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Dataset card Data Studio Files Community
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nostrademons
Poll - How many here are involved in a startup? Vote up the appropriate comment.
dean
Karma whoring! Unlike in Reddit, comments count for karma here. So having us vote up comments instead of the article still isn't karma-neutral. You'd need an additional "Vote this down when you vote up one of the other options" to have that.But it's an interesting poll, so I'll vote up anyway.
Update: The options didn't come out in the order I wanted. "None of the above" came out in the wrong place, but I'm sure you all get the picture.Update #2: Added another option that you should vote down in order to make this poll "Karma-neutral".
0
7
2007-08-13 16:40:39 UTC
41,987
41,716
tomek
Am I the only one who doesn't care about Facebook?
henning
Don't care about it either now. I liked it when it was simple. And before I got to know how full of himself Zuckerberg is. I could barely stand listening to him giving a talk. He talks about social graph as if it was his invention and equal in impact at least to the invention of a wheel. An old good connections representation in the context of a social network. Doesn't look like a revolution to me.
All the social networks look like boring walled gardens/roach motels to me. Great if you can get in on the ground floor for the next big one, lousy for all the users.I'm not willing to buy into an application platform that isn't open and vendor-neutral. For networking, I think there are better ways, like plain old face to face talking: the "hallway track" in conferences is often better than any of the talks.I don't get it. And Zuckerberg stole the idea anyway.
12
36
2007-08-13 16:50:22 UTC
41,995
41,955
dean
Poll - How many here are involved in a startup? Vote up the appropriate comment.
dean
Make your vote Karma-neutral, vote this down when you vote up one of the other options.
Update: The options didn't come out in the order I wanted. "None of the above" came out in the wrong place, but I'm sure you all get the picture.Update #2: Added another option that you should vote down in order to make this poll "Karma-neutral".
12
7
2007-08-13 17:05:35 UTC
41,996
41,990
run4yourlives
Mobile social networking and content delivery set to explode
jsjenkins168
Just like last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.
null
0
1
2007-08-13 17:06:13 UTC
42,000
41,890
lkozma
MySQL Takes Another Step (Away from Open Source)
nanijoe
Honestly, I think it's in their right to do whatever they want with it. It's nice that they kept it open source entirely until now. Even SQLite, which is the open source project par excellence has additional modules that are not publicly available (encryption, compression)
null
0
7
2007-08-13 17:16:56 UTC
42,002
41,955
lkozma
Poll - How many here are involved in a startup? Vote up the appropriate comment.
dean
startup ?= website
Update: The options didn't come out in the order I wanted. "None of the above" came out in the wrong place, but I'm sure you all get the picture.Update #2: Added another option that you should vote down in order to make this poll "Karma-neutral".
9
7
2007-08-13 17:18:30 UTC
42,005
41,955
pg
Poll - How many here are involved in a startup? Vote up the appropriate comment.
dean
Sorry about this mess. I need to add support for polls.
Update: The options didn't come out in the order I wanted. "None of the above" came out in the wrong place, but I'm sure you all get the picture.Update #2: Added another option that you should vote down in order to make this poll "Karma-neutral".
2
7
2007-08-13 17:27:58 UTC
42,010
42,006
brett
The Endowment Effect
brett
Anyone else familiar with the book he mentions at the end, Blue Ocean Strategy? The website (http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/) is setting off all sorts of get-rich-quick-infomercial flags.
null
2
6
2007-08-13 17:37:01 UTC
42,012
41,823
jzawodn
Spock sign-up flow demonstrates how to scare users away... (by Jeremy Zawodny)
joshwa
Uh, it's not a button, it's a link. Notice that it's pushed to the bottom and hardly given equal treatment as the actual button.If you've ever seen many eye tracking studies, you know that items in the location on the page aren't likely to be seen, leading the user to believe (right or wrong) that they either must disclose a password or go away.
null
0
15
2007-08-13 17:49:48 UTC
42,020
42,007
pg
Fred Wilson: Demo Day "a blast and there are some gems to mine"
jcwentz
This shows what a nice guy Fred is. How many VCs would advertise a bunch of promising deals to other VCs?
null
0
18
2007-08-13 18:16:46 UTC
42,026
41,784
benhoyt
Plagiarism: Reprints PG's 'The Equity Equation' with new name and no link back to source!
drm237
Complete with original footnotes. :-)
This guy reprints Paul Graham's 'The Equity Equation' but changes the name to 'The Executive Equation' and doesn't cite the source except by leaving a few links point back to paulgraham.com.Is it just me, or is this not blatant plagiarism...
4
6
2007-08-13 18:42:20 UTC
42,027
41,962
maverickpal
Would we be more willing to participate in a discussion if it involved people we know? - tribeIn
maverick001
I love the discussion part ...
Guys, I need your help. In my free time I wrote up this application which enables users to create topics and discuss it with their friends. <p>I would spend a lot of time on reddit but rarely participated in the discussions. This had me wondering, "Would we be more willing to participate in a discussion if it involved people we know?" The quest for an answer led me to create tribeIn. Try it out and let me know what you think.
1
2
2007-08-13 18:42:57 UTC
42,028
41,685
noelchurchill
Where is your startup? (for me Atlanta)
rokhayakebe
San Diego
null
50
21
2007-08-13 18:43:48 UTC
42,034
41,969
nanijoe
Why your startup shouldn't fear Google
alex_c
I have to mention that your blog looks better laid out than your main page. Unsolicited Advice alert "We are like Myspace & Facebook, but with more of the things you want" sounds pretty weak. I suggest you state your value proposition and leave it at that.
null
0
3
2007-08-13 18:56:36 UTC
42,035
41,955
Zak
Poll - How many here are involved in a startup? Vote up the appropriate comment.
dean
I am actively working (part time) on a project that I intend to build a startup around, but it is not currently a startup.
Update: The options didn't come out in the order I wanted. "None of the above" came out in the wrong place, but I'm sure you all get the picture.Update #2: Added another option that you should vote down in order to make this poll "Karma-neutral".
7
7
2007-08-13 18:59:00 UTC
42,037
41,815
palish
The Entrepreneurial Attitude
palish
Wow, guys. This is pretty disgusting. The first set of comments were really interesting, then.. What? I'm a bigot? What by'view said was bullshit? Wonderful. Grow up.Yeah, maybe it was silly to call attention to the fact that he's approaching 60, but guess what? People get old. When they get older they get more and more tired. So it's really great, even inspirational, that he is still fighting the good fight even though he's done this kind of thing his whole life.Jeez.
My girlfriend works at a little coffee shop called "It's a Grind". Recently a Starbucks moved in right across the street. The owner, John, tacked a letter up on the wall. I thought it was so great and inspiring that I took a picture and decided to share it. Here it is:====To: TEAM GRINDFrom: JohnGuys,We have had a lot of questions from customers and friends about Starbucks going in across the street. Here are some things you might share with customers, assuming that you agree with them:1) Starbucks WILL be competition. Will Starbucks get some of our business? -yes. Will we get some of their business? -YES. Our drinks taste better than theirs, our store is nicer and more comfortable and our staff is more friendly. I get a lot of positive comments about our staff-it's doubtful that Starbucks does. These things will keep us competitive in spite of Starbucks brand recognition. An important thing to remember is that many people relate to locally owned businesses. Large international companies like Starbucks have the bottom line (stock price) first in mind and a lot of people don't relate to that.2) We are doing well with speed of service at the drive-thru. This is important because Starbucks is good at that. We need to make sure we keep it up and maybe get a little better.3) Our regulars will stay with us-we have a great core of regular customers that know us and this is important. Our core of customers will grow as the area grows.4) Food-this will be key in differentiating us from Starbucks. We are in the process of getting our menu set up. This will be in place before the end of the month.5) Every business that I've ever been involved with is competitive-that's the way life is. People who put their tails between their legs and pout never succeed. People with positive attitudes that stay focused almost always succeed.6) We will not only succeed but we will be thriving 2 years from now. That's because we have a great crew, a superior product and competitive prices. If somebody comes in whining-"You can't compete with Starbucks"-that's baloney and they have a loser attitude. Keep your chin up and don't be afraid of competition!John====One reason this is so great is because John is in his mid-50's. Even at that age, he still has a startup mentality.Another thing I like is he's rolling out new tactics and trying new things.Don't be afraid of the competition guys! Get things out there and make them work.
2
26
2007-08-13 19:03:33 UTC
42,038
42,022
twism
Disqus sign up.
kyro
i thought disqus was just a commenting system add-on for blogs and websites... but they are working on almost an exact replica of what I'm working on.
I stumbled upon this linking from someone else's blog...Not sure if this is something known, or something that shouldn't be known.http://disqus.com/login/?next=/dashboard/account/%3Fnew%3D1
0
2
2007-08-13 19:10:37 UTC
42,042
41,716
jmpeters
Am I the only one who doesn't care about Facebook?
henning
Facebook is like AOL and MySpace. It will remain popular. It will make a lot of money. It will make its founders rich. It won't live up to its hype. Given its closed, proprietary nature, it won't be where true innovation happens on the web. I don't blame the Facebook crew for the overhyping of their product. That blame rests with the investment community, tech journalists, and a reasonable-sized chunk of the blogosphere, who collectively are about as discerning as a clique of 15-year-old girls. They think that what's "hot" is whatever they think everyone else thinks is "hot," which creates an echo-chamber effect surrounding every half-way successful web business that comes down the pike.
All the social networks look like boring walled gardens/roach motels to me. Great if you can get in on the ground floor for the next big one, lousy for all the users.I'm not willing to buy into an application platform that isn't open and vendor-neutral. For networking, I think there are better ways, like plain old face to face talking: the "hallway track" in conferences is often better than any of the talks.I don't get it. And Zuckerberg stole the idea anyway.
9
36
2007-08-13 19:29:22 UTC
42,043
41,884
mikesabat
Do you have a friend inside Google?
sbraford
You are already competing with Google, or better yet, the expectations they have created. Because of their immense ad revenue they can afford to buy companies and apps and then give them away for free.Although your product may be different you're already competing for people's time and attention online. If you're building something to give away for free - then you are opening up the possibility of being Google-ized (as well as the positive of being bought by them)Abstractly speaking, obviously.
I had a potential startup idea... so I ran it by one of my friends who works at the big G.While he didn't give anything confidential away about their plans -- I could tell from his response that it would probably be a good idea to postpone any work on the idea for a few months ... when Google just might launch some whizbang new technology.Are you worried your startup idea will be Googleized?
3
2
2007-08-13 19:33:19 UTC
42,045
42,036
Ryan_Brooks
Was YC demo day recorded?
gregp
Yes, do tell; inquiring minds want to know.
null
3
2
2007-08-13 19:38:04 UTC
42,046
41,685
nanijoe
Where is your startup? (for me Atlanta)
rokhayakebe
I'd like name an exotic location, but I am in good old New Jersey :) If all goes according to plan, I'll be moving to the SF area in January 2008.
null
11
21
2007-08-13 19:40:41 UTC
42,047
42,006
mynameishere
The Endowment Effect
brett
You can get a sense of just how irrational buyer behavior really is now that you understand why people are afraid to leave their overvalued software.Uh huh. I'd been upgrading FF consistently until I realized that every new version just got worse and worse. So now I'm done upgrading. I understand that the "X" mark to close tabs is now on every tab, rather than on the right side of the pane. So, there: I've missed that ridiculous change.It's worse with other things. The Java IDE Eclipse starting at 2.0 made a simple change: The search box defaults to "Case Sensitive", and never learns that I wan't this unchecked. Believe it or not, this destroys my productivity. So, I've learned not to upgrade Eclipse anymore. I don't care if they add a million new features--they've effectively destroyed the software for me with one stupid change.There is no shortage of people who regret the 2000 > XP > Vista upgrade/descent path.I remember the first VCR my family had. Put tape in. Press play. It works Want to try improving on that? You can't. DVDs are a nightmare by comparison. There's a 15 step process between holding the disc in your hand and actually watching a movie.Consumers are more savvy than you think, in some ways. They realize, at some level, that companies just release the same thing over and over, sometimes with a new talking paperclip, sometimes with a new talking dog, and it's otherwise the same. The transition costs aren't worth it.Of course, I'm talking about upgrades rather than Brand X > Brand Y transitions. That might actually be worse, since everything changes.
null
1
6
2007-08-13 19:45:31 UTC
42,049
42,036
davidw
Was YC demo day recorded?
gregp
I doubt it - they don't record much else that goes on there, so that people can be candid. Makes sense, because the whole thing is put on for the benefit of the people there, be they buyers or sellers.
null
1
2
2007-08-13 19:56:34 UTC
42,052
41,685
dfranke
Where is your startup? (for me Atlanta)
rokhayakebe
Boston, MA
null
49
21
2007-08-13 20:01:55 UTC
42,057
42,036
blored
Was YC demo day recorded?
gregp
Hmm, a good question was, how much would you have paid for a crack at Demo Day.My Answer: 5% of my start-up. We're three months old.
null
2
2
2007-08-13 20:24:05 UTC
42,066
42,006
myoung8
The Endowment Effect
brett
This completely makes sense and in some ways justifies the success of companies like Apple and 37signals. Rather competing on features, companies should compete on ease-of-use. Getting past the endowment effect also comes down to using concrete metrics. What's more effective? "My product has the latest and greatest features, it is so much better than the competition" or "If you use my product, it will save you X amount of time and/or Y dollars"? Obviously the latter. Saving time and money is a compelling value proposition--they are both easy-to-understand concepts that cut through consumers' irrationality bubble. Naturally, to be able to make this claim, you've got to make something that consumers want and that is also easy to use.For a great book on this topic, check out Made To Stick by Chip and Dan Heath.
null
0
6
2007-08-13 20:50:13 UTC
42,072
41,884
SwellJoe
Do you have a friend inside Google?
sbraford
The Zenter guys knew Google had a presentation product in development from before they started. Turned out alright for them.
I had a potential startup idea... so I ran it by one of my friends who works at the big G.While he didn't give anything confidential away about their plans -- I could tell from his response that it would probably be a good idea to postpone any work on the idea for a few months ... when Google just might launch some whizbang new technology.Are you worried your startup idea will be Googleized?
4
2
2007-08-13 21:06:56 UTC
42,076
41,988
palish
Cringely: The $200 Billion Broadband Ripoff
eposts
I doubt the solution is to force the phone companies into doing something they don't want to. That will just create a horrible service.
null
0
9
2007-08-13 21:31:23 UTC
42,079
41,685
ardit33
Where is your startup? (for me Atlanta)
rokhayakebe
Tirana Albania, and San Francisco
null
29
21
2007-08-13 21:47:59 UTC
42,082
40,651
zmike
What artificial stimulants do you use?
ericc
My startup is powered by 200mg / day of gray market modafinil.
A lot of us are caffeine and nicotine junkies. What else do you guys use? What do you use for creative stimulation? A glass of wine?
24
11
2007-08-13 22:03:22 UTC
42,083
42,080
palish
Ask News.YC: What sort of things do you do when you're so bummed you can't be productive?
palish
I try to minimize the rebound time. One thing that helps me with that is to reread Paul's essays. (Is it bad to admit that? It must look like kissing up. Whatever, I don't care.) They're short enough that I can sit down with one and tell myself "Okay, when you're done, get back to what you need to do." I feel sort of.. revitalized afterwards.
What's your guilty pleasure?
0
2
2007-08-13 22:11:07 UTC
42,084
41,784
sbraford
Plagiarism: Reprints PG's 'The Equity Equation' with new name and no link back to source!
drm237
lulz. Let's see him try and apply to YC now too. =)
This guy reprints Paul Graham's 'The Equity Equation' but changes the name to 'The Executive Equation' and doesn't cite the source except by leaving a few links point back to paulgraham.com.Is it just me, or is this not blatant plagiarism...
5
6
2007-08-13 22:11:52 UTC
42,086
42,080
iamyoohoo
Ask News.YC: What sort of things do you do when you're so bummed you can't be productive?
palish
Read News.YC
What's your guilty pleasure?
4
2
2007-08-13 22:14:24 UTC
42,089
42,080
sherman
Ask News.YC: What sort of things do you do when you're so bummed you can't be productive?
palish
Taking a quick nap, shower, or exercising helps me rejuvenate.
What's your guilty pleasure?
7
2
2007-08-13 22:29:44 UTC
42,090
42,087
dpapathanasiou
Vote up if you dislike Karma Whoring!
thingsilearned
Oh, the irony!
This post is an infinite loop of hypocrisy!
2
8
2007-08-13 22:33:49 UTC
42,091
42,087
eposts
Vote up if you dislike Karma Whoring!
thingsilearned
Folks here are getting a little too obsessed with karma points.
This post is an infinite loop of hypocrisy!
0
8
2007-08-13 22:33:50 UTC
42,092
41,685
chadboyda
Where is your startup? (for me Atlanta)
rokhayakebe
Los Angeles, CA
null
45
21
2007-08-13 22:33:56 UTC
42,094
41,685
ordersup
Where is your startup? (for me Atlanta)
rokhayakebe
San Francisco, CA - Financial District & North Beach ;)
null
22
21
2007-08-13 22:43:49 UTC
42,100
42,098
palish
Lisp NYC: If you're tired of waiting for Paul Graham to release Arc
dpapathanasiou
I'd rather wait five years than use something mediocre.
null
0
9
2007-08-13 23:09:36 UTC
42,101
42,087
alex_c
Vote up if you dislike Karma Whoring!
thingsilearned
What do I do if I like karma whoring? Aaaahhhh!
This post is an infinite loop of hypocrisy!
4
8
2007-08-13 23:12:34 UTC
42,102
42,087
run4yourlives
Vote up if you dislike Karma Whoring!
thingsilearned
I voted you up to prove to you that karma doesn't matter.Whoa, that's deep isn't it?
This post is an infinite loop of hypocrisy!
3
8
2007-08-13 23:14:10 UTC
42,104
42,087
horatio05
Vote up if you dislike Karma Whoring!
thingsilearned
I am only posting because this gives me a karma point. There I said it!
This post is an infinite loop of hypocrisy!
6
8
2007-08-13 23:23:34 UTC
42,106
42,087
pg
Vote up if you dislike Karma Whoring!
thingsilearned
Or kill if you're an admin and it's offtopic...
This post is an infinite loop of hypocrisy!
1
8
2007-08-13 23:34:04 UTC
42,107
42,007
neuro
Fred Wilson: Demo Day "a blast and there are some gems to mine"
jcwentz
ok boys, enough ass kissing, get back to work.
null
1
18
2007-08-13 23:34:34 UTC
42,109
42,036
drm237
Was YC demo day recorded?
gregp
Another question: was anyone in attendance asked to sign an NDA before seeing the presentations of companies still in stealth-mode? Most bloggers aren't talking about the ones that haven't released and I was wondering if they're just being ethical or if they were prohibited from doing so.
null
0
2
2007-08-13 23:43:35 UTC
42,113
42,080
farmer
Ask News.YC: What sort of things do you do when you're so bummed you can't be productive?
palish
Go running.
What's your guilty pleasure?
8
2
2007-08-14 00:03:49 UTC
42,114
41,823
tipjoy
Spock sign-up flow demonstrates how to scare users away... (by Jeremy Zawodny)
joshwa
I was a bit turned off by the Spock sign up process myself, but for different reasons. First, the invite email was extremely vague - "a new search engine that organizes information around people"? I thought it might be a new human-assisted search site (something which has been in the news a bit lately), but wasn't sure. Second, clicking the invite list brings you to a very basic sign-up page with no information. As I went through the sign-up process, I really wasn't sure what I was actually getting myself into, but since I'm pretty trusting I just went ahead anyway. Once I finally got to the site, I still didn't know what it was, but I recognized that it was some sort of search engine, so I typed in a search for a bookstore I like and got one result - a person who said they liked something or other which happened to use the same word as the bookstore's name. In the end, I really wouldn't have known what was going on at Spock if my friend didn't send me a link to an article about the site which nicely explained what it was. It's actually a pretty interesting idea, and I can see that the site would work better once more people sign up. Still, Spock needs to work on their user experience, especially on their sign up process. (Additionally, although far less important, they need to work on their icon: their little person favicon looks exactly like the calvin klein logo.)
null
1
15
2007-08-14 00:05:00 UTC
42,116
42,007
fredwilson
Fred Wilson: Demo Day "a blast and there are some gems to mine"
jcwentz
yeah, but the ass kissing feels good to me!fred
null
2
18
2007-08-14 00:11:52 UTC
42,117
42,067
pg
Why Apple doesn't sell to the enterprise market
nostrademons
Maybe the reason is that the enterprise market is downstream. They're not the trendsetters. If you get all the individual users using Macs, eventually big cos will have to switch. Just as happened with desktop computers, in fact. So maybe Apple ignores this market because they know they'll get it automatically (but only when) they're the default for individual users.
via Raganwald's submission on Programming Reddit
1
23
2007-08-14 00:13:01 UTC
42,122
41,890
AF
MySQL Takes Another Step (Away from Open Source)
nanijoe
I don't see a problem with it. They are still providing the source. What is the issue? IMO, it isn't any less in the 'spirit of open source' to do something like this.
null
2
7
2007-08-14 01:00:20 UTC
42,126
42,080
donna
Ask News.YC: What sort of things do you do when you're so bummed you can't be productive?
palish
Head down to the Ferry Building; that's where the summer sun shines in SF. Indulge in a glass of red wine and watch people.
What's your guilty pleasure?
1
2
2007-08-14 01:05:09 UTC
42,127
41,890
mojuba
MySQL Takes Another Step (Away from Open Source)
nanijoe
"...if someone pays your fee and gets a copy [of the source], the GPL gives them the freedom to release it to the public" -- from GPL FAQ. Which means, any paying customer has the freedom to request the sources and then publish them. Did MySQL folks miss something?
null
1
7
2007-08-14 01:07:10 UTC
42,128
42,087
sabat
Vote up if you dislike Karma Whoring!
thingsilearned
I wish I could vote this down. One man's karma whoring is another man's good intent.
This post is an infinite loop of hypocrisy!
5
8
2007-08-14 01:10:29 UTC
42,132
42,129
bootload
No Employees for a while - Plentyoffish won't hire
Twiek
"... All I can say is there is going to be a major major change to the web and the economics of Online Dating are about to dramatically change. So for now I'm just going to overspend on tech and buy my way out of any trouble and maybe hire someone part time to do customer service stuff. ..."duck around that obstacle, spend the money only when needed ~ smarter than we (I) give credit? ~ http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40810
"All I can say is there is going to be a major major change to the web and the economics of Online Dating are about to dramatically change."Sounds... well, dramatic.
1
8
2007-08-14 01:18:08 UTC
42,139
42,053
dfranke
Pounding A Nail: Old Shoe or Glass Bottle?
semigeek
Alex's fundamental point is sound, but his sample reply to the question about the jagged array is too undiplomatic to be of any use to anyone. Having some random on USENET tell me, "you're clueless; go study some introductory texts and don't write another line of code until you have" isn't going to get me to do so even if I'm not sure if he's wrong. Why didn't he just recommend a more appropriate database schema, accompanied by a suggestion that the OP read the Wikipedia page on normalization theory and try to keep his databases in 3NF?
null
0
4
2007-08-14 02:25:00 UTC
42,140
41,823
ashu
Spock sign-up flow demonstrates how to scare users away... (by Jeremy Zawodny)
joshwa
To me, the problem is not that they are taking my gmail password, but that they show me this tricky "spam your friends" screen before I am even ready to know wtf this new service is! Regarding the sites getting my Gmail/Yahoo passwords, I don't think any site is really happy doing that. (We at Buxfer also do it, but it's tucked inside the site for users who really want to do it.) If Gmail and Yahoo were to open up even more and provide secure access to the addressbooks, nobody would have to do this stupid scraping anymore.
null
3
15
2007-08-14 02:32:33 UTC
42,148
42,067
chaostheory
Why Apple doesn't sell to the enterprise market
nostrademons
"To the extent that Apple products have actually infiltrated big businesses, it's been through small groups of enthusiasts--the canonical example being the art department that somehow manages to get themselves Macs"It's not just the art department anymore, it's now the software engineering department now too. (I'm talking large 10,000+ employee corporations.) This is mainly due to OS X's BSD upbringing. Deployment and general development on Windows is just a bitch when your production servers are nix based. Besides why have a Windows box when Macs themselves can run both Windows and MS Office easily (not to mention IWork is now a viable alternative).
via Raganwald's submission on Programming Reddit
2
23
2007-08-14 03:10:25 UTC
42,153
42,129
budu3
No Employees for a while - Plentyoffish won't hire
Twiek
This guy is the strangest character I've seen in a long time.
"All I can say is there is going to be a major major change to the web and the economics of Online Dating are about to dramatically change."Sounds... well, dramatic.
0
8
2007-08-14 03:34:38 UTC
42,157
42,080
german
Ask News.YC: What sort of things do you do when you're so bummed you can't be productive?
palish
Start talking to my co-founder and start getting new ideas (away from the computer)
What's your guilty pleasure?
6
2
2007-08-14 04:11:31 UTC
42,159
42,080
s_baar
Ask News.YC: What sort of things do you do when you're so bummed you can't be productive?
palish
Star Fox 64. (Do a barrel roll!)
What's your guilty pleasure?
5
2
2007-08-14 04:20:13 UTC
42,164
41,685
chaostheory
Where is your startup? (for me Atlanta)
rokhayakebe
SF Bay Area (Peninsula)
null
34
21
2007-08-14 04:44:15 UTC
42,169
42,080
dood
Ask News.YC: What sort of things do you do when you're so bummed you can't be productive?
palish
Change of context: book, film, game, chat... Preferably something that keep the brain ticking over, but allows the 'work' parts to take a rest. Oh, and virtually any kind of exercise.
What's your guilty pleasure?
2
2
2007-08-14 05:05:50 UTC
42,172
42,098
jey
Lisp NYC: If you're tired of waiting for Paul Graham to release Arc
dpapathanasiou
Is this an instance of the Graham-Tiedemann Law?
null
1
9
2007-08-14 05:26:17 UTC
42,177
42,167
tomek
New code on facebook secrets
sharpshoot
who is posting this stuff? and why?
null
2
9
2007-08-14 06:12:34 UTC
42,178
42,168
avehn
Adobe takes aim at Microsoft and Apple
Readmore
Sure Adobe can make products that work better and look better than Microsoft's current office suites, but arguably Linux has a better operating system, Firefox has a better browser, and that has not caused people to stop using Windows or IE respectively. Microsoft is just too well rooted in the corporate world.
null
0
11
2007-08-14 06:19:19 UTC
42,182
41,532
avehn
Knowledge is power, 30 books every young entrepreneur should read
sharpshoot
Listing 30 "must read" books is great, but nowhere in the article does he state his credentials. Is he part of a successful start-up? If so why doesn't he say so? If not why would I read the same books that have not helped him?
null
4
29
2007-08-14 06:35:39 UTC
42,183
42,167
RyanGWU82
New code on facebook secrets
sharpshoot
I'm surprised Blogger hasn't taken the site down.(Cue massive Google conspiracy theory posts...)
null
1
9
2007-08-14 06:42:36 UTC
42,188
42,167
henning
New code on facebook secrets
sharpshoot
I love PHP normally and I love it even more when it doesn't have syntax highlighting or indenting and isn't even displayed in a fixed-width font!
null
0
9
2007-08-14 07:05:16 UTC
42,197
41,685
chmike
Where is your startup? (for me Atlanta)
rokhayakebe
Marseille, France
null
38
21
2007-08-14 07:55:45 UTC
42,202
42,075
uuilly
Cross Platform Desktop Applications with Python
vlad
Here is another option:http://www.riverbankcomputing.co.uk/pyqt/ which are bindings for: http://trolltech.com/products/qt
null
0
7
2007-08-14 08:32:20 UTC
42,204
41,685
chris_l
Where is your startup? (for me Atlanta)
rokhayakebe
Munich, Germany
null
44
21
2007-08-14 09:11:41 UTC
42,209
42,136
PStamatiou
Digg-nation is huge! Community is more powerful than money or technology
bootload
I've noticed that everyone that gets on digg the first time seems to write a follow-up post about how much traffic they got. I'm guilty and did the same when I got on digg the first time two years ago.
null
0
3
2007-08-14 09:57:28 UTC
42,214
42,187
vlad
Facebook lesson: Who Owns the Concept if No One Signs the Papers?
nickb
Ah, since they're both twins, you only need to show one of the ConnectU brothers in the article...
null
0
5
2007-08-14 11:02:37 UTC
42,229
42,080
thingsilearned
Ask News.YC: What sort of things do you do when you're so bummed you can't be productive?
palish
http://thingsilearned.wordpress.com/2007/07/18/unconventiona...
What's your guilty pleasure?
3
2
2007-08-14 13:35:25 UTC
42,233
42,207
jraines
Fame vs. Fortune: Micropayments and Free Content
mark-t
This is a good supplement if you're interested in the free vs. not-free debate (aka M. Arrington vs. 37signals). The concept of "mental transaction costs" -- the "cost" associated with making a decision of whether something is worth paying for and how much is it worth -- is a useful one. For me personally, if I decide something, particularly an online service, is worth paying for at all, I'd probably just as soon pay $20 as some fraction of a penny. In other words, if it's not free and it's claiming to add value to my life, it had better be adding at least $20 worth and convince me as such. Then again I've never given much thought as to what micropayments would be good for, so counterpoints are welcome.
null
0
8
2007-08-14 14:07:26 UTC
42,240
42,238
epi0Bauqu
On Pricing Strategy
rrival
It's all about getting inside your target customers' heads and dissecting their buying decisions. Only then can you hit upon the right strategy. When you have drastically different buyer profiles, then you segment the market. In other words, you need to first answer questions like is this an impulse buy, is this a comparison buy, is it personal or company money being used, etc.My last startup charged for a web-based service. It was a consumer impulse buy and so we tried to keep the price down for that reason. When we got enough size, we ran statistical tests to figure out the best price point in terms of maximization of profits.I also have had experience selling an online book. As you suggest, sometimes the demand curve is not a straight line and raising the price can increase volume because prices can of course influence perceived value. I raised it from $9.99 to $24.99 and that is exactly what happened--increased volume.
I'm working on a business model that requires charging something for a web-based service (not consulting/nothing hourly). I've never known where to begin the process of arriving at the 'right' price. Clearly, there are marketing/customer perception implications to:1) providing something on a free trial basis initially 2) increasing the cost of a service later 3) charging too little and being deemed insignificant "How could $5/month give me that much value?" 4) charging too much and being seen as a ripoff, leaving room for others to step in. I know it's easy enough to arrive at or at least be aware of a market price (median/average) if there's enough competition in the space to do a back-of-napkin statistical analysis. I'm not sure how that carries over into concepts with a 'first mover' advantage, or markets where competition is light.I know there must be theory relevant to this (probably volumes). Can anyone recommend a place to start? How have you dealt with pricing your startup's services?
3
7
2007-08-14 14:50:12 UTC
42,241
42,219
epi0Bauqu
Have you inspired a B-Candidate to be an A-Candidate?
pbnaidu
I know this isn't answering your question, but why would you want to inspire a B candidate to be an A candidate? Isn't that a waste of time when you can just wait for the A candidate?
We have seen articles about hiring A candidates, who in turn hire A guys or A+ guys. If you hire B-candidate they in turn will end up hiring B candidates or B- or C candidates.In startup scenario, have you seen or have you inspired B candidate to be an A candidate, could you please share stories successes and failures in doing so?For example, I am trying to find cases in startup companies similar to Seabiscuit(Movie/Horse) which is physically average horse winning triple crown and its trainer, jockey and owner are even greater for accomplishments with Seabiscuit.
0
1
2007-08-14 14:55:49 UTC
42,244
42,067
martin
Why Apple doesn't sell to the enterprise market
nostrademons
Another consideration is the availability of software. There aren't that many things the average home user does on the computer -- word processing, web browsing, music, digital photography -- and all of those needs are served quite well on the Mac platform right now. In the enterprise, sure, everybody does word processing, web browsing, etc., but beyond that, all bets are off. When I worked in a banking environment, I supported dozens of business-critical Windows apps, from third-party market data software to nasty, internally-hacked-together VB apps. Abandoning those apps wasn't even close to being an option. Even all the web apps in that environment worked only in IE on Windows. Any other enterprise of significant size is almost guaranteed to have dozens of critical apps of its own. I suppose if you really wanted to get a Mac into such an environment, you could access the Windows apps over Citrix or something, but that'd be a pain.Even if app support wasn't an issue, most enterprises are already quite tied into the Microsoft stack -- Active Directory, Exchange, SharePoint -- which makes supporting Macs even as a secondary platform challenging at best.And even if you consider that surmountable, it's still no wonder that Apple is more interested in home users -- they are (if you'll pardon the expression) the low-hanging fruit.
via Raganwald's submission on Programming Reddit
0
23
2007-08-14 15:20:46 UTC
42,247
42,246
ratsbane
Google Health coming tomorrow: Electronic Medical Records (EMR) for everyone?
ratsbane
I've consulted with two medical practices on implementing EMR systems in the last few years. The systems that are now available (at least the ones I've looked at) are rather old-technology - not web-based, don't allow for patients to access their records themselves, etc. This new Google service, if it works as well as it might, could really radically change all of this - particularly if practitioners can use it. The next thing, then, is to tie it into the billing systems used by practitioners, etc... opportunity?
null
1
8
2007-08-14 15:28:20 UTC
42,248
42,239
dpapathanasiou
TV show panel full of experts tells entrepreneur his idea is worthless, he proves them wrong
nickb
Yes, professional investors do make mistakes (as the better VCs will admit: http://www.bvp.com/Portfolio/AntiPortfolio.aspx), so this is something to keep in mind after meeting with potential investors.BTW, what is David Beckham doing designing toys?
Never let anyone persuade you your product is useless until you prove its usefulness in the market!
0
20
2007-08-14 15:29:17 UTC
42,249
42,239
nickb
TV show panel full of experts tells entrepreneur his idea is worthless, he proves them wrong
nickb
I think I saw two episodes of UK's Dragon's Den from the first season (you can find them on bittorrent sites). It was an interesting show from what I remember. For those that never heard of it, here's what wikipedia says:"Dragons' Den is a television programme that originated in Japan where the format is owned by Sony. The format, which now airs internationally, consists of entrepreneurs pitching their ideas to secure investment finance from business experts -- the "Dragons"."Basically, you pitch a bunch of rich people, entrepreneurs and investors and they tell you what you think and they might invest into your idea as well.
Never let anyone persuade you your product is useless until you prove its usefulness in the market!
3
20
2007-08-14 15:34:13 UTC
42,251
42,238
boris
On Pricing Strategy
rrival
You are approaching this problem from a wrong side. First you need to determine how much your service is worth to the customers, in monetary terms. Then you can base your price on that. Normally you would divide your service benefits into two parts: "commodity" and "unique". You would charge what it costs you to provide it for the commodity part and how much it is worth to the customer for the "unique" part.Also note that educating the customer about the value (in monetary terms) that they will receive by using your service is the key to make this strategy work.
I'm working on a business model that requires charging something for a web-based service (not consulting/nothing hourly). I've never known where to begin the process of arriving at the 'right' price. Clearly, there are marketing/customer perception implications to:1) providing something on a free trial basis initially 2) increasing the cost of a service later 3) charging too little and being deemed insignificant "How could $5/month give me that much value?" 4) charging too much and being seen as a ripoff, leaving room for others to step in. I know it's easy enough to arrive at or at least be aware of a market price (median/average) if there's enough competition in the space to do a back-of-napkin statistical analysis. I'm not sure how that carries over into concepts with a 'first mover' advantage, or markets where competition is light.I know there must be theory relevant to this (probably volumes). Can anyone recommend a place to start? How have you dealt with pricing your startup's services?
2
7
2007-08-14 15:53:45 UTC
42,252
42,238
theremora
On Pricing Strategy
rrival
Pick a price you think is right. (It is random sometimes. Intel said how about $80 for the 8080 chip). get feedback. Sometimes raising the price increases market share ie... wine. For a web service there are no cost of goods or product costs to use as a basis and then add 100% margin. Unless you are going to turn off all your potential customers at once, which is unlikely, just do it and iterate.seems like it would be easier to lower price than raise it.
I'm working on a business model that requires charging something for a web-based service (not consulting/nothing hourly). I've never known where to begin the process of arriving at the 'right' price. Clearly, there are marketing/customer perception implications to:1) providing something on a free trial basis initially 2) increasing the cost of a service later 3) charging too little and being deemed insignificant "How could $5/month give me that much value?" 4) charging too much and being seen as a ripoff, leaving room for others to step in. I know it's easy enough to arrive at or at least be aware of a market price (median/average) if there's enough competition in the space to do a back-of-napkin statistical analysis. I'm not sure how that carries over into concepts with a 'first mover' advantage, or markets where competition is light.I know there must be theory relevant to this (probably volumes). Can anyone recommend a place to start? How have you dealt with pricing your startup's services?
4
7
2007-08-14 15:54:46 UTC
42,253
42,238
yubrew
On Pricing Strategy
rrival
I have dealt with this problem before. Even if you are a first mover, you will still have indirect competitors, and customers used to paying a certain price and buying at a certain frequency. Talk to your customers, find out how they are consuming, and position your product accordingly.Really Basic Example: A skype based cell phone should be priced similarly to comparable phones, with a premium because skype is cheaper than other cell phone plans.For web products, one trick I learned is to use Google Adwords with different prices and features listed, and observe CTR.
I'm working on a business model that requires charging something for a web-based service (not consulting/nothing hourly). I've never known where to begin the process of arriving at the 'right' price. Clearly, there are marketing/customer perception implications to:1) providing something on a free trial basis initially 2) increasing the cost of a service later 3) charging too little and being deemed insignificant "How could $5/month give me that much value?" 4) charging too much and being seen as a ripoff, leaving room for others to step in. I know it's easy enough to arrive at or at least be aware of a market price (median/average) if there's enough competition in the space to do a back-of-napkin statistical analysis. I'm not sure how that carries over into concepts with a 'first mover' advantage, or markets where competition is light.I know there must be theory relevant to this (probably volumes). Can anyone recommend a place to start? How have you dealt with pricing your startup's services?
1
7
2007-08-14 15:56:47 UTC
42,254
42,219
theremora
Have you inspired a B-Candidate to be an A-Candidate?
pbnaidu
nature vs nurture? In a start up, you don't have the time to nurture an employee. everyone is flat out doing what they do best, with little hand holding. B DNA will produce more B DNA.
We have seen articles about hiring A candidates, who in turn hire A guys or A+ guys. If you hire B-candidate they in turn will end up hiring B candidates or B- or C candidates.In startup scenario, have you seen or have you inspired B candidate to be an A candidate, could you please share stories successes and failures in doing so?For example, I am trying to find cases in startup companies similar to Seabiscuit(Movie/Horse) which is physically average horse winning triple crown and its trainer, jockey and owner are even greater for accomplishments with Seabiscuit.
1
1
2007-08-14 16:00:48 UTC
42,264
42,238
tneidt
On Pricing Strategy
rrival
Bottom line...something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. It is better to initially price too high than too low. It is easy to lower a price but extremely hard to increase it. Go high and be willing to negotiate.
I'm working on a business model that requires charging something for a web-based service (not consulting/nothing hourly). I've never known where to begin the process of arriving at the 'right' price. Clearly, there are marketing/customer perception implications to:1) providing something on a free trial basis initially 2) increasing the cost of a service later 3) charging too little and being deemed insignificant "How could $5/month give me that much value?" 4) charging too much and being seen as a ripoff, leaving room for others to step in. I know it's easy enough to arrive at or at least be aware of a market price (median/average) if there's enough competition in the space to do a back-of-napkin statistical analysis. I'm not sure how that carries over into concepts with a 'first mover' advantage, or markets where competition is light.I know there must be theory relevant to this (probably volumes). Can anyone recommend a place to start? How have you dealt with pricing your startup's services?
6
7
2007-08-14 16:48:29 UTC
42,265
42,239
vikram
TV show panel full of experts tells entrepreneur his idea is worthless, he proves them wrong
nickb
I've seen a bit of Dragon's Den. My observations, unlike VCs, these guys tend to be absolutely direct and say what they think about the idea and the ability of the founders. I've found that they tend to look for either business experience or real traction like revenue and profits. So the show isn't web 2.0 compliant.
Never let anyone persuade you your product is useless until you prove its usefulness in the market!
1
20
2007-08-14 16:50:26 UTC
42,267
42,224
donna
The Complete Web 2.0 directory (broadband preferred)
Keios
I dislike the UI. It's sluggish and difficult to read. A list choice would be my preference. It does remind me of the million dollar home page.
A comprehensive collection which seems to be updated often.
0
2
2007-08-14 16:52:35 UTC
42,269
42,239
snorkel
TV show panel full of experts tells entrepreneur his idea is worthless, he proves them wrong
nickb
"Reality" contest TV shows are anything but objective to begin with. The judges are purposely overblown so the audience will react to the judges. The contestants are selected according to personality, also for audience reaction. It's about making good television, not good inventions.
Never let anyone persuade you your product is useless until you prove its usefulness in the market!
2
20
2007-08-14 16:54:03 UTC
42,271
41,815
sethg
The Entrepreneurial Attitude
palish
We have a florist's shop a block away from our house, and another one farther down the street. A year or two ago, a Kabloom opened up on the same block as the local florist. The florist was pissed, partly because the Kabloom franchisee had gotten a grant from a quasi-public agency that promotes business development in our neighborhood.I don't know if the local florist has gotten more or less business since Kabloom showed up, but she's still in business.
My girlfriend works at a little coffee shop called "It's a Grind". Recently a Starbucks moved in right across the street. The owner, John, tacked a letter up on the wall. I thought it was so great and inspiring that I took a picture and decided to share it. Here it is:====To: TEAM GRINDFrom: JohnGuys,We have had a lot of questions from customers and friends about Starbucks going in across the street. Here are some things you might share with customers, assuming that you agree with them:1) Starbucks WILL be competition. Will Starbucks get some of our business? -yes. Will we get some of their business? -YES. Our drinks taste better than theirs, our store is nicer and more comfortable and our staff is more friendly. I get a lot of positive comments about our staff-it's doubtful that Starbucks does. These things will keep us competitive in spite of Starbucks brand recognition. An important thing to remember is that many people relate to locally owned businesses. Large international companies like Starbucks have the bottom line (stock price) first in mind and a lot of people don't relate to that.2) We are doing well with speed of service at the drive-thru. This is important because Starbucks is good at that. We need to make sure we keep it up and maybe get a little better.3) Our regulars will stay with us-we have a great core of regular customers that know us and this is important. Our core of customers will grow as the area grows.4) Food-this will be key in differentiating us from Starbucks. We are in the process of getting our menu set up. This will be in place before the end of the month.5) Every business that I've ever been involved with is competitive-that's the way life is. People who put their tails between their legs and pout never succeed. People with positive attitudes that stay focused almost always succeed.6) We will not only succeed but we will be thriving 2 years from now. That's because we have a great crew, a superior product and competitive prices. If somebody comes in whining-"You can't compete with Starbucks"-that's baloney and they have a loser attitude. Keep your chin up and don't be afraid of competition!John====One reason this is so great is because John is in his mid-50's. Even at that age, he still has a startup mentality.Another thing I like is he's rolling out new tactics and trying new things.Don't be afraid of the competition guys! Get things out there and make them work.
3
26
2007-08-14 17:00:14 UTC
42,273
42,222
pepeto
Luck and the entrepreneur, part 1: The four kinds of luck
eposts
I like pmarca. Luck is not why he is who he is. Here I thought I had about luck few days ago: http://www.entrepreneur2be.com/2007/07/20/what-luck-really-i...
null
1
43
2007-08-14 17:04:58 UTC
42,274
42,222
donna
Luck and the entrepreneur, part 1: The four kinds of luck
eposts
Another consideration is to creatively use Astrology -- language of stars and psyche to explain the mysteries of one's own life as opposed to luck. Jung describe this as the first form of psychology. (Visionary Activist Astrology by Caroline Casey http://www.amazon.com)
null
3
43
2007-08-14 17:04:59 UTC
42,277
42,276
epi0Bauqu
Group-O-Matic (My Startup Launch!)
epi0Bauqu
I am launching my startup today. All comments/questions/feedback, however harsh/cynical/insightful, will be greatly appreciated. Short version: free site to help people form local groups for regular events. Even shorter version: free alternative to meetup.com. There has not been a private or public beta. Group-O-Matic has been released with a minimum feature set I thought would be useful. I'm coding message boards right now, to be released shortly.
I am launching my startup today. All comments/questions/feedback, however harsh/cynical/insightful, will be greatly appreciated. Short version: free site to help people form local groups for regular events. Even shorter version: free alternative to meetup.com. There has not been a private or public beta. Group-O-Matic has been released with a minimum feature set I thought would be useful. I'm coding message boards right now, to be released shortly.
4
15
2007-08-14 17:15:08 UTC
42,280
42,179
donna
The User Is Priority #1
rwalker
Seems to me, great service to the customer is everyone's first priority. The advantage a start-up has over a large company is their ability to have more intimate time with their customers. Once a company grows over 25 people, meeting with each other inside the company to discuss the customer seems to become more important then meeting directly with their customers.
null
0
3
2007-08-14 17:17:26 UTC
42,285
42,270
donna
Depression as a Function of Procrastination
pepeto
Depression is repressed and suppressed emotion. My suggestion is to try another form of creativity other than hacking; e.g. poetry, painting.. building an alter... do something different to shift and release the energy that has become paralyzing and anesthetizing. It may reveal the block.
null
0
1
2007-08-14 17:29:41 UTC
42,287
42,276
epi0Bauqu
Group-O-Matic (My Startup Launch!)
epi0Bauqu
To anyone near King of Prussia, PA, I created an Internet Startup Hackathon Club: http://www.groupomatic.com/haqsm3vj
I am launching my startup today. All comments/questions/feedback, however harsh/cynical/insightful, will be greatly appreciated. Short version: free site to help people form local groups for regular events. Even shorter version: free alternative to meetup.com. There has not been a private or public beta. Group-O-Matic has been released with a minimum feature set I thought would be useful. I'm coding message boards right now, to be released shortly.
3
15
2007-08-14 17:30:06 UTC
42,288
42,238
palish
On Pricing Strategy
rrival
It might work if you pick out a price you think you'd pay for it, mark it up by 100%, and slowly decrease it over time.
I'm working on a business model that requires charging something for a web-based service (not consulting/nothing hourly). I've never known where to begin the process of arriving at the 'right' price. Clearly, there are marketing/customer perception implications to:1) providing something on a free trial basis initially 2) increasing the cost of a service later 3) charging too little and being deemed insignificant "How could $5/month give me that much value?" 4) charging too much and being seen as a ripoff, leaving room for others to step in. I know it's easy enough to arrive at or at least be aware of a market price (median/average) if there's enough competition in the space to do a back-of-napkin statistical analysis. I'm not sure how that carries over into concepts with a 'first mover' advantage, or markets where competition is light.I know there must be theory relevant to this (probably volumes). Can anyone recommend a place to start? How have you dealt with pricing your startup's services?
7
7
2007-08-14 17:30:28 UTC
42,289
42,276
tyohn
Group-O-Matic (My Startup Launch!)
epi0Bauqu
I like it. It's fairly clean and simple. Did you consider making it more Web 2.0ish? I am guessing that you'll add more search features ~ like search via activity or suchlike? When you click on location maybe open a new window so I don't have to use my back button. I think it would be cool to use Google's Maps API and have a "pin" where the groups are located. And one more thing ~ maybe a link to "learn more" and then give details about Group-O-Matic.
I am launching my startup today. All comments/questions/feedback, however harsh/cynical/insightful, will be greatly appreciated. Short version: free site to help people form local groups for regular events. Even shorter version: free alternative to meetup.com. There has not been a private or public beta. Group-O-Matic has been released with a minimum feature set I thought would be useful. I'm coding message boards right now, to be released shortly.
1
15
2007-08-14 17:32:27 UTC
42,290
42,283
pepeto
Dumb But Profitable. 10 Million Dollar Ideas That Shouldn't Have Worked
nickb
I love the doggles one. Milliondollarhomepage is actually not stupid, its smart and it didn't come by luck it was all planned out.
null
2
11
2007-08-14 17:33:49 UTC
42,293
42,246
zach
Google Health coming tomorrow: Electronic Medical Records (EMR) for everyone?
ratsbane
Bosworth's a tremendously smart guy. The "Health URL" concept is a winner. Healthcare needs Google, but are they ready for it? It's going to be a very interesting story.
null
0
8
2007-08-14 17:41:08 UTC