Take this chart with a pinch of salt. There's a seasonal effect: the end of the year is a trigger for ventures to take stock, and for hope to be abandoned. With that said, here's a sign that the first batch of web 2.0 startups are running out of cash. The measure: additions to Techcrunch's deadpool, the tech news site's list of companies in trouble. Idea: Steve Rubel.

Contact information for this author is not available.