Beware the unicorn knocking at your $5 million door

“When the market turns, and it will turn, we will find out who has been swimming without trunks on … Many high burn rate co’s will VAPORIZE.” — Venture ca... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

Predictions for tech companies and stocks in 2015

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

It’s always dangerous to make predictions with something as volatile as tech companies and the stock market, but it’s that time of year, so here we go: 1. The raging bu... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

High-tech perks and quirks: IRS says ‘no such thing as a free meal’; Uber lifts Lyft drivers; court says it’s OK for Yelp to manipulate reviews

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

Google employees can choose from more than 30 cafes serving mouthwatering cuisine (they see it as a perk; Google execs see it as a way to keep them from leaving the Googleplex), an... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

Four signs we are headed for another dot-com bomb

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

Their investors included Benchmark Capital, Sequoia Capital, Softbank Capital, and Goldman Sachs. In under two years, the company raised nearly half a billion dollars with an initi... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

With extortion-style ad sales, Yelp is barking up the wrong tree

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

I co-host the Cooking with Ryan Scott show on KGO Radio (810 AM) Saturdays from 4 to 6 p.m., and whenever we have chefs on as guests, review website Yelp inevitably comes up, and u... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

Mr. Bubble, meet Twitter

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

The hysteria surrounding the recent IPO of today’s social media darling Twitter sent chills through my Silicon Valley born-and-bred bones. I worked at Apple through college a... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

Are the rich kids of Instagram the supermodels of today?

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

As the 1990s unfolded, fashion designers began dumping supermodels as their human clothes hangers in favor of movie starlets, and the public, as it always does, got bored and moved on to the next big thing — a revolutionary concept called The Internet.... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

How ads targeting the marriage-minded wound up on a page about serial killers

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

Nestled in the northern foothills of San Benito County, Léal Vineyards sounds like a beautiful place to get married. “Our spectacular Barrel Room can be custom catered to cr... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

The ‘Me Me Me’ millionaires

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

The recent $4.05 billion sale of Lucasfilm Ltd. to the Walt Disney Co. caught many Star Wars fans off-guard. While some weren’t happy about it (“Disney’s going to... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

Why Groupon is a bad deal for the small businesses it claims to help

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

I was talking to a friend who owns a very successful restaurant and asked him why he doesn’t offer Groupons – those deeply discounted deals or special coupons from the... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog

Not everyone claiming online anonymity is a whistle-blowing hero

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

“If you ever want to lose faith in humanity, read any comments section on the Internet.” – C Benjamin Dolnick, author and relative of New York Times publisher Arthur ... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

Study shows online reviews have little influence with diners

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

If you own a restaurant, it turns out you really don’t have to suck up to those college students who slam your establishment on Yelp while they’re bored between classes... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

Inside Facebook’s challenges

The emperor has no hoodie: Zuckerberg, Facebook face questions from advertisers, investors and users

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

A lackluster IPO and crazy valuation are the least of Facebook’s worries The overhyped Facebook IPO was the thud heard round the high tech world. The stock was overpriced and... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

Did Yelp lie to the SEC?

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

Prior to their recent IPO, Yelp was questioned by attorneys at the Securities and Exchange Commission on whether employees should be allowed to write reviews about advertisers, ask... Read More

The Wild Wild Web

The Mobile Screen Guys want you to follow them on Facebook

It’s Zuck’s world

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

A billion dollars? Unless they have some faded, washed out picture of Mark Zuckerberg killing a hooker, it doesn’t make sense! – Comedian Jimmy Kimmel on Facebook’... Read More

The Wild Wild Web