Tag Archives: event

Corporate Personalities on Display at the MIT Forum…

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Brief overview of the event…

Moderator:

Panelists:

Jim did an excellent job leading the discussion. I didn’t take notes, but in general the questions were all pretty predictable and the answers were spot on… With an exception of a “woman-related” comment by Nikesh, no one made any major gaffs, and there were no real surprises… But that is not to say the event wasn’t informative…

My initial reaction is that the four panelists did a wonderful job and all represented their companies well. I’d even be willing to go further to say that they personified their respective companies. As in:

Nikesh had a hard time sounding real and often ended up sounding like he was recording an infomercial, which is (for better of worse) my picture of HouseValues.

David made some great points, but came off at times like he hadn’t completely thought through his business model. I wish Jim had pushed him to answer the question: What if a listing agent refuses to show one of your buyers a property? Or better yet, what happens when that listing agent who DOES show a Redfin buyer a property and then sues Redfin claiming they were the procuring cause of the sale. Talking about this issue, I wish someone had pushed either Gordon or Jim to answer if they would knowingly show one of their listings to a buyer who openly said they were going to use Redfin. Agents out there: Would you?

Spencer played the role of beta tech guy. He obviously understands the real estate industry and no one really forced him on any issues so he kept from saying too much of interest (like: What comes next?).

Gordon played the role of elder experienced broker really well. He obviously knows the industry inside-and-out, and considering his interest in technology (he is also a Director at Zillow), he came off as someone willing to explore new business models.

If you were there, what was your take on the MIT Forum? Did you learn anything new?

UPDATE 1:
Niki from HouseValues has a collection of interesting reflections on the forum…

UPDATE 2:
Spencer added his thoughts on the MIT forum (and a few other conferences he’s been to recently) on the Zillow Blog.

Norwegian Constitution Day

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[photopress:costumes_1.jpg,thumb,alignright]The Norwegian Constitution Day parade is going on tomorrow, May 17, in Ballard!

The official Syttende Mai site gives the meaning behind the day along with a list of events. For more info, check out the wikipedia entry.

The Seattle Times describes the event as “One of the largest May 17 parades in the United States begins at 6 p.m. tomorrow at 24th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 62nd streets in downtown Ballard. It winds through the business district, ending at Ballard Avenue Northwest.”

The highlights from the list of events include:
Lunch
Eat excellent food and listen to important speakers.
Time:
12:00pm (Noon) to 2:00pm
Location:
Leif Erikson Hall, 2245 NW 57th Street

Parade
The parade starts at 6 p.m. near Adams School in Ballard, at the corner of NW 62nd and 24th Avenue NW. The route follows south to Market Street and eastward to Bergen Place, which is named after the Seattle Sister City of Bergen, Norway.
Time:
6:00pm to 8:00pm

Bergen Place
Entertainment featuring music and dance from Norway and other Nordic countries.
Time:
2:30pm to 5pm
Location:
Bergen Place is located at the intersection of Market St., Leary Avenue and 22nd Avenue.

Children’s Games
Children enjoy traditional games from Norway and the United States with awards going to all who participate. A surprise guest is usually on hand to delight one and all. The games are free and open to the public.
Time:
2:00pm to 4:30pm
Location:
At the Ballard Community Center, 6020 28th Avenue NW.

Dance to Pickled Herring Band
Dance the night away…
$10 at the door. Must be 21 years of age or older.
Time:
9:00pm to 12:00am
Location:
At Leif Erikson Hall, 2245 NW 57th, No host bar.

Hope to see you there!