I'm going to try to address some of the questions that have come in, my apologies if I miss a couple.  I can't answer everyone's questions all the time, and my posts will be pretty infrequent, but to start things off I'll do my best to hit the ones in the comments.

Chroder asked:

I'm quite interested in hearing how you got into the roles you're in now.

By roles, I assume you mean CEO of Digg and Chairman/Founder/CEO of Revision3.  A lot of this is available on the record in several interviews, but I'll give the short answer.

After moving to New York and settling into a much-needed break from entrepreneurism, some projects I began with Kevin Rose, a friend of mine from San Francisco, began to blossom.  Digg is an interesting story.  I was originally involved mainly as a mentor and co-conspirator, helping Kevin to brainstorm some early ideas and finally to convince Kevin (read: kick in the ass) to prototype and get cracking on it.  Very quickly, Digg began to grow and require scaling and capital/fundraising, so I agreed to come on as full-time CEO.  Revision3 is slightly different.  Revision3 came out of a conversation I had with Kevin about strategies for leaving G4 and continuing to put food on his plate (Note:  At this time, Digg was in its very early stages, and not yet generating even close to enough capital to pay anyone.).  I was a big believer in the future of online video, so I wrote a short business plan and bootstrapped it myself...The original co-founders being Kevin, Dan Huard, Keith Harrison, David Prager and Ron Gorodetzky.  In the case of Revision3, there was no "prototyping stage," so I was running the show from the beginning.  In both cases, it became clear that my projects with Kevin were not something to put off for later, as both grew ridiculously quickly.   I now have a place in San Francisco and manage both companies.  I'm going gray as a result.  Thanks, Kevin.  ;)

Bill Norton said:

Come back to the fold.  We miss you at Equinix!

Sorry, Bill, eight years is enough.  I continue to provide consulting to Equinix where needed, but I'm needed elsewhere.  Besides, you saw the video of Margie Backaus; she's as good a spokesperson as I ever was!

Vince Capps said:

It would be interesting to have a 'behind the scenes' site for digg. One where diggers could learn about the basis and foundation of hardware, digg's workplace, and the people that spend their lives helping it grow.

I'm all for that!  I don't think this is the place, though.  Let's plan on using Digg's new blog (under development) for that sort of thing.

Kowgod asked:

In an interview I read or listened to with you (or both?), you made mention of the fact that when you extricated yourself from Equinix you made enough money to secure the future of your children, but not enough to become a VC yourself.

Well, to clarify, I still provide consulting to Equinix.  As for the money I made from that venture, suffice to say the reverse split nuked my founder's wealth for morbid.  There was enough to secure my kids' college education (if they need money from me, who knows), and enough to buy me a new minivan.  Anything left is for my parents who deserve every penny.  I never said I had a desire to be a VC...

I was curious if you were just using that as a reference point to illustrate your need to still "work" so to speak, or were you actually implying that some day you'd like to take that next step beyond entrepreneurship and become an investor yourself?

I love the idea, and I think it is very common, that I somehow make enough money that I don't have to work.  However, I'll never stop working, as I clearly have an addiction to trying out new ideas and pushing over antiquated monopolistic hierarchies...  Meanwhile, yes, I could see myself as an angel investor one day, helping others do the same thing, but that would require insane amounts of capital that is really outside my current goals.  All this money talk, however, is all over-beer-fantasy, as it hasn't happened yet and isn't a driving factoring for how I manage Digg or Revision3.

If that's the case then you have to be thinking about the future of the web and web startups. So, where do you see the next big advancement in web technology coming from? Clearly with Rev3 you're betting on real, marketable video on the net. Do you think the next big advancement in how we, as a society (not just techies and nerds) use the internet in our day to day lives will be as a means of entertainment on the same level as the television? Or are you betting on something different altogether? Or maybe you're just trying to carve out your own little niche, and leave it at that?

I could write for days on this subject, so instead I think I'll hold off on my long answer for when we meet in person.  What I will say is that I truly believe that the Internet is a tool that can empower the masses in many ways to interact more for common goals never before possible.  Regarding Internet and video, Chris Anderson's long tail is part of the key to the video angle.  Yes, we will use the Internet for entertainment and enrichment, in ways we can't imagine; though I think we all need to stop thinking of it as a PC experience (as the iPod Video shows us).  I'll write more on Revision3 later...I don't believe in carving out my own little niche.  I think these are major trends, and I like to catalyze them.

Some Random Guy asked:

Jay could you make an appearance on the Diggnation show that would be cool, cause I still think Kevin Rose is running the show and it would be nice if you just stopped in with the other top dogs.

Well, Kevin Rose is running the Diggnation show.  Just because he works for me, it doesn't mean I write a script and tell him to read it...Diggnation is Kevin, pure and simple, and Alex as well.  I mean, I set a few rules, and try to get them to swear less often and get a little less drunk, but by and large management is about empowerment, not restriction.  Still, if it makes you that happy, I'll sit down on the couch one time and give them both a dollar so you can see how the money flows.  ;)

Brian asked:

I was wondering in regards to starting up the companies past and present, how do you go about finding quality people to join the team during the startup phase? Are they mostly through friends, job posting sites, business connections?

Aha!  This is the secret, isn't it?  I think during the startup phase, you really need to find people you trust and can wear many hats.  That doesn't necessarily mean people you've worked with directly before, but you probably know them or know of them.  At Digg, we found some folks like Adam Rifkin and others in the industry who we trusted and used them to help us find people, as well as friends and former colleagues.  Honestly, almost no Digg roles have been filled with job posting sites...Though LinkedIn has been useful!

Finally, last question, then I have to let this thing sit for a while:

Ryan Merket asked:

As a fulltime student and 40 hours a week interactive developer (front end mainly) at a design firm who is looking to move to the bay area in a year or so (after I get married) - what things should I know about getting a job at a start up or design firm in the bay area?

Well, first thing I should say is don't worry, there are plenty of jobs for good developers like you.  We're searching the world over for people like that, so have no fear.  However, be ready for some pricey culture shock:  The Bay Area is notoriously expensive.  You should make sure whatever job you take takes this into consideration.  Also, don't be afraid of San Francisco...Yes, the rent prices are high, but so are the salaries, and it can be a much more effective launching point for a Bay Area career than the Peninsula or the East Bay, as you're right in the thick of the new web development world.  Also (I know Digg employees will groan when I say this), if you move to San Francisco, don't read a tour book to figure out where to live.  Ask the locals.

Comments

[Kowgod]

I guess that means I need to book a flight, huh.

Anyways, this is some good stuff. I hope the lack of comments today doesn't mean it was a one-day-on-the-front-page-of-digg phenomenon, though. I know a lot of people on this side of the table look forward to more insight from those who have been there and done that. It's also good to know you guys still have "over beer" fantasies hehe.

[Jay Adelson]

What gets submitted to digg is not going to be my decision...that's for sure.

[pryals]

Ok, I'm a little confused. You're the CEO of Digg, and you have the ability to say something like "Kevin Rose [...] Just because he works for me, it doesn't mean I write a script and tell him to read it..."

It was all over the news recently that Kevin has been called the leader of the new 'Silicon Valley Brat Pack', and a lot has been speculated on his, and Digg's, worth. At the same time, you referred to your departure from Equinix as "enough to secure my kids' college education, and enough to buy me a new minivan."

I have to wonder... are these the words of someone who's rich but just really humble... or is Digg just not worth as much (on the bottom line) as all of the press makes it out to be?

___

Also, on a personal note, I'm totally self-taught and currently in the job market, willing to move anywhere. I've got loads of experience in solid technology, along with many of the current trends, and I have social skills and a vision to use what I have very creatively.

I am, however, finding the job search a little difficult because of the number of people out there who list university after university on their resumes. Do you have any suggestions, as a CEO of an enormously successful venture, on how I might get the attention of people such as yourself? What do you look for when you're searching for someone to add to the staff?

[Jay Adelson]

Pryals,

Revision3 is a content creation company, and Kevin is one of many that create content. I'm not going to tell him what to say on Diggnation any sooner than he would tell me how to run the business. (I'm not sure if that's the meaning of your first paragraph, but if so, I hope that answers that...)

Regarding money, I think you're asking the wrong question. As Kevin has said and I have said many times, the BusinessWeek article was very misleading as to Kevin's actual wealth. He has none. Digg has not been sold, so he has no liquid wealth. The fact is that neither he nor I have received any cash payout from Digg. What the bubble taught us is that speculating on someone's "paper wealth," when there isn't any real transaction, is somewhat useless. From Kevin's perspective, he looks into his bank account and sees nothing there, so he's confused by all this as well.

Regarding the actual value of Digg, I can't even begin to speculate where those numbers came from. Is the press right or wrong? I'm not going to speculate on it.

Regarding Equinix, I consider having enough to secure my kids' college education to be quite rich, personally...it's not millions, but it's nice. I didn't "cash in" like some entrepreneurs have been able to do, so I can't make investments in companies yet. That was the point of my statements.

[Jay Adelson]

Oh, and to answer your last question... Send examples of your actual work, if you are a creative person and have produced things. If you're a person who has difficulty competing against other resumes, all I can say is that we don't place a lot of value on lists of degrees...We look at actual experience.

[pryals]

That's all really interesting!

May I say, you're probably one of the most down-to-earth CEOs I've ever seen... considering the hype all over the place, you have plenty to brag about, and you don't seem to even want to try. Kudos. :)

Also, thanks for the suggestions on job hunting. tbh, I guess I just thought too much detail on the actual work I've done might bore a would-be hirer to death, but then again, maybe that's not the guy I /want/ to impress? Thanks again!

[Annie]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY!!!!!

[Jay Adelson]

Thanks, sis.

[Kowgod]

Why was Kevin so sketchy about the Rev3 party on Diggnation 63? You're not going to try and sell us timeshares, are you!?

[Jim]

I'm a big fan of Rev3 and Digg. It's interesting to see a seemingly regular and decent guy like yourself in such a high position and to hear him speak so plainly about his companies to the public. That's part of what makes those companies seem so cool. Keep up the good work!

[Ryan Merket]

Yeah, so I just read this. Thanks for the response to my question. :)