Ning's Infinite Ambition

Fast Company - May 2008
Here's something you probably don't know about the Internet: Simply by designing your product the right way, you can build a billion-dollar business from scratch. No advertising or marketing budget, no need for a sales force, and venture capitalists will kill for the chance to throw money at you.
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Viacom Vet Herb Scannell: Act 2.0

MediaWeek - April 14, 2008
To build a proper chain saw arm, start drinking a lot of OJ.
You see, if you're an aspiring movie director looking to recreate the chain saw arm wielded by the lead character in 1980s cult classic Evil Dead II, you'll need one of those oversized plastic OJ containers to form the prop's base. However, if your ambitions lie in sci-fi rather than horror, you'll need several slightly more hard-to-find items to assemble a passable Death Ray, including a leaf-blower nozzle, a children's toy wagon and a Betty Crocker Easy Organizer box.
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Branson's Latest Virgin Is Chartering Planes

BusinessWeek - April 3, 2008
The flamboyant British billionaire launches a new business that lets executives fly privately for less. Private airfare couldn't get a better poster boy than Richard Branson. The billionaire founder of the Virgin brand is known for living the high life: jetting across the globe between business meetings, doing cameo film appearances, and appearing at social events on Necker Island, his private Caribbean paradise. Now Branson is putting that jet-set lifestyle in reach of executives from small and medium-sized businesses.
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Next New Networks: $15 Million Second Round From Goldman, Velocity For Video "Micronetwork"

Silicon Alley Insider - March 12, 2008
Yesterday we wondered whether Next New Networks was still raising a second round. Not any more: The Web video network has closed a $15 million Series B, led by Goldman Sachs and Velocity Interactive Group, whose Jon Miller was already a NNN board member. Spark Capital, Haim Saban and Bob Pittman's Pilot Group, who were all part of the company's $8 million Series A, have all reupped. No word on valuation but we'll update if we get an estimate.
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Next New Networks Raises $15M More For Video Channels

VentureBeat - March 12, 2008
Next New Networks, the company that publishes thematic channels of video online, including Barely Political (which features Obama-cheering Obama Girl), has raised more capital to keep expanding.
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NetSuite Wants Buyers To Customize And Sell Software

Reuters - March 4, 2008
Software magnate Larry Ellison's NetSuite Inc aims to turn its business management software service into a platform for developers to create customized management programs for small and medium-sized businesses.
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Branson's Online Charter Plane Service Launches

Reuters - March 4, 2008
Richard Branson's first charter plane experience gave him the idea to start commercial airline company Virgin Atlantic Airways.
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Branson: 'There Aren't Very Many Virgins Left...'

Fortune - March 4, 2008
The insouciant CEO did intend to shock, but in reality he was just bragging about his brand, which he's now applying to Virgin Charter, an Internet company for arranging private jet trips.
The delightful Richard Branson proves yet again that you don't have to toe the line in order to be a successful businessperson. In launching another intriguing business, this time to make private aircraft charters easier to arrange, he cannot avoid the temptation for endless quips, even right off a long flight from India - a charter of course.
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Raptr Gaming Network Opens For Private Beta

TechCrunch - February 22, 2008
Yesterday I wrote briefly about new gaming startup Raptr, formerly called GXL, Inc. Founder (and celebrity gamer) Dennis Fong has now demo'd the product on stage at GDC, and I’ve had the chance to see the product myself.
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Velocity Interactive Puts $10 Million Into Broadband Enterprises

TechCrunch - January 16, 2008
The newly formed Velocity Interactive Group (Jonathan Miller's and Ross Levinsohn's vehicle for investing in digital media) is making its first investment: $10 million in video ad network Broadband Enterprises.
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More Than Games, A Net To Snare Social Networkers

New York Times - January 15, 2008
FRIENDSHIP means being able to sink each other's battleships.
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