It’s Wednesday, do you know where your favorite Nike spokesperson is?

Yeah, he’s probably in Vegas visiting one of his many sweethearts. Tiger Woods, ugh. I’m disappointed in his judgment… or lack thereof. And what the heck does he mean by “transgressions”? Part of his public statement from today: “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart…”

Just a quick update from my last blog: 
Gold continues its rally, setting a record at $1,203 per ounce while the US Dollar continues to fall lower and lower. Maybe Obama’s decision to increase troops in Afghanistan by 30,000 has something to do with it, as geopolitical issues can make gold seem like a safe haven. All I do know if there is another bubble in here somewhere, and sooner or later it’s going to burst. We cannot sustain such a tear without significant economic recovery.

Speaking of economic recovery; I am really jazzed about Brazil. For October, their industrial outputs (which is what a particular industry produces as a national total…thanks Wikipedia) rose beyond estimates to 2.2%, original estimates had it closer to 1.8%. Seeking Alpha: http://seekingalpha.com/article/176216-brazil-economic-expansion-at-a-reasonable-clip. This helped their stock market close at its highest level in over a year (something I am kicking myself for not getting in on a year ago)http://www.reuters.com/article/usDollarRpt/idUSN0254367720091202. I bring this up because of the future potential Brazil has as a nation, but also for churning out successful companies.

As a VC I talk to a lot of expansion stage companies that are looking to expand their global positioning and reach. A significant percentage of those conversations are with international companies. A few of those companies OpenView has been able to invest in and help lay the foundation for significant growth. We have had impact with 3 portfolio companies (Zmags, Exinda, Open E) in their quest to gain operational support as well and sales and marketing help in the US.

I’m curious where the next Bay Area is going to be located. Israel, India, or maybe even Brazil. As OpenView continues to search for the next best deal I remain positive that our global venture capital experience will lend itself well to our next investment outside of the US.