When Bob Metcalfe says that there’s a social networking bubble, we should take notice. Inventor of the Ethernet, coiner of Metcalfe’s Law, founder of 3Com, a technology pundit and publisher at InfoWorld, VC at Polaris Ventures, and now Professor of Innovation at the University of Texas, Metcalfe is one of the true pioneers of Internet technology and business.

But, in spite of Metcalfe’s sense that the social networking bubble will burst, he remains bullish about innovation on the Internet. In particular, he sees three sectors which are about to be radically disrupted by the Internet: healthcare, education and energy. That’s where we’re going next, Metcalfe predicts. So forget about your social media start-up, he advises, and focus on reinventing the education, healthcare and energy industries.

This is the second in a two-part interview with Metcalfe. Check out yesterday’s interview when he talks about his invention of the ethernet and Metcalfe’s Law, as well as his infamous 2000 prediction that the Internet was about to collapse.

Encouraging Innovation

The Social Networking Bubble

Crunchbase

• BOB METCALFE

Person: Bob Metcalfe

Companies: Polaris Venture Partners

Dr. Robert M. Metcalfe joined Polaris in 2001 and is a general partner in our Waltham office. He holds the position of Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of Innovation at The University of Texas at Austin Experience: Bob had three careers in technological innovation before becoming a venture capitalist: While an engineer-scientist (1965-1979), Bob helped pioneer the Internet. In 1973, at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, he invented Ethernet, the local-area networking (LAN) standard on which he shares four patents. Now,...

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