https://avram.substack.com/p/the-flight-of-a-wild-duck-start-here It took me three years to write my memoir. The first year was spent doing research, the second writing, and the third editing. I enjoyed the process immensely. I had three audiences in mind while writing it. The first was people like me or parents of people like me who could not follow the … Continue reading
Category Archives: Venture Capital
Founders and Venture Capitalists: Not on the Same Page
I was the co founder of Intel Capital and Vice President of Business Development at Intel. I left in 1999 to advise companies, sit on corporate boards and invest in early stage companies for my own account. While many considered me as a venture capitalist (for instance I was listed as number eight in the … Continue reading
For Strategic Investors, You Are a Tactic
As a founder and one of the leaders of Intel Capital, one of the world’s most successful corporate venture groups, I am frequently approached by entrepreneurs seeking advice on securing investments from strategic investors. Strategic investors primarily invest to bolster their strategic objectives. For example, during my tenure as Corporate Vice President of Business Development … Continue reading
Ethernet at 50, an Important Through Line in my Career
We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ethernet. Bob Metcalfe is considered the inventor of Ethernet, which happened at Xerox Research Center in Palo Alto in the 70s. It was there that Metcalfe wrote a memo describing Ethernet. At that time, many competing technologies intended to connect computers in the same physical space. The concept … Continue reading
Living longer better
I have not given this blog much attention since I started writing my book, The Flight of a Wild Duck, four years ago. It was published in September of 2021. I have a lot more that I want to write, but frankly, the effort of writing a 340-page book dampened my enthusiasm for writing. Now … Continue reading
Goodbye Michael Johnson, you were one of a kind
This has been a year of lost. Four of my friends and former colleagues have died, way before their time. A remarkable man left us last Sunday. My friend, Michael Johnson, died at his home in South Africa. I attended a memorial Tuesday evening on Zoom. I think there were 20 or more attendees, friends … Continue reading
about business / Avram's Past / broadband / Business Managment / Intel / Microsoft / Venture Capital
My book in the making
Below is a description of sorts about I book I am working on. It is actually a great deal of work as I have to conduct a lot of research and assure its accuracy. Now, I need some feedback. I am concerned that the companies, people and events may not be relevant to today’s readers. … Continue reading
Drinking the kool-Aid (how billions were lost creating PDAs)
As I try to decide if I should write a book, I have been reading or rereading various books about the computer industry. I just finished Jerry Kaplan’s Startup, written in 1995. Jerry founded GO Corporation in 1987 to develop pen-based computers, and I still think the book has value today for those starting technology-based … Continue reading
Venture Capital and Sexual Abuse
There has been a lot of discussion in the press about sexual abuse by venture capitalists. As frequent readers of this blog will know, I am not very positive about the venture capital industry which really means I am not very positive about venture capitalists (with some important exceptions). Since I was one of the … Continue reading
The Future History of Technology
The book I am probably not going to write From time to time, I think about writing a book on the evolution of information technology. I am designing it in my head. Sometimes it is divided into three sections, which are simply the past, present and future. Frankly, I am not that interested in the … Continue reading
Two Thirds Done 