Personal Connectivity Cycle

Lecture Description

Estrin talks about the personal connectivity cycle. The cycle of connecting people is the notion of people being able to connect to each other and connect to information anywhere. This means true mobility and ubiquitous, high bandwidth connectivity, she says. The enablers of this cycle are economic and behavioral. From an IT demand perspective, she explains, the real win is in the consumer devices and services and not in the IT infrastructure. Related issues are business models (walled garden, AOL vs. seamless systems, Internet), affordable broadband to the home, and making technology easier to use. The consumer market is not an easy market for a startup to begin with and to innovate in, she notes.

Course Index

1. Perspective on IT Market
2. Think in Terms of Cycles
3. Technology Cycles Start with a Breakthrough Innovation
4. Three Cycles in IT Network
5. Three Cycles in IT Network: Enterprise Productivity, Connecting People, Connective Devices
6. The Internet is not a Business
7. Collaborate with Dominant Vendors
8. Personal Connectivity Cycle
9. Connecting Embedded Devices Cycle
10. How to Survive in a Downturn Economy
11. The Role of the Startup is to Create a New Market
12. History of Packet Design: Importance of Adapting
13. The Role of Luck in Startups
14. Reaching Critical Mass in Tough Times
15. It's a Long Haul to Liquidity
16. It's Not Just About the Money
17. Confidence vs. Arrogance
18. Marketing and Learning from Customers
19. A Good Leader Must be Flexible
20. Exit Strategies Now and Then
21. Self-Configuring Architectures
22. Consumer Markets are Difficult for Startups