A VC - Latest Comments in Urban Architects

Re: Urban Architects

Philip Ashlock — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:31:47 -0000

The Open Planning project is hosting Open 311 DevCamp on October 24th to help develop an open standard for 311 services. Those working on the 311 service in Washington D.C., Toronto, Columbus Ohio, New York, and other cities will be in attendance. We welcome others working in this space as well: http://open311.org/2009/09/...

Re: Urban Architects

StephanieSmith — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:15:53 -0000

Fred, a quick update: I'm meeting with a few of my architectural colleagues/friends when I'm in NYC next week, one of whom, Kazys Varnelis, Director of the Network Architecture Lab at Columbia University, was already mentioned in another comment on this post. They would be great candidates for the collaboration we've been discussing. If you have time for a quick meet with me to discuss, that would be great (anytime Oct 9 - 12, stephanie@wecommune.com). Otherwise I'll stay in touch via this comment stream.

Re: Urban Architects

reece — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:30:19 -0000

I'm aware of the sentiment on Dixon's blog, and Fred's said similar things here, but I honestly think the system will/is shaking itself out. Investors/VC's can't afford to throw money at every deal they see.

Regard-more, you shouldn't worry about any of it. Just do what you do - if you're providing value to a good market, you should find success.

Re: Urban Architects

Carl Rahn Griffith — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:32:02 -0000

The waiting game is somewhat frustrating, but as you say, sometimes all one can do is 'wait'. Main thing is to keep one's self-belief, with sanity-checks as often as possible.

There's lots of pompous, patronising people out in this world - thing is to seek out intelligent debate, such as you often find here. I don't want the company of 'Yes' people but neither do i want the company of 'No' people.

I also worry way too much - especially when time seems to be ticking by with tangible progress in what I am trying to do/achieve seems too slow - life is short, and time being 'wasted' by waiting is worrying. 2009 for me has been a pretty negative year in many ways. I am damn sure 2010 won't be the same - starting now. Well, tomorrow ;-)

I think there will be a huge shake-out in this sector during 2010 - if something is not sustainable, it's not sustainable. Simple as. Heck of a lot of people riding on the back of Twitter, Social Media/Network, etc, at the moment and the numbers just don't add up - combined with an awful lot of pretentious babble out there. Pseudo-intellectuals have never before had so many platforms to Vox their Pop. Thankfully, this place is generally a haven for pragmatism and optimism. And learning.

Re: Urban Architects

ShanaC — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:09:08 -0000

I know the feeling. I work hard on what to do about it. Oddly, being here helps. Something about productivity rather than the waiting game. (even though sometimes all you can do is wait.)

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 08:14:20 -0000

Worrying is generally not helpful. I do it too and it has not paid off very much

Re: Urban Architects

ShanaC — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:18:07 -0000

Took it out from the library- it's interesting. I'm in the middle of reading it now. I feel a bit odd in it for a combination of cultural reasons and time reasons (she discusses a housing collapse, I grew up in what most of the US considers a Traditional community, yet I can see what she means by loss of transmission)

It's a book that seems to raise more questions than answers. Sort of like reading Jermiah in the context of the Hebrew scriptures. Is she a failed prophet if no one heeded her warning? How true is she? Very troubling book.

Re: Urban Architects

ShanaC — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:06:23 -0000

No, and it's hard to tell on the internet. Hence I thought you deserved a real answer to some of the underlying issues.

I also think its wonderful that all sorts of things are being built, I just worry that since if if you head over the Chris Dixon- that we may be too awash with money. I'm not an investor: Yet I worry because you see the investors hang out with the startups and the techies as places like NYTech Meetup. As a semi-outsider looking to learn- it looks like a place to semi-pitch, and hence can be a bit confusing as to what roll people should play.

I also admit to being a worrywart.

Re: Urban Architects

ShanaC — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:12:55 -0000

So now my big question is, exactly how similar is this space to "real life space," and how different? This place is missing a lot of places and things that I'm used to. Granted, some of them are unnecessary (right now I am not drinking coffee from a monitor), yet still, I could expand the metaphor to be that this is a space that needs institutions. That it needs to be as if it were a fully functioning society that we conceive of outside when we close our actual front doors. (Even I have a hard time wrapping my mind around this one, how do you have a web front door?)

Re: Urban Architects

StephanieSmith — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:31:03 -0000

i'm LA-based but in nyc Oct 9 - 12. do you have time for a quick meet to discuss further? stephanie@wecommune.com

Re: Urban Architects

reece — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:13:31 -0000

I hope you didn't think I meant that Exit Strategy is akin to the printing press or worthy of venture backing. Though valuable to me, it is neither.

What it is, though, is a simple, mobile app that allows me to better navigate my urban surroundings, and I wanted to speak up as a user.

Moreover, I think it's great that we are seeing applications built at all levels - those worthy of venture backing and those that aren't - because the creativity of all these developers will only continue to improve our lives (particularly in urban centers), as they are augmented by our mobile devices.

Re: Urban Architects

Carl Rahn Griffith — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:50:58 -0000

I recently Twitter'ed this cool piece in The Guardian: Jane Jacobs' Urban Village | "Mother Courage"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/b...

It's this passion/pride/awareness we need to instill in more people. This new generation of apps will help, if nurtured properly.

Re: Urban Architects

Carl Rahn Griffith — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:41:56 -0000

Lol, ditto.

At school my handwriting was described as "a spider, dipped in an ink well, let loose on a blank piece of paper" ... ironically, English was always - by far - my top subject, but my handwriting has always been appalling. When I do write (and ironically I collect Lamy pens/pencils - sad, I know) I get cramp in my wrist within minutes. That's what some 30yrs of using a keyboard does for one.

I am not sure whether I should be proud of the fact that I touch-type as fast as most classically-trained secretaries .. :-/

Re: Urban Architects

Paolo — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:13:47 -0000

raising hand for the italian version ;-) FS main competitor here is http://www.mobnotes.com/ (doing quite well)

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:53:03 -0000

The same is true of web space

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:53:01 -0000

True

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:45:02 -0000

Considering I can barely write with a pencil or pen, typing was a godsend to me and probably the reason I fell in love with computers

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:44:02 -0000

Foursquare's experiment in crowdsourcing a new city, vacouver, was a big success. So in theory there is no reason andy can't bring it to his town/city. Foursquare hasn't implemented full blown croudsourcing yet but I suspect it is just a matter of time

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:42:01 -0000

This is outside.in's mission pretty much. They are not delivering against it yet

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:41:01 -0000

I love nyc way way more than any t-shirt. It is a deep part of who I am

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:39:05 -0000

Thanks

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:39:02 -0000

Yes to the last point. But to the first one I'd agree that one visit doesn't say much. But a dozen visits a month sure does

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:37:02 -0000

Foursquare is coming to europe very soon. I am sure it will do great in berlin and london. Less sure about paris. What do you think?

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:35:01 -0000

Thankfully he did that a few years back!!

Re: Urban Architects

fredwilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:33:02 -0000

Me too. How do we make it happen?