I gave this presentation at

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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
child
NEVER
SLEPT

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OMG this is so boring

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Started a community site for Watertown
GodGodGodGod’’’’s gift tos gift tos gift tos 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 Realizet Realizet Realizet Realize
I Have A Startup,I Have A Startup,I Have A Startup,I Have A Startup,
So I Go To Work forSo I Go To Work forSo I Go To Work forSo 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 startup
I am so stupid
I Still don’t
Realize 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 startupMy mommy has a startupMy mommy has a startupMy 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 beenve never beenve never beenve 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 havet havet havet 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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Your
lunch
I can haz
it

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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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Everythingaboutsomething

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Get Excited & Make Things

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Thanks!
Lisa on LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/lisawilliams
Lisa on Twitter:
@lisawilliams