It’s about to turn 1am and I’m pretty tired, (which is why i’ll get a pic up tomorrow - I don’t have the energy to upload to flickr (or myvideo, or zoopy!!) - or ALL 3 - and I DEFINITELY don’t have the energy to link to all the people and company’s I might or might not mention in this “spur of the moment” posting…
EXCEPT ONE - A HUGE APPLAUSE TO DAVID DUARTE
I met Dave about 2 years ago @ Stuart Kantor’s business breakfast, which then took place at Gavin Chait’s Rovuma Retail Adventure Store in Sea Point (which subsequently became eSquared).
At that stage he was a fired-up, energetic, motivated guy who WAS WORKING FOR SOMEONE!
For the last 2 hours I’ve been sending facebook messages back and forward to tons of people that I met tonight at the 27 Dinner, and between sending messages, what have I been doing???
I’ve been adding people to my linked in, by sending them a short note along the lines of:
motivated to network online tonight after spending the evening networking OFFLINE @ the 27 dinner
And the guy who was behind the superb night tonight was Dave Duarte. Dave’s no longer an employee - he’s now a partner at consulting new technology firm Cerebra, he’s one of the founders of the ultra successful 27 dinners (tonight ROCKED buddy), he’s a speaker (he mentioned to me tonight that he is now speaking EVERY DAY - after doing my FIRST Toastmasters last week, I am blown away by that!), he’s being featured in magazines, online, radio, and TV interviews, and he’s probably doing a long list of other things that I don’t even know about!
So yes, I asked a tough question to the Yeigo guys which upset ONE PERSON IN PARTICULAR (and i’m not going to name you buddy although you disappointed me in a BIG way when I saw you outside acting like that, but i’m assuming you were drunk), but my feeling is that they should have been waxed with an answer - Why are they better than Skype? They should have ROLLED off the answers. As one of the guys said to me later:
I’m a techie, but if I was a Venture Capitalist and someone answered like that, I would have walked straight out of the door!
I’ve never used Yeigo, so I have no idea why they’re better (and still don’t), but as usual, coz they’re a South African company, I’m going to give them a chance.
But back to Dave - by bringing us together tonight, he forged closer relationships. Guys I know already I spoke to more, guys I didn’t know I spoke to a little, and already some of those people I’ve met tonight have been moved onto my cell phone, skype, facebook, linkedin…
And it’s now 1:10 am (it’s taken me 10 minutes to write this - I’m wondering if that’s an average time of writing for a post of this length) and I’m psyched! Max hunts for talent - it’s out there!!! And thanks to guys like Dave, it’s rising to the surface…by allowing us to meet each other…
Thanks for bringing us together Dave. A THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE!!!!!!!
17 responses so far ↓
1 Dirk // Jun 28, 2007 at 7:22 am
I was so excited I wrote my car off rushing home to blog about it…
2 Eric // Jun 28, 2007 at 7:50 am
Dirk!!!!
I’m so happy to hear you and Lorynne are both alright.
A Z4 and a souped up dynamo can be bought! Your health can’t!!!!
3 Brendon Shaw // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:55 am
Hey Eric
Thanks for your thoughts on our presentation.
To answer your question about why we are better than Skype?
If we (and in fact many others around the world) just focused on trying to be like Skype - well the industry wouldn’t develop into something bigger and better and we would remain at the mercy of the powers that be.
I don’t think it’s that we are necessarily trying to be like Skype - our aim is to offer a truly mobile VOIP solution free of integration with the likes of Skype (integrating with Skype would mean entering into agreements with them to allow us to piggy back off their closed protocol - which means they would have to be the service that terminates our calls. If the whole world subscribed to that we would merely be creating a monopoly for Skype - we know what that type of monopoly has on communication -Telkom a case in point).
So ultimately we are trying to offer the user and company alike more freedom of choice when it comes to choosing what platform he/she wants to communicate over.
Yeigo wants to offer a solution that merely facilitates the users communication rather than dictates what medium or platform to use.
So if I’m on Clifton beach and my mates in the office in London - well I can have an instant message chat with him on his PC (msn lets say), or his phone (yeigo) - whichever doesn’t matter.
So I hope that answers your question.
With regards to behavior outside - at the age of 23 and having developed one of the worlds most capable mobile VOIP solution in the world - I reckon they should have the freedom to enjoy themselves now and again
4 Nikki Friedman // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:04 am
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Eric I think you managed to sum up a lot of what makes Dave and the whole 27 dinner vibe so awesome.
5 Dave Duarte // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:35 am
E, I am flattered and honored. Thank you for the kind words man, especially coming from someone who I hold in such high regard.
6 Eric // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:35 am
Thanks Nikki….
Brendon - as mentioned to you on the phone now, I wasn’t referring to the Yeigo guys behaviour outside - I was speaking about someone else who was commenting on my question to you guys…
Thanks for the info on what makes Yeigo different / better. Later in the evening, I was speaking to Henk Kleynhans from Skyrove and he gave me a few ideas of what makes Yeigo better.
I’m definately going to try it out and see for myself.
My POINT was that you guys should have had the competitive advantages over your competitors on the tip of your tongue, as I’m sure that wasn’t the first time and DEFINITELY not the last time you’ll hear that question.
7 Brendon Shaw // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:51 am
You are very right about the ‘Skype question’ not being the last time we hear it!
So you are right - we do need to have the deft answers on the tips of our tongues - and there are valid reasons - we will be more clear to people the next time the question is asked.
in fact you may have given me a topic for a soon to be post on our blog - explaining the true differences and advantages. thanks!
8 Lorynne McGurk // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:55 am
Hey Guys,
Dirk, babe I’m so glad you still in such high spirits. Was really messed up about the accident last night.
Eric, well done on having the oomph at 1am to sit and blog about the evening and giving such great props to our awesomely talented friend David.
With regards to the VoIP conversation: Skype vs. Yiego. I understand and agree when the Yiego guys say that Yiego Mobile is a unique mobile substitute for the Skype PC programme. But what about Skype Mobile? It’s out there, it’s user friendly and visually appealing. I would like to see a South African brand taking on Skype, but realistiocally, what is Yiego’s unique selling point??
Thanks to David, Cerebra, Stormhoek, Missing Link, Charly’s Bakery and all the others who contributed to another successful 27 Dinner.
9 SHOUT.co.za // Jun 28, 2007 at 1:26 pm
What a pity I did not look at this last night as you suggested I do, my retort would have been far more entertaining.. added to that I must ask you forgive my late response but some of us still work for a living!
I really hate the fact that I have to reply to your post but since we both know most people will know its me you are denigrating..
Yes, I was drunk (sadly I’m not 23) which for those that know me will agree that a) it’s not unlikely - specially at an event where Stormhoek is available (for free nogal) and b) that at least I did not end up against a Postbox (Do you remember the last time you tried to stand toe-to-toe with me? http://www.shout.co.za/man-down-eric-edelstein/)
I feel your questions, specifically the type and way in which they were asked where unnecessary in terms of timing and overly aggressive. I don’t believe you would have interrupted another speaker in front of a room of over 100 people nor spoken to David Gail that way - why was the ‘quirky’ Yeigo speaker any different. All people are in fact equal!
As someone who has just completed their first TM speech I would have expected more and in fact I’m pretty disappointed buddy!
I must agree with you though that Dave does deserve a HUGE mention for putting together another great event - well done Dave!
Dirk - I hope all is ok?
10 Dirk // Jun 28, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Hey Lorynne, glad I’m running into you, sorry for being such an idiot. You know us boys and their toys
Will stop posting OT now and find you on Facebook… Sorry Eric.
11 Max Kaizen // Jun 28, 2007 at 3:48 pm
DAMN RIGHT!!!
we love love love Dave
Was awesome seeing you last night EE
12 Eric // Jun 28, 2007 at 4:24 pm
shout.co.za - thanks for your comments. if anyone other than you is interested in hearing a reply to your comment, let me know and i’ll respond.
otherwise shout, i suggest you spend a lot of time on my site reading and hopefully absorbing information about what makes a start-up company succeed, so that we can be toasting you in the future once you lose the attitude.
13 Wezzo // Jun 28, 2007 at 4:36 pm
I’m keen to hear a response E, this is getting interesting…
14 Chris Rawlinson // Jun 28, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Mate so good to see you again and love the “big love” dave post
he truly is a legend and represents SA in such a great way.
Glad you enjoyed the Stormhoek and must catch up soon for a drink or five.
chat soon mate.
Chris
15 Eric // Jun 28, 2007 at 4:45 pm
LOL - if i was a betting man, i’d have put money down on the chumpstyle boys stirring the pot..
So lets say if I get 5 requests, I’ll take the time to respond to shout’s remarks, in a way that is beneficial to us all rather than a time guzzler.
16 Noto Modungwa // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Play nicely boys!!
What I’d like to point out @ this point is however lastnite’s question may have been posed and however the response was then, it has led to a decent response from yeigo. I mean I wasn’t even there and now I know about yeigo and its value proposition thanx to the “debate” being carried on! AND I WANT TO GO TRY yeigo meself…
Let’s focus on the upside and continue a healthy debate.
L8r’s!
17 Jt // Jun 29, 2007 at 10:03 am
Hey Ya’ll
Eric, just so you know it’s all good - I agree with you - I should’ve (and usually am) better, your question was just poorly timed and a little aggressively phrased on a subject that I was not there to talk about. Caught me a little off guard so-to-speak.
Many people in the room did not know what Yeigo was, or have an understanding of it in it’s simplest form. I assure you, had it been a VC pitch - things would have been different.
Anyhow, having a critic means you care enough to comment
and that’s important to us all the same. I hope you’ll do some further enquiries of your own and evaluate Yeigo for the infinite possibilities it holds and the amazing organization that it is.
Stay tuned…
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