Free is Alive and Well

Are VC’s fearful of open access and giving away great technologies? Tony Perkins, CEO of AlwaysOn, asks ThinkEquity Founding Partner Michael Moe and Founder and Managing Director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson Tim Draper if they are fearful of free and open and its possible loss of profits. He cites iPhone applications as an example of great ideas with no clear vision on monetization. Draper explains that free tools are a necessity of viral marketing. In addition, the panel reviews the sales of mammoth online clients – Hotmail, YouTube, Skype, and possibly, Twitter – worth billions of dollars without a penny of revenue, thought to pay for themselves with their dynamic marketing impact.