Stanford's Entrepreneurship Corner: Janice Roberts, Mayfield Fund

Economics of Free: A New Business Model

Description

The latest business model for web-based companies is to provide services to the consumers for free. Roberts talks about the operations of such a model, in which advertising is the only source of revenue. She elaborates on how companies are learning to value the concept of 'nothing'.

Janice Roberts Biography

Janice Roberts taps her vast experience as a global communications executive and a veteran early-stage entrepreneur to focus on Mayfield's investments in networking components and systems, mobile communications and consumer-oriented companies.

Janice serves on the boards of companies including Quickoffice, Pixim, PlayFirst, RAZZ, Sennari, SunRocket, and Ubicom. Janice's notable investments include Convedia (acquired by RadiSys); Mobile 365 (signed definitive agreement to be acquired by Sybase); and Peribit Networks (acquired by Juniper Networks).

Prior to joining Mayfield, Janice built a successful early-stage investment portfolio as president of 3Com Ventures. She also led 3Com's global marketing and business development operation and ran a number of the company's new business initiatives, including the highly successful Palm Computing subsidiary. Previously, Janice was managing director and president of BICC Data Networks LTD., which was acquired by 3Com in 1992.

Mayfield Fund

Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Lecture

2007-01-17

4min 34sec

ID: 1661

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