There was a time not too long ago when the only way to get really, really rich was to build something amazing like Henry Ford with cars, find something valuable like oil, or get really lucky. Today, the fastest and “easiest” way for people to become filthy rich is to build an internet startup and make it into something special. It may seem easier than finding a gold mine in your backyard, but the odds aren’t as good as some thing. Companies like Facebook, Twitter, Zynga, and Instagram each hit a niche at the exact right time. None of them were the first to do what they do and an argument could be made that they’re…

When a company so new and so fresh off of a cash infusion from going public starts to make cost-cutting decisions surrounding their primary product, it doesn’t bode well for the future of the company. That seems to be the direction that Zynga may be heading after shutting down 11 of their titles. According to Techcrunch: The San Francisco-based company had overextended itself. During its heyday on Facebook it built dozens of games, then aggressively launched mobile games as smartphones gained popularity. It didn’t seem like a problem when the company was preparing for a big IPO. The “big IPO”…

There’s good and bad that comes with doing research for stories. An idea pops in your head and you check Google to find out what others are saying about your chosen topic. Sometimes, you come up with great information and reference points to use to get your point across. Sometimes, you read something that matches exactly how you feel. In fact, it might match so closely that there’s no reason to even rewrite it. Just link to it. Such is the case with Zynga’s attempts to get into the online poker arena and why they’ll fail miserable. They are coming in too late. They’re relying on US regulations and state…

We’re trying out a new feature on TECHi: today’s top tech talking points. If it works out, we’ll be doing it daily on the site and on Facebook. Are off-Facebook ads a threat to Google? Facebook ads were found on Zynga today. ReadWriteWeb notes that Facebook knows who we are while Google knows what we’re trying to find. Which is more important to advertisers and consumers? Will we soon see Facebook ads that compete with Google Adwords? Weigh in on Facebook. Is half-a-million too much for an abused bus monitor? The bus monitor who was verbally abused by kids on her bus has been the center of over half a million…

In Aladdin, when Jafar was pulled into the lamp after making a monumental mistake of going for too much power, he grabbed his untrusty sidekick on his way down to be stuck in lamp limbo together. The same things seems to be happening with Facebook and Zynga; as Facebook’s IPO crumbles, Zynga’s shares continue to sag. In this Chart of the Day by Statista, it’s easy to see how the fate of the larger company is dramatically affecting the future of the smaller, dependent company. Click to enlarge. Related articles An Inside Look at Zynga’s Bribable Approach to Customer Loyalty (dailyfinance.com) Zynga,…

The best that could have happened in tech blogging would have been for Facebook’s IPO to “pop”. We still would have watched closely but there would have been no need to analyze it in-depth. As any good doctor after a successful operation, we would have clapped our hands and monitored. Instead, we’re stuck trying to break down exactly what happened on Friday and more importantly what will happen in the coming weeks. In short, Facebook ruined a lot of tech and business bloggers’ weekends. Here is a video of analysis that will help to determine if this was simply Facebook and its bankers pricing the IPO…

In the tech world, companies are often encouraged to go public for many reasons, not the least of which being the infusion of cash that helps for expansion, improved conditions, and innovations. In most cases, growing companies like Rovio should consider an IPO to build upon the momentum they have. When you’re hot, you’re hot, and it’s the time that most choose to strike the iron. Rovia is one of the exceptions. Here’s why:   They’re profitable. Very profitable. [caption id=”" align=”alignright” width=”150″ caption=”An image of the popular video game 'Angry Birds' is displayed…

Someone should have seen this coming. Someone should have said something. After forking over $200 million to buy OMGPOP for the singular purpose of getting control over Draw Something, Zynga is wondering why 5 million daily active users (around 1/3rd of the total) abandoned the game last month. It’s a lesson in size and scope. People did see this coming. Zynga was told. They didn’t heed the warnings and saw something that they thought would have staying power. They thought of a clever advertising model that would have users drawing brands for a price to the brand. They had to do something because…

There is a lot of passion surrounding social games like Farmville and Mafia Wars. People either love them or hate them. There is no gray area. Zynga is banking on as many people as possible loving it as they prepare to release Mafia Wars 2. According to Zynga, it’s the “most bad-ass game to date.” Here’s the trailer: According to Zynga, “Mafia Wars 2 takes one of our longest running and most successful franchises to a whole new universe, introducing a vast 3D world where being bad never felt so good.” There are currently 25k fans of the new Facebook page for the game, a far cry from the 17 million likes and…

If you haven’t used Flock, one of the original “social browsers,” then… Actually, that was the problem. So few HAD used Flock, at least long term. Technically speaking, they had 10 million users, but based upon numbers from third parties that active usage of the beleaguered browser was likely much lower. As a result, Flock becomes the 8th company in 8 months to be swallowed up by Zynga, and like most of the previous acquisitions, this is likely a move to accumulate talent. There is no need to add to an already-loaded browser segment, and even the niche of being a social browser is being contested…