April 18, 2005 9:56 AM

Five years gone...
Posted by at 9:56 AM

Business 2.0 writer Om Malik assembles an interesting collage of writing exploring individual retrospectives five years post Bubble. For many who toiled and/or took advantage during the Era of Irrational Exuberance, some of the reflections -- from sky high success to hitting the skids long after the bust -- may strike close to home:

Om Malik: "I learnt a lot from this bubble...the biggest lesson which I learnt was that when VC firms hire a journalist to help them with investments, its a sure and perhaps the final sign of a market top, a bubble that is about to pop."

Ross Mayfield: "For a year and a half we worked with hardly any salary, publishing rates and having conversations with phone brokers, buyers and sellers. We pitched every VC and they still didn't get it. I look back on this period fondly. We were exploring new territory, creating a market and learning from people who worked profitable magic with only a phone, fax and a rolodex. Then, Boom. Suddenly what were doing all along was called B2B. We raised $35M and $10M in debt overnight."

As Jason B. might say taking a page from the Snoopy handbook, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
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