“You’ve got mail. “
That was Steve Case’s pick-up line; his one-liner drawing millions to
the mainstream of e-mail when the World Wide Web was just a wee wonder.
He got rich —on floppy-disks; later upgrading to CD-ROM[S]—a generous Direct Mail distribution
strategy ; verging on the ‘excessive’ which put the company he co-founded —
America Online — front-of-mind even amongst the most backward of desktop-users and
techno-phobic Internet aspirants.
But time can be a teacher; even a sage. And he is.
Ingenuity 2011; a two-day event organized and sponsored by the New York
Venture Capital Association and NYSE Euronext @ October’s commencement provided
more than a glimpse of Steve Case.
Featured @ Thursday’s, October 6 Lunch & Keynote- Hosted by Silicon
Valley Bank, Mr. Case submitted to a series of inquiries curated and directed
by Habib Kairouz [Rho Capital Partners].
Initially, I readied myself @ my front-row seat. Skeptical, a man of Kairouz’s venture capital
prominence and preparation could sufficiently deliver the flavored nuances of
such an ‘interrogation’ I anticipated the same-old-same-old: Having to ask the questions which were not
asked.
“Vulture Capitalist” he may be;
but fair is fair: Kairouz leaned
into Case’s sails hoisting multiply germane queries drawing from his own mind;
pronounced confidence; and experience sparing the audience and press any one-up-man-ship or whiff of arrogance.
“What do you look for in an entrepreneur?” Kairouz
began. “Confidence, passion, humility,
belief in the future, the next “Big Idea,” Case explained.
Steve Case isn’t all talk.
He leads by example; he is a principled man of action. One need not Google for long [or attend such
privileged events such as Ingenuity 2011]:
Case serves on President Obama’s Start-Up America which was
launched in January of this year meant to encourage and assist the “next
generation of entrepreneurs” and establish “regional eco-systems.” The initiative says Case is “meant to provide
a road-map around entrepreneurship.”
Presently, “there is a Global battle for talent.” “Let’s make it easier to raise money,” says
Case. Smarter government is the
necessary rubric to move America forward.
In Case’s world; Capitalism needs a make-over; errr —
do-over. And with Revolution he seeks to proceed
accordingly.
Most committed is he to
enterprise East of the Missisippi —ZipCar being one recent example. “Asset-sharing use and experience” he wagers,
is the ‘new’ future. Similarly, ‘local’ or “social commerce” will [and
should] drive branding and “customer trials.”
Ever heard of LivingSocial? Steve Case is pumped about
it. His name, money and reputation are behind it. So live. And most importantly; be Social.
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