Timing, a leading cause of death There is a phenomena that I have often observed during my 35 years as an active investor in early stage companies. More than 70% of new companies fail. While there are many reasons, one of the leading causes of death is timing. Take the first wave of internet companies … Continue reading
Author Archives: avram miller
Intel Capital: A Financial Success and a Strategic Failure-A Point of View from the Co-Founder
When Les Vadasz and I started Intel Capital in 1991 (I had already been doing minority investments since 1988), we had three objectives: We believed, correctly, that by working with early-stage companies we could gather important insight into future opportunities and challenges. That part was true, but our inability to use this information to inform … Continue reading
Would the world be a better place if we all spoke one language?
I’ve been thinking about language a lot these days as I study Italian, which will be my fourth language. English is my native tongue, but I have spoken Dutch fluently for most of my life. My third language is Hebrew, though I’m anything but fluent. While English and Dutch are fairly similar, Hebrew feels like … Continue reading
End of Time and Space-A reflection
Yesterday, I had a wide-ranging interaction with my dear friend, Mark Goldstein. I am not sure how to describe a Zoom call when it is just between friends. It is clearly not a meeting, but perhaps a virtual get-together? I have been checking in online with friends all over the world during these difficult times. … Continue reading
broadband / Future / Intel / Technology
Formerly, the Former Avram Miller
Turning 80 Turning 80 last month was not easy for me. I used to be the youngest person | in the room. Now I am the oldest. Once, I was a child prodigy. Now I am an elderly man who gets seats offered to him when he rides the metro. Frankly, I am struggling to … Continue reading
A word cloud describing how people see me
As I turned 80, I became interested in how people saw me. In particular, I wanted to see if there would be a strong commonality among responses (there was) and whether their perceptions would significantly overlap with how I see myself (they did). And yes, I know I am being self absorbed but give me … Continue reading
A Week in Tel Aviv – What I Learned
We left Israel, where we had been living for eight years, for a trip to Europe on October 3, 2023, stopping first for five days in Bodrum, Turkey. It was there that I heard the news of October 7th. Like so many, I was stunned. We decided to continue our trip in Europe and return … Continue reading
Intel recently announced it is spinning out Intel Capital.
Les Vadasz and I co-founded Intel Capital in 1991. Les had hired me in 1984, and he was the only person I reported to during my 15 years at Intel. He was among the original 12 people who started Intel, appearing as employee #3. Sadly, he is the only one of that group who is … Continue reading
Weight lost drugs are not just a wave, they are a tzunami
My wife has been using Mounjaro, generically known as tirzepatide, is an injectable medication initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2022 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. She does not have diabetes but has struggled with weight for most of her adult life. She has lost about 35 pounds and … Continue reading
AI / Technology
Hybrid Intelligence: Partnering with AI
Like many others, I’ve been experimenting with AI applications. Actually, it’s fair to say I’ve been obsessively exploring them. Alongside my primary companion, ChatGPT, I regularly use tools like Gemini, Stanford’s Storm, and NotebookLM. Beyond these “regulars,” I frequently test other AI applications, always curious to see what might stick. ChatGPT has become more than … Continue reading
Two Thirds Done 