the truth be told.

@ the “you’re just bitter because you’re not getting traction” crowd: uhhh, we got acquired for a great positive multiple of our initial investment. i don’t know what else to say!

@ the “you’re a copycat company” crowd: honestly, this is a funny one. anytime i’m approached with this argument, i ask myself, what company out there is not a copycat company? before google, there was lycos, altavista, and yahoo! yes, we are a copycat company (yelp, citysearch, etc.), but we knowingly copycatted an idea where localization of the concept would produce a potentially successful product. what better idea to copycat and localize than local search!?

@ Vineet, alootechie, who states, “…entrepreneurs identify a need-gap and than (sic) build a product/business around it…so the question of large/small addressable market does not come into play..you build a business corresponding to the need-gap, the problem you are trying to solve.” This numbnuts just doesn’t get it – entrepreneurs don’t identify a need-gap and then build a product/business around it; they identify a perceived need-gap and then build a product, business around it – and that was preceisly what my previous post was all about – perceived market size vs. actual market size.

encore: look folks, again, i’m not here to rain on anyone’s parade. i’ve spent three long, hard, tumultuous, and ultimately amazingly rewarding three years in india. i’ve sacrificed time away from a family who i dearly love. i miss them to death. the grapes would have turned sour long back if that was truly the case. i’m just trying to call it how i see it. that’s all. it’s not patriotic to look beyond challenging realities. actually, it’s just moronical. i appreciate everyone’s thoughts and responses.

my favorite musical artist

some of the hardest questions friends always ask you are the types that require you to narrow down your personal preferences to the one supreme all-mighty; such as “what is the best book you’ve ever read?” or “what is your favorite movie ever?” i always have a hard time answering these and usually respond with a laundry list, broken down by segment.

i’m happy to report that i do have a favorite musical artist who is so talented and special, that i can definitively say he is my favorite across all types of music. his name is miles davis. for those who don’t know, get knowing. the man is an artistic genius in every sense of the word.

hope i can turn you onto him…

nike does it again

for other crazy basketball fans like me, nike hits a homerun again with this ad.

shitty indian movie names

creativity has never really been a strong suit of hindi cinema (better known as ‘bollywood’). agreed that most story lines and music from the films are completely ripped off from some part of the world, no matter how much the producers and directors may bullshit you. but now, the names of the movies themselves are really starting to suck, big time. today, while taking the bus to work, i saw a billboard for a movie called “fact: the reality” – what the fuck is that supposed to mean? what crap: the shit. a few more posters are shown below for your enjoyment…

maslow’s hierarchy of needs

my friends and i have recently, in many different contexts, been talking about maslow’s hierarchy of needs, something i learned back in college in a development economics class. thought you guys would be interested in revisiting/learning about it.

nike’s awesome cricket ad!

nike’s marketing people do it again – just an amazingly executed cricket commercial. amongst all the world cup cricket fervor here, this commercial is definitely creating a ton of buzz. check it out.

a breakdancing midget

this little guy can move!

cheap china

matrix partners india is an industry and stage agnostic india-focused vc firm. good friend avnish bajaj of baazee/eBay fame leads the effort there and thus far, they’ve made some pretty interesting investments, one of which is one of india’s largest chinese fast-food restaurant chains, yo! china. i just happened on their corporate site today and couldn’t stop laughing when i saw their tag line.

buddy guy in mumbai

i experienced blues legend and 5-time grammy award winner buddy guy at the mmrda grounds in bandra last night and it was simply breathtaking. words cannot do justice to this man’s talent as a vocalist, guitarist and an all-around entertainer. buy his music – and do it legally.

monday morning smorgasbord

• shilpa shetty wins has-been celebrity big brother: after national outrage in both india and the u.k. over blatant racism on the show, could there really have been another outcome? shilpa wins, big brother and all of its sponsors win, and the british parliament can finally go back to less important issues, like how to keep people from blowing up planes with gatorade jelly
• on the same day, roger federer and tiger woods both make a case for being the most dominant athletes in the world (the third and final contender would be lance armstrong)
• what i’m listening to now: ain’t no sunshine by buddy guy feat. tracy chapman
• what i’m reading and what is next on the list: mcdonalds: behind the arches by john love; and a brief history of time by stephen hawking, respectively.
• yes, i will be waking up at 4:30 am on monday, february 5th (ist) to watch the american football superbowl