Brad Feld

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VC’s Pitching To VC’s at Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference

Aug 25, 2005

Larry Gregory has put together an interesting VC panel for the upcoming Microsoft PDC in Los Angeles in mid-September.  Rather than the typical VC panel – where we get to sit in front a room for of people and prognosticate about whatever we feel like (regardless of whether or not we have a clue) –  Larry is going to use the panel as part of an innovation exercise around Microsoft Vista.

The panel description is as follows:

Venture Capital Workshop: Incubating New Ideas:  Compete for the best Windows Vista-based solution idea and hear what leading venture capitalists find compelling. Enterprise developers can voice their interests and hear how the startup community is approaching those areas today. ISV developers can test new solution ideas and understand the venture capitalist perspective on viable business opportunities. Come prepared to participate, have fun, and win prizes!

We’re going to break up into seven subgroups (Business Intelligence, Collaboration, Consumer, Infrastructure, Mobility, Security, and Verticals/LOB – I’ve got Collaboration), with each group coming up with ideas around their topics.  The VC in each group will then pitch the best idea to the balance of the VCs.  I expect each panel (minus the pitching VC) will be pleasantly brutal to their cohort.

I doubt the prize will be a free copy of the Google Earth upgrade.  Whatever it is, I expect it’ll be fun.  I’ll be there – hunt me down if you are at PDC and want to say hi.