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Screenshot of Placeblogger

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Placeblogger World HQ!(now with free coffee)

Cambridge, MA

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How I finally realized I had a startup (and it only took four years)

Questions I would not get asked if I were a man

Telling the good startup ideas from the bad ones

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Startup Math

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Motherhood + blogging = startup

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This child NEVER SLEPT This childNEVERSLEPT

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OMG this is so boring

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Started a community site for WatertownGodGodGodGod’’’’s gift to s gift to s gift to s gift to

local blogginglocal blogginglocal blogginglocal blogging

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Jay Rosen

That’s

Jay Rosen

How many local sites are there? Photo: JD Lasica

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AntarcticaA Lot, Really, Really A Lot

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My first venture capitalist: eBay

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New Year’s at our house

That’s

Dick Clark

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42,000 people

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I go to work for the Boston Globe on the strength of H2otown

I Still DonI Still DonI Still DonI Still Don’’’’t Realize t Realize t Realize t Realize

I Have A Startup, I Have A Startup, I Have A Startup, I Have A Startup,

So I Go To Work for So I Go To Work for So I Go To Work for So I Go To Work for

The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe

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People tell me, You should apply for the Knight News Challenge

That’s

Eric Newton

newschallenge.org

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Jay Rosen

He says ask for

$200,000

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To my eternal surprise they give it to me

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Site Startup Capital

Tech at launch

Phase 2 tech

Phase 2 financing

Exit/

Uniques

Blogher >$10k Movable Type Drupal NBCi, Venrock

$5M

Eventual Acquisition

18M uniques

Television Without Pity

>$10k BBforum, Plone MT, Prospero Bootstrap,

Advertisers

Acquired by Bravo for $1M

1M uniques

TechCrunch >10k Wordpress WPMU Bootstrap, ads, conferences

Acquired by AOL for $25M

1.8M uniques

You don’t really need that much money

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We win, but I still don’t realize I have a startupI am so stupidI Still don’tRealize I have A startup

So I go and Start Another one

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Do not stick

your head

in there

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$10,000

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$200,000

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And I *still* don’t realize I have a startup, until

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Four years six months nine days and thirteen hours after I launched my first site,

my kid comes to visit me in Boulder

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That’s

Rowan Williams

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My mommy has a startup My mommy has a startup My mommy has a startup My mommy has a startup

and itand itand itand it’’’’s really cools really cools really cools really cool

and she came out to Coloradoand she came out to Coloradoand she came out to Coloradoand she came out to Colorado

and we got to ride on a planeand we got to ride on a planeand we got to ride on a planeand we got to ride on a plane

and Iand Iand Iand I’’’’ve never been ve never been ve never been ve never been

on a plane beforeon a plane beforeon a plane beforeon a plane before

I live in MassachusettsI live in MassachusettsI live in MassachusettsI live in Massachusetts

but we donbut we donbut we donbut we don’’’’t have t have t have t have

any mountainsany mountainsany mountainsany mountains

Do you live here?Do you live here?Do you live here?Do you live here?

Do you like it here?Do you like it here?Do you like it here?Do you like it here?

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Screenshot of Placeblogger

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And that’s when I realized I had a startup

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Things I would not get asked if I was a man

(a very select subset)

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Your husband is rich, right?Your husband is rich, right?

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Oh, then your husband must be Mr. Mom, right?

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But what about your children?!But what about your children?!

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#$Q@A#$!!!

#$&@?!

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Yourlunch

I can hazit

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How to tell the good startup ideas from the bad ones

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Don’t do anything for free that you wouldn’t do for free indefinitely.

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WHAT CAN I DO

WITHOUT ANYONE’S

ASSISTANCE OR PERMISSION?

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Everything about something

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Get Excited & Make Things

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Thanks!Lisa on LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/in/lisawilliamsLisa on Twitter: @lisawilliams