I was sitting on the subway listing to my music and watching three people. The first person pulled out their wallet. The second got up and walked as far... Read More »

De Ja Vu. Another trip to the Rose Bowl and another loss by Wisconsin. That’s how 2013 started for me but you can’t win em all, right?

Like all new... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

“I’m terrified. I have no clue what I’m doing.” When you’re trying to build an exciting business you would think the description would be a little different... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

Ian Monroe is a lecturer at Stanford University, as well as the founding CEO of Oroeco, a company that’s gamifying personal sustainability (and seeking to incentivize the global economy in the process). It’s... Read More »

I just finished up my National Ski Patrol refresher over the weekend. This is the 12th year I’ll be volunteering as a patroller at Mount Snow Vermont. For those... Read More »

There were at least 30 of them just standing there, listening to the tour guide talk about the room they were about to walk into.

Some of them looked between... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Harvard Business Review.

Mark Zuckerberg reinvigorated an entire generation when he added nine zeroes to the end of his bank account before he was 30 years old.... Read More »

I’m in the process of redesigning this site so that it works more seamlessly with mobile devices. In a few short years, I think we’ll see that all web... Read More »

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the convergence of mobile devices and consumer healthcare. I believe there are three changes happening that are creating a perfect storm for... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

“You don’t need to paddle as hard for the bigger waves”

That’s what Kaoki, my surfing instructor, told me during my first surf lesson on the shores of... Read More »

I grew up listening to Hip-Hop and still love it to this day. The beat, the tempos, the lyrics – those are the things that make Hip-Hop great. But... Read More »

I’m rounded up with 12 others and we’re being escorted to a church. The others are quite. They don’t know why they were just abducted from their daily routine... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

Nathan Lustig and Jesse Davis are the cofounders of Entrustet, a company that helps you access, transfer and delete your digital assets when you die. The company... Read More »

“Sometimes, it is important to look back and see who in our lives our, ‘angel investors’ actually are. Acknowledge them. Thank them if you can.”

I’ve read similar words before. I... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

If Facebook has taught us anything over the past few years it has taught us this:

1. A hacker culture works to drive accelerated growth in a business. Mark... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

What would you say if I told you I was going to make stick figure cat drawings?

Your first response may be to highlight the fact that I’m... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

Our society celebrates the buzzy and bubbly – acquisitions, funding events, mergers, new hires. As entrepreneurs, most of the buzzy stories we read are rather useless. They serve no practical... Read More »

Man, what a year it has been.

In January I took my first trip to Pasadena California for the Rose Bowl. Although Wisconsin lost to TCU, it was arguably one... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

Technology has democratized information and in turn has fueled hyper consumption. On a daily basis, we are assaulted with new content that we must consciously choose to engage with... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

If we want our country and economy to get back on track we need to fix the education system for math and science related degrees. It’s simple... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

Technology and data are changing the ways companies do business but perhaps more interestingly is the way they are influencing how companies are hiring, and could be... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

I think everyone should blog, especially entrepreneurs, so here are my top 9 reasons why you should be blogging if you aren’t already.

1. It’s your new resume. ... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

Starting a company is a daunting task and taking the first step sometimes seems impossible. I’ve encountered a number of people with the dilemma of “I know... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

The recent changes announced at Facebook’s F8 conference solidifies their place as the first real social infrastructure for the web and this is very important for... Read More »

On the night of September 11th 2011, firetrucks lined up in Jersey City awaiting their turn for their photo opp. In the backdrop there lies two hollow lights shooting... Read More »

That was the overwhelming response I got from my friends in college. I had a beat up card board box sitting in the corner of my bedroom with 25... Read More »

I’ve said several times on this blog that the education system is broken and is in desperate need of change. I now think we are finally starting to see... Read More »

When I was building Spinback as an independent company I would often work 16 hour days. These days were packed with meetings, work, planning, the whole 9 yards. I... Read More »

I’ve blogged about my views on the broken education system in the past, but I don’t think anyone more clearly articulates the issues than Sir Ken Robinson.

This video is... Read More »

I just finished reading a blog post by James Altucher titled “Do You Have to Be Rich to Be Honest?” Go read it. It is very refreshing and the... Read More »

This post originally appeared on Badger Engineers.

My company Spinback was recently acquired by Buddy Media, the largest Facebook Management Company in the world. It’s clear that my four years... Read More »

Starting a business is very hard and to be successful I think you need to have a certain set of characteristics, one of which I’ll call the “insane maniac”... Read More »

Now that the dust has settled a bit and the acquisition is done, I wanted to talk a little bit about Dogpatch Labs NYC and the role they played... Read More »

As the news says, today my partners and I over at Spinback are pleased to announce that we’ve been acquired by Buddy Media, the Facebook management system of choice for... Read More »

There is a lot of debate going on in Washington DC and among the Ad Tech community around data and privacy. Technology has enabled every single one of us... Read More »

Osama Bin Laden is dead and today I recall the feelings I had on that fateful day in 2001. Although I am admittedly filled with thoughts of joy about how this... Read More »

On May 27, 2001 an F2 tornado hit my house while I was inside. The tornado was 200 ft wide and had winds of up to 120 miles per... Read More »

Both work, right?

In high school, I quit wrestling at the peak of my wrestling career. I had just come off a nice run at kid states taking first place at a... Read More »

We are experiencing academic inflation. This is a theme I can’t seem to shake and its something that I think is only getting worse. Much worse, so long as... Read More »

The situation in Japan is really horrible but perhaps an even worse situation is that rescue workers and aids are afraid to help those within a 12 mile radius... Read More »

Most of my friends are either in the work world or are in the process of finishing up some form of school and the following question has come up numerous times... Read More »

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about Facebook and the implications it has on our daily lives, our communications, and our buying behavior. I’m starting to... Read More »

As we continue to build our business at spinback we continue to engage in a number of very interesting conversations on the topic of product recommendations and sharing. Jared... Read More »

My friend Jeremy suggested that people take his blog post titles and write their own story. Considering I just finished drawing pictures and diagrams on a whiteboard for 4... Read More »

A family friend of mine owns a large men’s clothing store and for the purpose of this story, we’ll call this store TuxMan. For years, TuxMan would sell suits,... Read More »

As of today, I’ll be leaving the Lotame family to pursue a new endeavor called Spinback.com.

Like all hard decisions, this one was not... Read More »

If you are in college you should start your own business because there is no better time to do so.

When I was in college working on thecampusatlas.com I remember... Read More »

As a grandson of a holocaust survivor, I have a very specific lens by which I view the religion of Judaism. As a student of technology and media, one... Read More »

Madison, Wisconsin could very well be the next hub for startup businesses. When I was in school in Madison, I watched companies like... Read More »

There is no doubt in my mind that our dependency on mobile phones will continue to increase. I’m not going to try and justify this statement because this is... Read More »

Just some high level thoughts on where things are at and where things are going in digital display advertising…

We may look back and call... Read More »

In my last post I talked about how I would openly share some of my ideas. This is one of those half-baked ideas and like... Read More »

When I was younger I had all sorts of crazy business ideas and product inventions, but no one cared because I was young. It was child’s play. Fortunately, some of that inventiveness child’s play... Read More »

If you want to understand where wealth creation will come from in the coming years then you should read Clay Shirky‘s latest book called Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and... Read More »

School is mostly bullshit. The only way you learn things is by doing things. Real things. Things that have consequences and things that have rewards. A “C” on some... Read More »

Mark Suster wrote a great post yesterday called “Life is 10% How You Make It and 90% How you Take It”... Read More »

Black Swans, Purple Cows, colorful animals..

The idea that something big and unexpected could happen without notice is a joke. At this point in time, if you don’t expect big... Read More »

This week was internet week. I listened to a lot of media companies talk about “Premium Content” but I’m not sure that this is the... Read More »

Over a year ago I wrote an open letter to several faculty members of the University of Wisconsin – Madison. In the letter I voiced my concerns... Read More »

The market almost fell 10% today and one of my i-banker friends sends me this email chain…

We are Wall Street. It’s our job to make... Read More »

I always knew there was something super advanced and different about the Black Eyed Peas. My first sign was when I saw them perform at Intel’s private launch party... Read More »

A lot of people recently asked me about internet based businesses. Things like: How to start a blog or website, what is twitter, how to use twitter, how to... Read More »

Doug Weaver wrote a great piece today titled The New Oreo, Part 3: The Audience Layer.

“Anyone mildly plugged into digital advertising in 2010 can’t possibly ignore the noise and... Read More »

When things get so complicated the best thing you can do is go back to the basics.

In today’s world of online advertising, the “basics” are changing so it’s important... Read More »

Two years ago I was volunteering on ski patrol at the Winter Dew Tour at Mount Snow, Vermont.

I was stationed at the top of the super pipe for the... Read More »

Well, not really. But this guy did.

I’ve been playing poker for quite some time now and what I used to consider a “gambling” game, I now consider a game... Read More »

This is a conversation I recently had with a NYC taxi driver, for the most part.

Because negotiating is just fun sometimes…

Me: Hey Taxi Driver. How much to go... Read More »

After spending some time away from the computer over the past two weeks, I finally got some time to think back on the past 10 years and here’s what... Read More »

When it comes to Hip Hop, there are those artists that stack up on the top of my list. Guys like Nas, Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Common, The Roots, Notorious... Read More »

The online advertising industry at large is sprinting towards maximizing efficiency. Overall, the working theory is that smart aggregation and assembly of various technology providers will create a unique... Read More »

I heard a story recently that went something like this…

(This is a true story, although the actual conversation below is fake)

A guy calls a reputable consultant for... Read More »

The world will never be the same. Our society used to build machines and parts, in factories and in assembly lines. Today, our society builds computer programs and data... Read More »

With all of the latest advances in digital media, we are still in the infancy stage when it comes to data intelligence and informative decision making. Consider what is... Read More »

During my sophomore year of college my fraternity was shut down. As a result, all of our events were canceled and to make matters worse... Read More »

This is a damn small world. The Internet makes it that much smaller. Just read the title of this post as proof (or see entire comment here from another... Read More »

This October will mark my 9th consecutive year as an emergency health care professional. In all those years, the most important thing I learned (besides teamwork) is that assessing... Read More »

By “Real Vacation” I mean: Do whatever you have to to clear your mind. Don’t think about anything. Think about nothing.

I recently came back from a long... Read More »

I created this video a while back for one of my college classes. It’s amazing how far an industry has come in such a short period of time. Even... Read More »

The Internet and technology makes it so easy to do anything.

I typically use this blog for somewhat coherent thoughts. When I see things I like and don’t have time to write about them, they either make it to my... Read More »

(This post can also be found on the Lotame Learnings Blog)

A recent study came out by Knowledge Networks titled: “Internet users turn to social media to seek one another,... Read More »

We used to live in what I will call a Media Dictatorship. A Media Dictatorship is a world where content is created by a few dictators (media companies),... Read More »

Starting a business is very hard. In a matter of 24 hours your emotions can range from thinking that your business will be the next Google, to thinking how... Read More »

Lately, I’ve been having writer’s block. When I first started writing this blog I intended to update it once a day. Once a day quickly became once every two... Read More »

How can you really expect to be successful if you sit back and simply do what is expected?

I’ve heard on numerous occasions about how getting a certain job, whether... Read More »

Data is King. If you don’t believe me, consider this:

It will be very different in 10 years.  It is very different now.

Pretty soon those backpacks carrying 100 lbs worth of textbooks will be replaced by one, 10.2 oz... Read More »

People have recently asked me:

“How can I use Twitter to help my organization? I know I need to be on there, but how do I use it?... Read More »

About a month or so ago I had a conversation with a VP from Goldman Sachs. We talked about work hours versus compensation in the investment banking world. We... Read More »

Things are getting tough, especially in the marketing world.

Marketers have to go way beyond conventional wisdom to drive results for their clients or personal business.

One, definitely not so new... Read More »

Forget pricey satellite radio, the crappy commercial filled FM radio, massive amounts of CDs, or your stale and unupdated iPod…

Here is how you... Read More »

We’ve all had these moments:

“Hey, Wouldn’t it be cool if we made….”

“I’ve got a really great idea. We should make…”

“Dude, This is genius. We are going to... Read More »

There are three key components admissions officers look at when reviewing students’ college applications:

Today, most large universities are faced with the challenge of reviewing thousands of... Read More »

In the back of my mind I’m always thinking about education and change. Below is an open letter written to some faculty members of my alma-mater about the importance... Read More »

I recently finished reading What Would Google Do by Jeff Jarvis.

This book is important for so many reasons, but the most important point of the book is that fundamentally,... Read More »

This was too funny to not post…

(Sent to me from Rachel Glickman)

Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die.

This is so priceless, and so,... Read More »

So is Jamie Varon…

“My name is Jamie Varon and I’m living in Danville, CA (if you haven’t heard of it, no worries) right now, hoping to move into San... Read More »

Do you have a really cool idea? Are you involved in a start up? Are you looking to add value to your current business or organization?

Try this... Read More »

Lately, people have been asking me about websites and internet businesses in general. Is their internet idea a good one? Is it realistic? How to build it?... Read More »

Here is how we are going to fix the housing, auto and credit crisis in 4 phases:

1. Phase I – “The Boot”

All of the people that bought houses they... Read More »

(Disclaimer: I currently work for Lotame Solutions).

Let’s face it, the “Social Media” buzz word has been used a bit much these days doing two things:

Time to be creative, risky and bold. If you don’t act now you’ll be left in the cold. Step out of the box and step up your... Read More »

Sales People: How much time do you spend with your clients discussing numbers, data or research?

Analytics & Quant People: How much time do you spend interfacing with clients?

The line... Read More »

The inauguration is right around the corner.

There are high expectations set for the new president.

I hope when Obama steps into that oval office, he remembers and keeps all of... Read More »

I always thought I wanted to be a doctor when I was younger. I joined the National Ski Patrol at age 14 (EMT on a snowboard), attended... Read More »

My previous post titled University of Nothing, generated a ton of meaningful, insightful, and thoughtful response.

J.T O’Donnell of Careerealism.com adds some tremendous value and insight to this subject as... Read More »

I’m founding a school called the University of Nothing.

This is a school that teaches no subject matter directly. Instead, this university will teach you how to learn, and while... Read More »

When MySpace first announced their MySpace Music agenda, I remember thinking, “It’s ‘about fu$!ng time”.

Lately, whenever I want to listen to some tunes by a particular artist, I find... Read More »

If you have some cash lying around, why not buy something in this market.

Prices are cheap, and while they may get cheaper, you can get a good deal on... Read More »

When it comes to Social Media, Obama just gets it. This is how he won his campaign and this is how he will remain intimately connected to the people.

He... Read More »

You want to make a lot of money. Who doesn’t? 

You scope out industries, look at the highest paying jobs, somewhat consider the associated quality of life. Ultimately, you want... Read More »

It’s like playing chess only with companies.

Quick story:

In the 80′s Gillette and BIC battled out market share for the disposable lighter. They each had their own product, and each... Read More »

With the economy declining, one thing is certain: Innovation will lead to good products and services, and good products and services will lead to revenue. This could not be... Read More »

The saying goes, “It’s not about what you know, but who you know”.

While I do not completely agree, there is some truth to this saying. Connectedness and networking matters.... Read More »

There was Rock and Roll, Billy Joel, Greatful Dead, Allman Brothers….and then there was Hip Hop. Our generation has grown up with Hip Hop, and along with technology and... Read More »

Think about it.

The site now has a new look and feel. It is also now hosted at www.danreich.com and not www.danreich.wordpress.com, so please edit your RSS subscription.

And you thought Flaver Flav was the only reality tv star…

This is a great concept. Then again, I am 110% biased in this matter.

Our cameras follow the men and... Read More »

You can teach someone how to pick an apple from a tree or you can teach someone how to plant an apple tree.

I planted an apple tree about 3... Read More »

As I was driving home the other night from Vermont, I was listening to some Billy Joel. The song Allentown came on, and I could not help but to... Read More »

Consider this (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Coming Soon…

Until now, Google has been trying to identify efficient advertising solutions for social media.

And rightfully so.

Social media has become the premier medium for communication and media, and over the... Read More »

Not in one anymore.

Consider this: This is the first time in my lifetime, as well as the lifetimes of everyone in my generation, that we are experiencing something very,... Read More »

Two years ago I co-founded a website specifically designed for college students. The site:

(Check out my site before continuing to read the rest of the post…or look below.... Read More »

Jonathan Zittrain defines Generativity in the following manner:

“Generativity is a system’s capacity to produce unanticipated change through unfiltered contributions from broad and varied audiences”

Jonathan Zittrain, The Future of... Read More »

If a strong financial background validates a VC’s ability to correctly run numbers. What validates a VC’s ability to correctly evaluate new markets?

Great Post:

One thing I was thinking (and... Read More »

I’d like to say that Thomas Friedman said it best when he said,

“What would happen if you cross-bred Henry Ford and Yitzhak Rabin? You’d get Shai Agassi.”

I think I... Read More »

When the media covers a presidency, they constantly refer to the phrase “The (insert president’s name here) administration”. A phrase that is reflective of a group of people that... Read More »

Intel’s announcement with Yahoo to bring widgets to the living room is not a real shocker.

I have seen this image 2 years ago, while I was in Las... Read More »

“Here’s what’s important. We’ve allowed the way transitions look from the outside to drive our perception of what they must feel like to those going through them on the... Read More »

Fred Wilson recently wrote a post about one of his portfolio companies and its search for interns in the NYC area.

In the Post…

Greg Yardley, founder/CEO of our portfolio... Read More »

My mouth has been wired shut for 3 weeks now due to genetics and orthognathic surgery. As a result, I have not been able to speak, effectively engage in... Read More »

Startup Ideas We’d Like to Fund Paul Graham July 2008

When we read Y Combinator applications there are always ideas we’re hoping to see. In the past we’ve never said publicly what... Read More »

How great would that be? For those of you that are not familiar with Microsoft Exchange, the idea is this: Being able to sync your phone with Facebook. Everyone... Read More »

Of all the doctor’s offices I’ve ever been in, I can undoubtedly say they all have one thing in common: The overwhelming amounts of patient files and folders. Next... Read More »

Let me start by saying this: I firmly believe online advertising is and will continue to play an essential role in the economic ecosystem of the internet (so much... Read More »

This should be a great conference. I expect to see more conferences like this emerge (Web 3.0 & Cloud Computing).

I will be attending on behalf of:

A while back I wrote about the relevance (or lack their of) of the systematic approaches taken by the public school systems and large universities. I would argue that... Read More »

If you have everything to gain and nothing to lose?

If you have everything to gain and everything to lose?

If you have nothing to gain and nothing to lose?

If you... Read More »

If Sony BMG, Universal Music, Def Jam, Motown, Warner Brothers, or any of the big music labels were to create their business model today, what would it look like?... Read More »

A few months ago I had a very interesting conversation with one of my friends, who was at the time, working for CBS. He told me that media companies... Read More »

IBM has recently announced “a next-generation version of its Cell processor, the first specifically geared for computer servers.”

The PowerXCell 8i will drive the Road Runner system now under test... Read More »

The industrial revolution created more than just automobiles, factory lines, and blue collar jobs. It created a structured day. The 9 to 5 with allocated time for lunch. Most... Read More »

Facebook is opening up the walled garden and sharing…or are they?

Their new announcement:

“Today we are announcing Facebook Connect. Facebook Connect is the next iteration of Facebook Platform that allows... Read More »

This is the question my friend Mark Korshak is looking to answer in “Project Youthanized.”

But how do we truly compare generations?

Let’s consider a student in college 30 years ago,... Read More »

Who is winning? And at what sports?

I’m not speaking in literal terms, but a recent post by Andrew Weissman really forces us to look at the future of business.... Read More »

Last year, I began pursuing an idea with a good friend of mine. We met with one of our extremely talented professors, Giri Venkataramanan, and began developing mathematical equations... Read More »

The anticipation of who will be the democratic nominee is growing. Fred Wilson posed a great question today in his post titled “And Who Do The Other 17% Think... Read More »

Academia Series: Post 2

My freshman year of college, I was required to take a class called Engineering Professional Design (EPD 160). I was among a group of 35 other... Read More »

Consider the game of Rocks, Paper, Scissor. Three components. Three pieces that make up a rather historical game. What if a fourth component was introduced to the game? What... Read More »

“No one wants it (the Microsoft-Yahoo merger) to happen. The only reason it’s being considered is that the management of Windows Live has been so ineffective that they can’t... Read More »

The amount of countless hours I’ve spent in UW-Madison’s Engineering Hall, should earn me the “GAL” or “Get a Life” award. Instead I will receive a degree in Electrical Engineering from... Read More »

“Retain faith that you will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties.

AND at the same time

Confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever... Read More »

With my college career coming to an end, I decided to start a series of posts entitled “Academia”. In each post, I will discuss a project or research I... Read More »

Investing in internet companies is relatively straight forward. Find good people with a good idea, and let the programming begin. But what about all of the other industries out... Read More »

Is it happiness? Is it financial security? Is it location? Is it independence? How do we inevitably select a career path? This May, I will be graduating from the... Read More »

My first encounter with blogging started off as a place to post anything and everything myself and my friends thought was worth looking at. Whatever it was. Just a... Read More »