A VC - Latest Comments in A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Antman — Tue, 20 May 2008 01:46:04 -0000

Ya know, this one got me thinkin'!

I don't now if I agee or disagree with the actual list, but what I do know is I dig the context for HOW ya think about putting a board together. Board developement and member recruitement at high-profile companies seems to be somewhat of a popularity contest rather than serious commitment to corporate governance.

Boards can provide tremendous value AND should be credited with providing measurable value in the success of an organization, unfortunately it seems that few board selection processess operate from the same philosophical foundation you do.

BTW: I like the Jobs suggestion, there is something to be said about someone who's vision makes him a billionaire, in two different industries. He's got good vision, internet or not. And besides, the lack of experience can be an asset.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

DanRunion — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:21:47 -0000

What's funny is that I can't tell you the last time I was on anything Yahoo! related.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

db — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:24:11 -0000

True, but he gets how to evolve an iconic brand and make it more iconic.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Ethan Bauley — Sun, 18 May 2008 15:36:52 -0000

The Yochai Benkler suggestion was brilliant. I'd add that John Seely Brown or John Hagel would be equally effective in that role.

I've heard many say this (including Obama), but the greatest risk for many people/organizations these days is...not taking enough risk.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Joseph — Sun, 18 May 2008 09:14:34 -0000

Icahan is not stupid. I am sure he already discussed this wish MSFT and I am sure MSF Tis willing to buy it at 33 or less. Basically what msft did is outsource the dirty work of replacing the board members without costing them a penny and hassle.

Just because MSFT doesn't come out and say we will buy it once Icahan implemented a new borad, it doesn't mean they are not interested. Remember, MSFT needs Yahoo to have a slight chance of fighting Google.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

fredwilson — Sun, 18 May 2008 08:35:33 -0000

i thought about Jobs for my list but then i realized he doesn't get the internet

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

fredwilson — Sun, 18 May 2008 08:33:39 -0000

i am not sure about that. let's say they pick 20% of the keywords that Google monetizes the best and they do a two year deal around those. that doesn't mean they don't continue to invest in their own platform

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

JoeDuck — Sun, 18 May 2008 03:47:54 -0000

So this is the WHO's Yahoo board plan, right? "Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss!"

Neither Icahn nor MS will approach this with Jerry in power. The hostility goes both ways and the differences are not reconcilable. If you think MS should take over Yahoo you can't leave Jerry in power or the conflict would be too threatening to all concerned.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

db — Sun, 18 May 2008 01:31:28 -0000

I think your slate is much better than what Icahn has suggested. His slate is a joke and definitely not intended as a long-term board or one that would consider the long-term health of the company should MS choose to stay away.

I would also include the following in any list of potential board members: Andy Bechtolsheim, Steve Jobs, Mitch Kapor, and Johnathon Zittrain. Each have geek creed and bring a variety of different tech and business experience with them.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Victor — Sun, 18 May 2008 00:40:21 -0000

Here's my board:
- Jeff Bezos
- Eric Schmidt
- Steve Jobs
- Barry Diller
- Peter Thiel
- Mark Cuban
- Pierre Omidyar
- Carl Icahn
- Larry Ellison
- Henry Blodget

(the last was is subject to consideration based on the quality of his future analysis :)

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Steve Poland — Sat, 17 May 2008 23:47:39 -0000

You lost me at Dave Winer.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

gregory — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:59:30 -0000

isn't ichan the guy who screwed twa? strange, who the heroes of the business world are

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Jay — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:38:13 -0000

Fred:
This list is horrible. A random selection of 500 business people culled from the phone book would do better.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Rolest — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:07:32 -0000

Yahoo! has too much competition with Google. Yahoo! needs a big partner like MSFT if it is to survive. Playing with Google was just a chess move against MSFT. If they truly partner with Google in any way, the antitrust fellows are going to be down their neck in about 10 minutes, and even if it did happen, Yahoo! would soon be renamed Yahgoo!

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

howardlindzon — Sat, 17 May 2008 20:19:22 -0000

no monkies?

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

dave — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:21:28 -0000

Another thought -- maybe Yahoo ought to issue a dividend to its users, all stock, no cash. Just to get us thinking about ways to make them successful. I've always wondered what would happen if one of these companies really gave their users equity. Of course I am not a lawyer, and have no idea if this is legal or if it would create a huge tax problem or whatever.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

curmudgeonly troll — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:19:46 -0000

Ummh... eBay has disappointed users worse than Yahoo...have you noticed it's no longer possible to sell anything on eBay?

http://consumerist.com/5007...

Can anyone explain why it should take me longer than a couple of hours to sell an Xbox on eBay. Instead it takes 1 month and multiple hassles with scammers? I have a closet full of stuff I'd sell if it was worth the effort.

eBay is fortunate the barriers to entry are much higher and they haven't been targeted by a fierce competitor... but I think if Google (or a Fred-funded startup) put out a distributed auction system so I could sell stuff on my site and simultaneously Facebook etc. eBay could be in trouble before long.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Henry Blodget — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:58:46 -0000

I don't know about Roy Bostock, Fred. I really feel like he blew the Microsoft negotiations. Jerry's obviously emotionally tied to the company, but Bostock seemed to be AWOL (including at that last meeting before Microsoft walked). But in any event...

I'd put Ellen or David Siminoff on there. Maybe Tim Koogle. Someone who has known the company and industry intimately from the beginning and was around when it was great. And, for a truly fresh perspective, Mark Zuckerberg.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Mark — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:52:51 -0000

Agree with most of your thoughts except this one:

"And I think they should partner in some way with Google to increase the monetization of their search without giving up on their own search platform entirely."

Obviously that's a short-term revenue gain, but it seems like a death knell longer term.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Alexander Muse — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:18:30 -0000

Don't be frustrated. If Yahoo had actually sought the involvement of "Someone like Joshua Schachter or Stewart Butterfield or Caterina Fake or Eric Marcoullier or Al Warms or Satish Dharmaraj." they wouldn't find themselves the target of Carl's efforts. Assuming Carl can pull it off, Microsoft HAS agreed to buy the company so the slate of directors won't matter a lick.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Erik — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:04:52 -0000

I think your list needs a few more people with actual CEO operating experience at an important internet company. More Walraths and less O'Reillys. Any smart person can come up with good ideas, few have the ability to execute them, or more aptly in this case to know whether they can be executed and provide insight and oversight on how. As long as this is fantaty, take out O'Reilly, Benkler and Peretsman, and add Larry Ellison, Meg Whitman and Steve Case.

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

jhayashi — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:01:38 -0000

This is a very "old web centric" board. What about mobile?

http://blogs.barrons.com/te...

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

GL — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:00:22 -0000

First Team:

Add: John Chamber's access to global 2000 companies
Remove: Mike Moritz (yes, he's the best). Put simply don't understand how a VC can add value to a public board when their core job description is to chase down new small investment deals and nurture small private companies.

Second Team:
Add: Carlos Slim: "OWNS" all of Latin America. Access to mobile assets will become extremely valuable as the next great platform is wireless. Oh a, he's also globally connected and pretty smart.
Add: George Reyes; when he retires from GOOG. Will be a free agent.Who better to draw up a financial roadmap!!!

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

fredwilson — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:22:54 -0000

good suggestions steve

i think we should also consider our mutual friend Seth Godin who also sold his company to Yahoo!

fred

Re: A VC: As Long As We Are Rethinking Yahoo's Board

Steve Kane — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:01:04 -0000

great list fred

might quibble with one or two names but minor quibbles really

some other candidates

Roger McNamee - visionary macro thinker

Carl Icahn - if you're in shark infested waters, maybe you need the biggest shark to protect you

Jeff Bezos - nobody but nobody has seen or done more in the interactive media or experienced higher ups and lower downs as public company etc

Gordon Crawford - no idea if we would or could do it, but sharehodlers viewpoint will be totally honestly covered and protected

more to come (maybe)