9 Things to Be Thankful For This Year

1) The economic meltdown/panic of 2008 is largely over. The economy is still weak but markets are functioning and buyers are buying and sellers are selling.

2) The FCC has submitted a proposal for rulemaking on net neutrality.

3) Android (GOOG) looks to be a winner and will give the iPhone a much needed competitor to keep Apple (AAPL) honest.

4) Bing (MSFT) is showing some signs of life and may give Google a much needed competitor to keep them honest (this one may be wishful thinking).

5) Venture Capital investing is bouncing back (click to enlarge):

6) The NY Metro venture investing market is bouncing back even more sharply:

7) Programs like Y Combinator, Techstars, Seedcamp, etc are expanding all over the country and now the world, turning out newly minted entrepreneurs by the thousands.

8) A secondary market for founder stock, employee stock, and angel and early stage investor's shares is emerging, offering the possibility of a third way to get liquid on startup investments.

9) The NASDAQ's Internet Index is up 128% over the past year suggesting that Wall Street loves the internet sector again. Can a vibrant Internet IPO market be far away?

10) Yesterday was Thanksgiving, a day to forget all of this stuff and spend time cooking, eating, watching football, and hanging with good friends and family. That's what I did and I hope all of you did too.

Note: The charts on venture investing in this post come from the PWC Money Tree survey for Q3 2009.

Comments

[jimocarroll]

> "The economic meltdown/panic of 2008 is largely over. "

Yeah?

One word: Dubai.

2009 Nov 27 08:03 AM

[NoGambler]

I supplement Apple with Dell, which is putting android phones in Brazil and China.

No turkey yesterday, the BMI is too high. So I'm making chicken lentil soup, with celery and collards thrown in.

2009 Nov 27 11:25 AM

[Edge_Jeff]

Thankful for my iPhone 3GS, which has freed me from my desk and allowed me to carry so many useful things (and more that a few not so useful). Thankful that thanksgiving n Canada was last month, so I get to go around 2X!

2009 Nov 27 01:43 PM

[mbkelly75]

Thanksgiving around here tends to trash the BMI - there are too many of us having too good a time. We had turkey and roast beef, sweet potatoes done several ways, salads, deviled eggs, veggies, cold cuts and lots of dips, several pies, lots of homemade fudge, cookies and pastries, beer, wine, milk and soda. There was 30 of us that made it - my wife and I, kids and grandkids along with 15 mini-dachshunds just for the fun of it. It was a good day and we are already planning the Christmas party. Everyone is healthy and happy - us, all 10 kids, all 28 grandkids, and our new great-grandkid. That alone, is reason for giving thanks.

2009 Nov 27 01:55 PM

[mbkelly75]

Sorry - I left out the breads, biscuits, and cheeses. It was a VERY good day.

2009 Nov 27 04:02 PM