calacanis

Beverly Hills based, SpotRunner, who has raised $111M to bring ‘web to TV’ advertising for local companies, is expected to lay off 75 employees come Monday.
SpotRunner’s lofty goal for the year with the capital was to lead it to an IPO. They convinced their current CFO Sam Paisley this year to jump ship from ValueClick to manage the process. Looking like this will not happen now
I ran into two SpotRunner employees today out and about in Santa Monica and they said overall feeling inside the company is very somber.
Maybe they should have used Calacanis’ model of fire them quick and all at once. Don’t let it leak and drag out, which leads to a decrease in performance. We’ll keep you posted.

Session 1 of TechCrunch50 kicked off today with Jasaon Calacanis and Michael Arrington opening the 52 startup showcase event.
Judging panel includes Chad Hurley (YouTube co-founder), Marrissa Mayer (Google VP), Ron Conway (angel investor) and Dan Farber (Chief CNET Editor).
Shryk has created a finance-tracking web app for young people called iThryv (think Mint for kids). Helps youngsters track where they spend money and emphasizes saving. Integrates w/ existing bank accounts.
BlahGirls is a celebrity gossip site featuring a once-per-week cartoon video show hosted by 3 animated girls. Users can make comments to the girls and receive unique responses. Risque content = not for kids. Backed by Ashton Kutcher, monetized by product placement (signed w/ Vitamin Water).
Tweegee is a social network/content site for kids aged 8-14. Includes email app that’s simple & kid-friendly, calendar with birthdays/pictures, customizable avatars, and casual games. 1 GB of space for file storage.
Hangout Industries is an embeddable 3D virtual environment aimed at 16-24 yr olds. Like a browser-based version of “The Sims” where users can chat and share media. In-world product placement is key (posters from AllPosters can be hung on the wall and then purchased in real life).

What do you think of the first round of startups?

Made tiny from: TechCrunch.com original post

SpotRunner IPO Plans Go Out The Window