Dan Beldy participated in the VC Panel entitled “Online Video Investment Trends” on November 13th at NewTeeVee Live 2008.
Dan succinctly articulates his views about how online video
entrepreneurs need to process the funding conundrum when they
conceptualize and develop services in this vertical.
Mr. Beldy places
the highest priority criteria for funding an online video startup on
capital efficiency driving down costs for professional and premium
publishers. Their framework is based upon targeting, the fit of
strategic partnerships, and the value chain for profitable per hour
viewing (net of CPM arbitrage).
Surrounded by a diverse audience, it quickly became apparent that VC
jargon needs some shared decoding. So, I hope that you will comment on
terms which are in need of standardization.
One term that I heard
tossed around a great deal, though given different meaning in different
contexts, is “capital efficiency,” which we we’ll surely revisit in
its’ other uses. Perhaps I’ll go so far as to start a VC-speak wiki.
It’s
very difficult to get the point across in the context of a discussion
panel in an event such as NewTeeVee Live, without digging into the
formative experience of the panelists such that one can really
appreciate where they’re coming from, and appreciating how their
expectations about the marketplace have taken form and substance.
That’s why I’m taking your time and mine to expose some of this
background, (definitely not to endorse any of these experiences, even
when I let my opinions play into the descriptions) as follows:
Dan Beldy is the managing partner of Steamboat Ventures (a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company),
which invests in early-to-mid-stage, technology-focused companies that
are pursuing opportunities in emerging digital media and consumer
technology markets.
Dan also serves on the board of directors of:
- Greystripe,
which makes ingame advertising for mobile phones, where some of the
most product/service relevant audience targeting takes place. - Passenger,
a leader in on-demand customer collaboration, helps business to LISTEN
to customers, employees, and business partners in a private online
community. Mr. Beldy says that Passenger empowers how “companies
redefine their customer relationships by fundamentally changing the way
consumers are able to communicate with their brands”. This is the
leading edge of the tactical approach for corporate social media in
engagement, marketing to and influencing the groundswell. - Vobile,
which helps content owners to track how their how their products are
used, and enables them to collaborate with and help monetize emerging
digital distribution channels. To do all of this quickly and cost
effectively is essential to the capital efficiency of the online video
industry. - Baynote,
masters of tapping into the Wisdom of the Crowds. Their social
search/recommendation software collects, processes, and leverages web
activity to drive lead generation, site impressions, and online sales. - Move Networks,
leaders in high-quality, quick-start and interactive online video
streaming. The high definition, frame rate, and fidelity of their
service sets a new bar at an affordable price point, while returning
the type of greatly detailed viewing statistics that an online
broadcaster thrives upon.
He was formerly:
- co-founder and managing director in Plainview Capital
- an associate and partner in Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
If
enough of you clap, not only will Tinker Bell live, but I’ll continue
to interpret my notes and footage about the other contributors to this
particular panel question. So comment away below, or I’ll just have to
move on to other questions in the VC panel and other sections of the
NewTeeVee Live 2008 conference.
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