Startups.com

Martin Tobias

A Seattle entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Martin Tobias is a recognized leader in the software and technology industries. From his beginnings as a programmer, Tobias has focused on applying technology to solve real world business problems.

Tobias has 30 years combined experience in the venture capital and technology industries, working in various managerial and executive roles with Tippr (founder), Kashless (founder), Imperium Renewables, Ignition Partners, Loudeye Technologies, Inc., Microsoft and Accenture.  After founding Loudeye in 1997, Tobias led the company to its public offering in March 2000.

Tobias and his companies have been featured in prestigious media outlets from National Public Radio to Newsweek.  A marketing and computer science graduate of Oregon State University, Martin sits on several boards, and is involved in numerous charities through the Martin Tobias Foundation.

What keeps you busy these days? What’s your current project?
I have a simple guide in my business life.  ”Find a problem that personally pisses me off and solve it”.  I have done that with streaming media, Biofuels, Spam, Internet security, and now local business.  Today I run Tippr, the leading platform provider of group buying technology and services.  We enable any publisher with an audience to compete with Groupon.  The problem we are solving is small business’s ability to drive on-line customers into their off-line stores at scale on a performance model.  This is key in local, a defined ROI.  I own two bars in seattle and the personal problem I had was traditional CPM or display based media was not measurable and did not drive people through my door.  It pissed me off that I couldn’t correlate my marketing spend to people walking through the door. In daily deals it is perfectly correlated.

What’s the greatest thing about your company/website/idea?
It is a win/win for both sides of the equation, consumer and merchant.  No-one gets screwed.

A quote/book/movie/friend that impacted your life big time?
The BottomLess Well.  Silicon Valley explains our energy addiction and how technology can get us out of it.  Did you know that less than 2% of the energy in a gallon of gas goes to moving your body to your destination and all the rest is waste and to move the car?
Also, A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell.  Want to understand conservative/liberal? Want to figure out what you are and why?  read this book.

How do you motivate yourself?
Get up early, work out, think about being around for my kids.

A business idea you’d like to do if you were free from your current project.
Open a neighborhood icecream shop with my daughters.

What’s your largest satisfaction in business life?
Working with smart people solving hard problems.

What would you be doing if you had one year off?
i have retired three times. every time i took 6months to a year off.  i keep coming back to work to solve another problem that pisses me off.  When I take off, i usually go to my house in Hawaii and surf alot.  Or travel and surf.  The Ocean calms all nerves.

How do you handle frustration? When/how was the last time you dealt with frustration?
Sweat.  Work out. Make your body hurt more than your head.  All better.

If you were given inside access to 2 internet companies to invest in, which ones would you pick?
Dropbox
Google five years ago.

What’s the very first thing you do at work everyday?
check sales figures.

How long have you been involved with the internet? What were your first steps?
since the standard connection speed was 14.4 modem and your sound card/video card was a separate purchase.  Ebay was the first WOW site for me.

How many emails do you get/reply per day?
500-700 received. reply to 50-80

What apps/sites/software do you use every day and can’t work without?
Dropbox, Spotify, GoToMeeting, SailThru, Chartbeat

What Deal would you like to buy on Startups.com?
Bundle of all the essentials for a start up.  CRM, Email, web site, etc.

3 people you recommend we follow on Twitter, and why?
Karl Rove, @karlrove He is smart and challenges your thinking
Annie Duke, @realannieduke poker chicks are smart
@theoildrum, if you want to understand peak oil, and you should, subscribe.

Who would you like us to interview?
Matt williams, new CEO of DIGG

Can you share what got your latest “WOW” moment was?
Dropbox clean ellegant file sharing between mac and windows.  Finally the two meet and work.  wow

How can Startups.com Members reach out to you? Twitter, blog, your website, tumblr, LinkedIn, etc.
@martingtobias
http:deepgreencrystals.com (infrequent)
facebook.com/martingtobias