OurielOhayon

Don't make a resume, make a mashup

If i was a good developper or webdesigner searching for a top job, i would invest my time in getting spotted by a company that i would like to join, rather than writting a nice blog or a nice resume. And to get spotted i would create a nice, even useless web application that would get buzz on the web.

I wonder if this is the idea that the creator of Flickr time (cool mashup clock+flickr pics) had ? If so i am sure Yahoo/Flickr will not wait to contact him

For me another definition of Mashups is Resume 2.0

Dealing with a frustrating "NO"

One of the toughest thing for me in my new job is to pass on investment opportunities. We see a lot of companies and obviously we can’t invest in them all. So 99% of cases we say “no thanks” (for good or sometime bad reasons) and most of the time it is really painful because entrepreneurs are smart talented personns.

I remember when i was on the other i was saying to myself “those VCs just don’t get it”. Until we found one.

Actually i learned in many milestones of my short life that a NO can sometime be a HUGE opportunity, but you just don’t know it yet. A couple of stories from my personnal experience on dealing with a frustrating “NO”

case 1

When i was a student at HEC i want to complete my MBA at Berkeley. I really wanted. My file was refused because i was not considered “serious enough” (to be honest that was true). I was not ready to admit it at the time but that was the case. I felt really really really bad. So i applied to a “less prestigious” European Business school and arrived at ESADE. I had there the best 4 months of my whole life. I would have missed that if i went there. This also gave me to become fluent in spanish and even find a great job in Spain.

case 2

About 1.5 year ago i was starting to try to find a way out from ICQ. I was interviewing in a VERY prestigious and famous and successful israeli company for a top notch job. Went all the way through the process (several interviews and tests). Finale stage “we got someone else sorry”. I really really really felt bad. Eventually i started blogging, wrote TechCrunch in French got spotted by a VC and joined them. Now i have probably the most exciting job i have ever had.

But here is the funny bit. I met recently with the HR personn at this great company, i learnt that most people i met left the company and the job i applied for was “shut down” after a few months. Even better recently i was asked references on one of the personn who interviewed me!

Conclusion

I am not telling all this to explain how great i did. I still have a lot to prove and i still have difficulties dealing with a frustrating “no” but i thought it could help some of your to read that insight.

I guess frustration is an energy that can be converted in positive opportunity. Easy to say, hard to apply.

 

Two nice acquisitions in Israeli High Tech

Jungo and Followap have been acquired. Well done

Not really web2.0 but brilliant tech companies

JAZZCAST : Tribute to Yehudit Ravitz

I remember the first modern israeli musician i was exposed to when i first to Israel more than 3 years ago was Yehudit Ravitz. I liked her style right away and remained one of my top 5 israeli singer ever since (with matti caspi i already talked about).

She has a very delicate and sophisticated style. Her compositions are very melodic and thought to record something about her for a while. It was hard to decide what to record (see here impressive collection of discs).I was initially tempted to go to her most famous songs (“the most beautiful girl in the garden”) but i chose 2 less famous titles, that are at least as nice. The fans will recognize surely

Hope you enjoy. To donwload here and there. To listen press play below.

powered by ODEO

powered by ODEO

Shocking testimony on what really happened during "Hapoel PSG" game

Sorry the link is in French, but i am still under the shock of what i have read and all i can do right now is share with you this frightening post. Why so much hate!

On the "PSG-Hapoel" case

I planned to write a long post about the schocking event that took place after the football game in Paris opposing Hapoel Tel Aviv and Paris Saint Germain.

But i read this morning this testimony by Jeremy Fain, that was there and that shares with us his views. I think it is a good read.

I don’t think you can say, as i am often asked, France is a racist country at all, but if you needed any other proof that some extreme racism does exist in France then you have your feed.

Casino Royale: Pas Mal

Saw Casino Royale yesterday. I was really positively surprised.

I liked Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. And when i heard Daniel Craig, i first saw briefly in Munich, would take the role i had doubts. But i was wrong, he s very good and has a charisma and power (man, what a body!) previous actors did not have.

The surprise is the rythm (except a 20 min useless slow down around the end) and the unusual well conducted scenario. And when you dig behind “why?”  you find Paul Haggis, that put his hands in the scenario. Paul is one of the brightest screenplay writer Hollywood has this days and was the mastermind behing Million Dollar Baby and Crash (2 oscar winning movies). The trailer below (i believe it does not serve well the movie)

 

If James Bond 2.0 could evolve into an elaborate action movie, then it could become one of the most exciting thing Hollywood has issued in years (in the category action)

Next episode in 2008: Bond 22

PS: btw i don’t know if i dreamt by i think Richard Branson is appearing a glimpse of a second in the miami airport. Could someone confirm?

PS2: on product placement. well done for Omega that managed to get its brand smartly mentionned in the dialog. Bad point to Ford: i don’t know how much they paid, but if there is an inadequacy between 2 brands well James Bond/Ford is certainlty one of them

Cool! flickr for mobile

Available at m.flickr.com

 

Another hint on Alexa unreliability

after om malik, this time it is Jason Calacanis who s adding ingredients to the sauce. He s even demonstrating it by setting up a little game to proof how easily Alexa can be hacked.

As far as i am concerned i have said it enough already. I will NEVER use alexa as a beginning of indicator even to measure comparables.

Well done PANDORA

One of my favourite web2.0 company, Pandora, powers MSN radio. well done