Mike Jones of Science #285

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Today on This Week in Startups, we welcomed serial CEO, entrepreneur and investor Mike Jones to the program. Once the CEO of Myspace, Mike now runs the incubator/accelerator Science.

1:00 Welcome everyone, we’re excited to have Mike Jones of Science on the program today
2:30 Thank you to Sourcebits for supporting the show! Everyone check out the app they built, Skinz Golf, and be sure to thank them @Sourcebits!
5:00 Mike, we met back in 2005/2006, yes?
6:30 What’s the difference between running a service type business and a company that builds something?
8:00 How long did you stay at AOL for?
10:00 How did the meeting with Bebo happen?
11:15 Is YouTube the best acquisition ever in the Internet space?
12:15 How do you look back on your time at Tsavo?
13:30 What was your time at Myspace like?
14:15 Did you think you could turn it around when you came in?
15:30 How much of Myspace’s issue was lagging behind technically?
19:15 What do you use Path for?
22:15 Thank you to GoToMeeting! Everyone sign up at gotomeeting.com and use the promo code START for a free 30 day trial.
24:30 Mike: I committed to Myspace that we would either get it turned around or sold.
26:30 Do you have common infrastructure?
30:00 So your goal is to give good advice and not micro-manage the companies coming out of Science?
31:30 Do you think that venture funding is broken in some ways?
34:15 Why are people so down on companies like Zynga and Facebook and Groupon?
37:00 What is the fundamental nature of entrepreneurs that makes them successful?
39:00 How do you select which companies to work with at Science at what are the deal terms?
42:15 Is being a founder a young person’s game?
45:15 Which companies from Science have had the most traction?
48:30 In five years, what statements will be true if you’ve succeeded in your mission?
50:30 Question from the chat: If Mike had to choose between young and hungry entrepreneurs and those older and more experienced, which would be choose?
51:15 Have you seen more women applying to Science?
54:00 How many deals do you think you’ll do this year?
56:30 Why are you so heavy on the commerce side?
59:00 What would increase a young entrepreneur’s chances of getting into Science?
1:02:00 If you want to follow Mike on Twitter, he’s @mjones.
1:06:00 Thank you for joining us today, Mike. And thank you @sourcebits and @gotomeeting for supporting this show!

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