Technically Speaking

Technically Speaking explores the technology industry in B.C. Blogger and columnist Brent Holliday keeps you apprised of the latest – and the most important – tech sector developments as they come down the pipeline.

February 29, 2012 Technically Speaking: Angel Investing and Funding

The Devils of Angel Investments

Surviving Angel Investments | BCBusiness

There are many lessons for early stage investing in tech companies, but they don’t need to be learned the hard way.

Angel investing is an interesting ride for both the angel investor and the tech entrepreneur receiving money to chase their dreams. From the investor point of view, it is (or should be) play money they can afford to lose.

The returns could be spectacular simply because you’re the earliest investor in a company that could get very large. Most happy exits for angels are ones where they get their money out quickly or where the returns are large after many years. Most...

January 19, 2012 Technically Speaking: Technology

Billion-Dollar Tech Babies

The technology sector is known for generating quick and copious wealth. So, where are B.C.’s tech billionaires?

No industry in the history of capitalism has generated great wealth faster than the technology industry. In 2004, Mark Zuckerberg was a pimply faced, slightly spoiled undergraduate student. Today he is a pimply faced, mostly spoiled billionaire ($13.5 billion, according to the latest Forbes list). Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google co-founders) are still under 40 and worth $20 billion each. Fifteen years ago they were graduate students who were really, really good at math.

The...

January 10, 2012 Technically Speaking: Technology

B.C. Tech Sector Should Play Catch up

While B.C.'s tech industry saw some solid successes last year, the sector should set the bar even higher for 2012.

After writing “online columns” for years before they were shortened to web logs and shortened again to blogs and then again to tweets, I have a unique perspective on writing for the web.

Since 1998, I have put my opinions out there. Now, my friends at BCBusiness have allowed me to add to my monthly Tech Talk column with a more frequent blog.

It is so 2004 to write a blog, I know. But, while Twitter feeds my latent ADD, it gets me down...