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
Category Archives: Avram’s Past
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
Never again?
Today is my birthday. I am 72 years old. While I was being born, the death camp, Auschwitz, was liberated. I always take some time on my birthday to think about what happened there. I read stories of the survivors and the people that liberated them. Look at photos of emaciated bodies. I try to … Continue reading
How I have spent the last four years…and why it might be important to you
Next month, I will turn 72 years old. It is hard for me to imagine that it was almost 18 years ago when I left my position at Intel as Vice President of Corporate Business Development. I was just 54 at the time. My objective was not to retire but to rewire. For many … Continue reading
The life and death of my mother, Marilyn Miller (1926-1992)
Today would have been the 90th birthday of my mother. She was born in San Francisco on Oct. 16, 1926, and died on Dec. 10, 1992. My mother had just turned 18 years old when I was born. She got engaged to my father on her 17th birthday and married him six months later. My … Continue reading
Becoming Avram Miller
This is a very personal blog post. Now that I am in my 70s I want to share some of the stories that make up my life. There will be more to follow. I was born Arnold Stephen Goldfinger on January 27th at Children’s Hospital in San Francisco. I was named after … Continue reading
Amazon / Apple / Avram's Past / Google
Finally I am being listened to: got an Amazon Echo
I just got an Amazon Echo. It is both amazing and frustrating experience. The amazing part is how quick response when it actually knows the answer. It is like talking to a person. The frustrating part is that it doesn’t know the answer to many questions. Unexpected Device I think up until now, all … Continue reading
Intel: How a vein of gold turns into a big hole
Selling Silicon By the Ton When I joined Intel in 1984, it was primarily a semiconductor memory chip company. I use to joke that it sold silicon by the ton, but that was true. Then, the memory business was under attack by the Japanese because it was a commodity, and the Japanese were just … Continue reading
Do VC’s Add Value in Addition to Money
Not a Fan of Venture Capitalist While I am a fan of venture capital, I don’t think much of Venture Capitalists. This may sound strange from the person that was a co-founder of what was one of the largest and most successful venture capital organizations – Intel Capital. I never thought of myself as a … Continue reading
The Andy Grove I knew
Yesterday, Andy Grove died. Frankly, I am still processing that. I first met Andy in 1982 at the PC Forum. Andy was 46 and I was 37. The next time I met him was in 1984 when I was interviewing for a position at Intel. I would be reporting to Les Vadasz, who, like Andy, … Continue reading
Two Thirds Done 