I’m Back

Isilon IPO and Sequoia on steroids

Isilon’s impressive debut on the Nasdaq market this week is going through the roof and is cashing in again (big time).

Despite not earning a profit, the company’s shares were up 78% affording it a $1.4 billion market capitalization.

Isilon had raised approximately $60 million in venture capital from Atlas Venture (24.4%), Sequoia Capital (19.3%), Madrona Venture Group (16.5%) and Lehman Brothers Venture Partners (6.6%). Their combined stakes in the storage systems maker are now worth approximately $935 million - I guess that I’m in the wrong biz. But then again big money is not the only path to a happy life

Where to go in 2007

Let New York Times help you find your 2007 destinations

Simply click on any of the NYT markers, and you’ll see a popup of the article describing that particular destination - a short cut to a happy 2007 life

WC1 - Go to the loo with style

With crystal chandeliers, stone floors, dark wood, fresh flowers and carefully calibrated lighting, the entire ambiance conveys luxury and spa-glamour, reflecting the fact that WC1 spent GBP 1 million+ creating the ultimate boutique powder room.

Damn - one could help a lot of people with GBP 1 million - but now we have a super loo on Oxford Street.

By the way - it’s women only

Watch Out

Was playing with my son Sebastian yesterday - take a look at the result and he is not even 2 yet

Watch out Rocky Balboa and Mike Tyson

A new ThunderLizard is born

Thomas Hawk just bought a MacBook Pro after 18 years of wandering about in the valley of the shadow of Windows.

Here’s what he has to say:

“I never in a million years would have thought that the design of a laptop would ever matter to me at all. It’s not about the aesthetics of a machine. It’s what it does for you right? Well, maybe. But this machine is damn sexy. I love the way that the keyboard is lit at night so that I can work in the dark. I love that glassy screen. There is something about the feel of the polished aluminum as I hold, no caress, the thing in my hands. It types perfectly. I love how I can use two fingers on the touch pad to move my screen down. I love how it has a hidden built in microphone and a small little video camera in the screen so that I can do video phone stuff through Skype super easily. I love how the little power supply has a magnet built into it and just kind of plugs itself in. And yes, I even love that glowing little Apple logo on the back of the case that I’ve scoffed at in the past at the various conferences and tech meetups that I’ve gone to.”

(Every time I see some crappy Dell laptop or an IBM ThinkPad I look at all the sharp angles, notches, odd bulges, and unsimple lids and just shake my head.)

How extravagantly wonderful is it when people rave like this about a product, service, or tool that you’ve create? I passionately want parents who use the feeding bottles I build to passionately love them. I passionately want parents to live the happy life.

Zune Who?

Microsoft launched its new Zune portable music player early this month with great fanfare: parties attended by musicians, Zune fanatics, corporate execs and journalists. Maybe they should have invited more salespeople

According to a recent survey of 40 retailers, only 8% recommended Microsoft’s Zune, while 75% recommended Apple’s market-leading iPod. Apple’s recommendation rate increased from 63% last June and 68% last November.

Which one would you buy?

        

I love my iPod

Wouw

Met with Johannes Torpe today and that dude is one true thunderlizard.

Johannes is word-class designer with a big line-up of high end international clients - pretty impressive and also funny taking into consideration that Johannes grew up in Christiania and the Danish hippie camp “Thy Lejeren” and only finished 3 years at elementary school. More power to him.

Also check out his record label

This is truly one pumped up dude living the happy life.

5 Essential Mac Blogging Tools

Just read problogger’s post about the top applications for blogging on the Mac.

A great post for those users on a Mac needing some great tools to streamline the blogging process. Just get your fingers on:

and you will be in blog heaven

The Poker Chip Theory of Success

You need to acknowledge your positive past, build on success and keep score of your successes because our brain more easily remembers events involving strong emotions. Keeping track of your successes has a huge impact on your self-esteem.

Look at your self-esteem as a stack of poker chips. Then imagine that you and I are playing poker - you have 1000 chips and I have 3 Stacks of High Society - who will play more conservatively? Jep - you will! If you lose 2 bets of 500 you’re out of the game - I can lose 500 chips 60 times before I’m out so I’m gonna take more risks because I can afford to take the losses.

Keeping score of your successes will give you the self-confidence needed to have more succeses in the future - now this is poker trick to live the happy life