The crossroads — a place where two roads cross at or about at right angles, otherwise known as “the forks of the road” — is a metaphor used in religious and folkloric belief all around the world. From the legend of the delta blues guitarist Tommy Johnson (no, not Robert Johnson, as some believe), who sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads, in exchange for other-worldly guitar playing skills, to the ancient Mayans to Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”, the concept of the crossroads has been used to depict a “deciding moment” or “turning point” in life.
I think we’ve arrived at the crossroads in Atlanta, as it pertains to the early-stage venture scene. This is probably going to be a long post, so be forewarned.
The Appcelerator “Thing”
Unless you have been under a rock for the past few weeks, you are no doubt aware of the whole Appcelerator “thing”. Short version: Jeff Haynie founded the company, reached the $1M revenue mark, and poked around for venture capital funding here. He ended up heading west to Silicon Valley, pitched his deal there, and accepted a term sheet from some Valley VCs. Of course, as most VCs like to have the founders within “strangling distance”, the company is relocating corporate operations to Mountain View as part of the deal.
