A VC - Latest Comments in How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

darrylxxx — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:46:23 -0000

If you come to Belfast, let me know, would be a privilege to introduce you to a few web entrepreneurs. Darryl

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

Evert Bopp — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:16:01 -0000

I thought that it might help referring you to Maxroam and Pat Phelan but it looks like everybody and their granny has beaten me to it ;-).
Also if you're in or near Ireland on July 16th try to make it to the Open Coffee Club BBQ (www.opencoffeeclub-bbq.com)!

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

Glenn Gillen — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:33:20 -0000

Fred,

I've been looking into it myself, but given most of my time is within the UK and not the rest of Europe it skews which provider is most suitable. Presently I'm using 3 with a broadband modem connected to my macbook, and prepaid with £10 monthly when required for a very reasonable amount of data (2gb I think?).

Considering an iPhone, so O2 offer data roaming bolt-ons. They aren't cheap, but they are cheaper than the regular data roaming charges.

I suspect though you'd be best served getting a prepaid card with data allowance in each country you visit, especially if you plan to be transmitting video.

And let us all know if you're looking for cultural ideas for your itinerary, the ones for Australia seemed to work. I lived in Edinburgh for a year before coming down to London, the festivals on up there in August (the fringe is just the most publicized of about 7 that run concurrently) are amazing. If you can get tix and fit in a viewing of the Millitary Tattoo and the RBS Orchestra closing of the festivals it's well worth it.

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

fredwilson — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:24:06 -0000

I am hearing the t-mobile universal roaming plan for ~$20/month is the way to go

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

fredwilson — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:54:05 -0000

I'll try to make your meetup as long as it doesn't conflict with my daughter's show. She's performing in the fringe festival

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

bill_roberts — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:11:57 -0000

Fred

I'm a web entrepreneur based near Edinburgh and a reader of A VC for the last year or two. If you have any spare time on your trip, I'd love to meet up for a coffee or a beer. Also, dates are still to be fixed but if our August meeting coincides with your trip, why not come along to http://internetpro.meetup.c... - usually a Thursday evening.

In any case, I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip to Edinburgh.

Bill

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

fredwilson — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:27:03 -0000

Sounds good don

Shoot me an email and we'll make it happen

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

Don Roll — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:23:24 -0000

Fred,

Can't help you on the best phone plan. Cathy and I are going to the Fringe on August 8 - 10 and would be interested in seeing your daughter's show. We went two years ago and had a great time. Possibly see you there?

Regards, Don

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

gregory — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:05:51 -0000

this is one crowd-sourced encyclopedia entry that i didn't learn a thing from ... no clear action plan ... and no one addressed the difference between prepaid and postpaid, the latter sometimes being the only way to get data services, but requires an address ...

i will check back, because i have the same question

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

Ian Holton — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:11:40 -0000

Seeing as you are not going to be using voice that much, changing your provider and number shouldn't be the problem and therefor roaming is not that necessary as far as I understand. So you'd probably be best off with using THREE (3) in all countries that they operate in (UK, Ireland, Austria...) and checking out other cariers in the rest. What I find is that the biggest ones (Vodafone, T-Mobile) don't offer the best data deals in any off the countries I use my phone in... Look into the smaller ones.

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

Sam — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:24:18 -0000

Fred - if you're using the N95, definitely check out Ovi from Nokia (www.ovi.com) -- it is a service which allows you to upload multimedia content and manage that data all using one application on the N95.

As far as data goes, I would recommend taking advantage of WiFi hotspots to do some of the uploads...otherwise, a good strategy may be a prepaid SIM with data access. BTW - if you want to text from the N95, you'll still need a voice plan...

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

fredwilson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:42:05 -0000

Go ireland!!

The Jajah thing is for voice, which I use very infrequently, if at all

But I may try it anyway

What I really need is a strategy for data and sms which I use like a madman

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

Nico Lumma — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:27:06 -0000

of course. you should definetely come to hamburg on your trip. :)

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

Matthias — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:25:51 -0000

of course :) Berlin and Hamburg are the two web-start-up cities in Germany (i.e. XING located here in Hamburg). If you're interested, I'll be happy to get some start-ups together.

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

fredwilson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:21:04 -0000

I plan to use both the N95 and my Blackberry Curve

The Curve is for texting, email, and voice (if I every used voice anymore)

The N95 is for photos and video

fred

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

jpb — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:12:48 -0000

I'd just like to add that using a QWERTY-less N95 will make your brain hurt. A lot.

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

fredwilson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:47:03 -0000

I haven't decided if I am going to post my itinerary. We'll be at the fringe
from aug 5 to aug 10

fred

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

fredwilson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:41:04 -0000

No new fund, but we've made one investment in europe so far, covestor, and
would certainly like to do more

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

fredwilson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:40:04 -0000

Maybe. Is there a lot going on in hamburg?

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

Matthias — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:52:02 -0000

are you gonna be in Hamburg, too?

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

jill — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:43:31 -0000

Is there a new Union Square Ventures European Fund coming soon? Interesting and why not???
Last time we went to Europe we swapped phones with a local family, they used our kids phones here in the States and we used theirs abroad. It worked for both parties as neither had to pay anything extra... but I know swapping(anything) is not for everyone.

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

scottythebody — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:18:32 -0000

I can put you in touch with some startup people in Vienna. I can't vouch for the quality, but it seems to be a pretty active group (open coffees, etc.) as well as a pretty unique focus. Austria, as a small market, tends to look eastward and is being rewarded for being one of the only countries doing so in the early 90s. Let me know.

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

Geoff — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:08:12 -0000

Tickets for the fringe go on sale today http://www.theedinburghblog... Any chance you will be posting up your itinerary so that maybe we get a chance to meet you?

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

David B. — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:12:15 -0000

If you stop by Prague, let me know and I'll give you some good recommendations on where to go, places to eat, etc.

Re: How Best To Be A Social Media Monster In Europe?

mdelrio — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:51:58 -0000

Hi Fred, a solution could be not to roam, but to buy local prepaid cards; in Italy (where i live) that would be cheap and relativly easy; if you happen to be in Italy i would be delighted to help you get in touch with local web (and *mobile!*) enterpreneurs