John's Blog (6)

I just read that Sopogy shut down. I am surprised because I thought it was the next big thing for Hawaii with an imminent IPO. Any idea what happened?

From an email:

"Dear HVCA Members and Friends



It has been a wonderful honor and privilege to lead HVCA since 1999, almost 15 years, so I know most of you personally.  It has been extremely rewarding and fulfilling to host interesting programs, advocate on your behalf, mentor, network and develop many friendships along the way.



At this point in my life, it is time for me to move on.  I look forward to new opportunities and continuing my work with Hawaii Angels and…

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There's a lot of excitement around Hawaii's emerging startup accelerators.

Some people have said that Hawaii has tons of talent, all it needs is some money, others say it's the blind leading the blind.

I am out of touch with the details so I was wondering if anyone could shed light on the likely outcomes. What do you think? Will these accelerators succeed or fail?

Good in-depth article from the NYTimes on declining standards and educational deficiencies at business schools.

When startups and tech companies talk about the dangers of MBAs, this article provides the perfect evidence behind those risks.

Improving Hawaii's public education system seems to be a noble but unrealistic cause - especially for those of us in the technology community who might have to wait years or decades for a positive impact (years that we cannot afford). Continue

Today, the Honolulu Advertiser ran an article on 221/215. The article is primarily a strong attack on the prudence and viability of the tax credits. The article cites a new 25 page report by the Department of Taxation that is well worth reading.



The numbers look bad and the public reaction (both in quotes and… Continue