• web 2.0

    The bubble that wasn't

    Jason Calacanis, the mop-haired founder of Mahalo, an overfunded Web directory, is musing on Twitter about "tickers and rallies past" — a Proustian substitution of stock markets for madeleines. But what, exactly, does he have to be nostalgic for? More »

    10:20 AM on Tue Dec 2 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    5,219 views, 18 comments

  • jason calacanis

    Mahalo motormouth to launch mystery product in December

    I'm taking guesses now. What's "Project A," the seekrit product being talked up by Mahalo founder Jason Calacanis on his private mailing list? A recap of recent events: He launched a human-powered news feed at a time most companies were planning layoffs. After that, he performed a layoff, then trolled for new engineers to hire. Why do I like the often-blustery Calacanis? Because when I briefly worked for him as an Engadget stringer, I saw his approach to running a startup: Operate the business on a shoestring, but splurge on little things to make employees feel spoiled — a second monitor, a killer espresso machine, free dinners at places the staff can't afford. Don't hate him because he's rich. He always picks up the check. Anyway, here's his vague product pre-announcement: More »

    10:13 AM on Fri Nov 28 2008
    By Paul Boutin
    3,170 views, 12 comments

    Most discussed seanpercival: Paul anyone you havn't blogged for? Perks are nice but I'd rather buy my own dinners. Less requirement to "put out" more »

  • caption contest

    "Hey Jason! What's going on with your valuation?"

    Tough times, frivolous junkets: That's the modus operandi of Jason Calacanis, the grandiloquent emailer-in-chief of Mahalo, the Internet's most overfunded Web directory. He and butler/assistant/videographer Tyler Crowley posed for a picture while on a trip to Japan taken shortly after he promised to curtail his travel schedule while laying off Mahalo staff. Can you think of a better caption? Leave it in the comments. The best one will become the post's new headline. Friday's winner: m0nty.au, for "Eric Schmidt's 20 percent time project."
    (Photo by namekawa; used by permission)

    4:00 PM on Mon Nov 17 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    1,318 views, 19 comments

    Most discussed colonelpanic: I know it's late, but: "The Braves" were a lot less successful after the departure of Katrina. more »

  • tesla roadster

    Jason Calacanis to media: Please cover my sports-car purchase

    Tough times, tough decisions: Which media outlet will cover the delivery of Jason Calacanis's $109,000 all-electric Tesla Roadster? Calacanis, the braggadocio-burdened CEO of Mahalo, an overgrown website directory, has called for camera crews from CNN, MSNBC, CBS, Fox, and, for good measure, the New York Times. He's also registered the domain name Tesla16.com. "16" is either the production number of his Roadster, or the number of employees he could have avoided laying off with the money he's spending on it. We're not sure which. Either way, we're looking forward to photos of Calacanis's bulldogs, Taurus and Fondue, with their tongues hanging out the window.

    5:00 PM on Thu Nov 13 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    2,054 views, 21 comments

    Most discussed abaweja: By not purchasing Tesla, he couldn't have saved 16 employees. He is just another employee of a VC funded company more »

  • brian alvey

    Weblogs Inc. cofounder to check out Jason Calacanis's package

    Jason Calacanis, the professional email sender and part-time CEO of Mahalo, is a busy man. Fresh from executing layoffs at his fewer-humans-than-before-powered search engine, he's jetting off to Japan. This, mind you, despite promising to cut down on travel as an austerity measure. Brian Alvey, Calacanis's cofounder at Weblogs Inc., the blog network they sold to AOL for $25 million, is keeping house for him. "Heading to L.A. so I can house sit for @jasoncalacanis and help with any packages that arrive while he's in Japan," he writes on Facebook, according to a screenshot sent in by a tipster. Alvey later admits the "package" that's arriving: Calacanis's $109,000 all-electric Tesla Roadster. Here's the Facebook discussion this prompted: More »

    2:40 PM on Mon Nov 10 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    950 views, 8 comments

    Most discussed SeattleBuzzKill: feh. Tesla's are the Acura NSX of 2008. more »

  • great moments in journalism

    The Economist reduced to reblogging Wired

    My Wired essay "Kill Your Blog" has spawned a charmingly identical piece in The Economist's print edition this week. Same theme, same Jason Calacanis quote from July. But read this part out loud: "A decade ago, PDAs were the preserve of digerati who liked using electronic address books and calendars. Now they are gone, but they are also ubiquitous, as features of almost every mobile phone." I'd love to meet The Economist's anonymous author, if only to confirm that anyone on Earth actually talks that way.

    7:00 AM on Fri Nov 7 2008
    By Paul Boutin
    652 views, 12 comments

    Most discussed Spy from the Land of Rainpeople: Having met some of them, I can attest that they not only talk using such a stuffy grammar, but they more »

  • meltdowns

    Valley blowhards gush forth advice

    Professional annoyance Kara Swisher, the BoomTown blogger, went to a how-to-survive-the-downturn gabfest, and all she got was this lousy video. Captured on her Flip camera: Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis, who didn't predict the downturn; Nirav Tolia, the Epinions cofounder — an entrepreneur — who hasn't laid anyone off since the last bubble burst and is surely rusty; Google investor Ram Shriram, who has way too much money to care about such mundane affairs as a recession; and Fast Company videoblogger Robert Scoble, who is cheerfully clueless as ever. The bright side: If Scoble is saying companies need to conserve cash, perhaps we've hit a market bottom.

    10:00 AM on Fri Oct 31 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    312 views, 7 comments

    Most discussed FiveStarEggRoll: First Ashton Kutcher and now that "Fez" guy. Sheesh, up next will be Topher with something techy. Harry "wishes he played more »

  • meltdowns

    Your new business plan

    As a startup, you are now, officially, on your own. You can't count on your VCs saving you or some magical offer from Yahoo or Google showing up to bail you out. Taurus has laid off Fondue. You need to rewrite — no, not your business model. Your business plan. Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis, in his latest private email, offers this advice: More »

    1:40 PM on Mon Oct 27 2008
    By Paul Boutin
    2,078 views, 7 comments

    Latest by RomanaCurio: I submitted an excellent webpage article to Mahalo and it was rejected for frivolous reasons. Many people with doctorates more »

  • mysteries

    Mahalo is hiring

    "Do you know that you're amongst the very best, but can't find a company that appreciates you or gives you the opportunity you deserve?" So begins Mahalo's come-on to developers. The bulldog-powered search engine just laid off a large chunk of its staff, including some developers. Why is it hiring more? We're sure Jason Calacanis, Mahalo's voluble CEO, has some entertaining spin, which we'll let him add it in the comments. But since his HR department didn't stamp the Craigslist posting with "DO NOT REPRINT," as Calacanis is known to do with his emails, we're republishing it below. More »

    11:40 AM on Mon Oct 27 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    2,429 views, 6 comments

    Most discussed irrational-exuberance: "as Calacanis is wont to do with his emails" im in ur artikl, pointn @ ur grammr more »

  • caption contest

    How many more rounds of layoffs are planned at Mahalo?

    What was Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis doing in the weeks running up to this company's layoffs? Traveling around the world, to destinations like the World Knowledge Forum in Seoul, Korea. In his how-to-lay-people-off memo, Calacanis also promised to cut back on his travel budget — which struck me as an admission that his trips to speak at conferences, often on subjects unrelated to his work at his Sequoia-funded Web directory, were being paid for by his investors. Can you think of a better caption? Leave it in the comments. The best one will become the post's new headline. Yesterday's winner: Ted Dziuba, for "Traffic is the new profit." (Photo by JoopDorresteijn)

    4:00 PM on Fri Oct 24 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    1,831 views, 17 comments

    Most discussed kgbeat: Hey Jason, how many more rounds of layoffs are planned at Mahalo? more »