Cuil is a stealth search engine startup which claims that it can index web pages significantly faster and cheaper than Google.

Outcome: Fail

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No matter which industry you have spent time in, you have undoubtedly heard repeated references to “best practices”. This term is an oxymoron, since if everyone is following so-called “best practices”, they cannot be possibly be best, in fact the “best” that they can be is average.

The simple fact that there are a single set of practices that have been universally agreed upon as being ‘best’ should send out a giant red flag. Once an idea or methodology is held in such widespread esteem, you can bet that it has reached it’s zenith in terms of effectiveness.

As an example, in Khrushchev’s Russia, best practices for running a centrally planned economy spelled disastrous. Source: The centralized road to mediocrity – Financial Times, 28 February, 2006

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Looking for a quick 16.6% return on your investment? Odds makers peg the odds of Lebron James winning the NBA’s MVP award at 1:6, meaning if you bet 6 dollars, you win 1. Seems like a good deal to me.

Bucking the trend of “Get big, then figure out how to monetize” these startups had solid business models from day one which weren’t mainly based on advertising.

Originally launched with the name Mollyguard, Eventbrite is an online event registration service that provides organizers of events with inexpensive, easy to use tools to make planning an event a cinch. Makes money on payment processing.

Mint.com is a free online personal finance service that is aimed at being “easy and secure way to manage and save money online.” The service is accessible anywhere, anytime over the web.
Makes money with affiliate sales.

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