Keith Watanabe * NET 2.0

Here's the real problem with Yahoo: No vision.  If they had vision, they wouldn't be in this predicament.  I like Yahoo for what it is and respect what they have done.  But I would demarcate that since Terry Semel's insipid inception, Yahoo never has been the same.  The real problem? Again lack of vision.

M$ finally realizes that it just isn't worth the headaches of an integration process to pull Yahoo in.  And truthfully, it would've hurt both companies and only help Google.  Or the near term shareholders.  But M$ has one thing besides lots of money going for it: it's always been a software business.

What is Yahoo?  What the hell does a customer think of Yahoo when they go there?  It's just this amorphous mass with no definition.  They called themselves a portal.  But portals are long gone.

Of course, people are attacking Jerry Yang as the new perpetrator for Yahoo's lack of progress.  One year is typically not enough for a turnaround at a company that large.  So we have to give him two more years total.

That said, the real issue is that he's a geek that long sold out and decided to go play golf with his Republican buds.  But now that they lost this past election, what does Yang have to offer?  Being a geek that got lucky is one thing.  Running a successful, multinational business is another.

Google has Eric Schmidt to guide fledgling businessmen Brin and Page.  What does Yang have except a bunch of yes-men?  Steve Jobs long ago was not experienced, but he had drive.  And still does.  That's what makes Apple successful.

To make a business successful, besides having a business plan that describes what you do and how you make money, you gotta have drive.  The drive, the love and the vision for doing something you love will attract people to your cause.  If you don't believe in what you have, then no one else is.

My gut feeling is that Jerry Yang doesn't give a shit.  He doesn't give a shit because it's evident that he's not thinking for himself.  Well, when you have that much money, you can do what the hell you want.  But just because you're rich doesn't mean you have to stop caring about things and get lazy.