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staunch
2007-03-26T07:21:37
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How about people with no university education?
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BitGeek
2007-03-26T07:22:06
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So, is the claimed "early 20s" requirement also false? <p>I know its a theme, but I didn't think it was a requirement.
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BitGeek
2007-03-26T07:22:43
Top 11 reasons *not* to move to the Bay Area.
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[ 6307, 6483, 6358, 6461, 6566, 6419, 6444 ]
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staunch
2007-03-26T07:25:13
null
To clarify, that was a popup to subscribe for email delivery of an RSS feed via Feedburner. I suppose they put the CAPTCHA in place in hopes of lowering the ability to abuse that feature for flooding.<p>
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lmuwanga
2007-03-26T07:26:11
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I live in a small town called Golden in Colorado. I will be moving to the Bay area this summer. I don't think you have to live there to start something brilliant, but there are some great funding opportunities. I hope to go to Florence, Italy one day :)
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python_kiss
2007-03-26T07:27:37
Napoleonic Lessons for Google and Microsoft
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http://shuzak.com/Personal/Article.php?Article-Title=Napoleonic-Lessons-for-Google-and-Microsoft
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staunch
2007-03-26T07:30:21
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Currently Tokyo with "strong ties" to Southern and Northern California. No one else is here, right?
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BitGeek
2007-03-26T07:32:01
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Well, since I started, might as well get all the controversial opinions out now. :-) Remember, advice is limited experience + overgeneralization.<p>--<p>Building a startup is about leverage. Leverage is the ability to magnify your efforts. The bay area reduces your leverage. Especially compared to somewhere like Seattle, or Portland, or Boulder, or Salt Lake City, etc.<p>11. Everyone is rude. It's like living in New York or LA. The laid back california of the 70s is no more. Maybe Eureka or Weed or Barstow are good places, but the bay area is harsh. Some relish the challenge, others just want to be left alone so they can be productive. Being productive on your product increases leverage... <p>10. California looks so run down. This is because it is. The quality of life is declining rapidly. There's nowhere to go to escape urban sprawl-- not close anyway and getting there is hours in gridlock. Being unhappy decreases focus which decreases leverage.<p>9. The population density is so high, everyone is on prozac. (I'm not kidding.) Being depressed reduces leverage.<p>8. After spending 2 months there, I knew the business plans of 70+ companies in stealth mode. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing. Thus getting an edge on your competition is difficult, they may get your employees, and they do know your ideas. You have less leverage.<p>7. Every resource is in high demand, thus time spent finding real estate, finding equipment, is higher. The local and state government levels of regulation are very high, and thus time spent dealing with the burocrats is much higher. All these are distractions you don't need.<p>6. The availability of good startup quality employees is lower in the Bay Area. Because startups per capita is much higher there, there are more startups competing for the same employees. <p>5. Office rent is expensive, Gas is expensive, Taxes are high, everything you could want to buy costs more. Your burn rate is going to be much higher.<p>4. You can't find a place to live. Your employees can't either. Both you and your employees need more money to cover basic cost of living... your burn rate is much higher. <p>3. Being in the bay area means being on the VC treadmill. This is the opposite of working for yourself, you are working for the VCs, and unless you triple their money in three years, you get nothing. This forces bad decisions and much less leverage.<p>2. Long frustrating commutes reduce employee productivity and morale. They also reduce the length of the workday.<p>1. The state taxes capital gains like income! So, even if you win, you lose.<p> The upside... what rocks about the bay area:<p>10. Better S&M clubs. Much. Better.<p>9. You can fantasize about one day getting a boat and sailing out under the golden gate bridge.<p>8. Skinnier (but more expensive) women who want to date geeks.<p>7. More plastic surgery.<p>6. More networking events. <p>5. Better parties. <p>4. More founders to commisserate with when you're forced out of your company. <p>3. You can TP Arringtons house if he gives you a bad review, or doesn't invite you to a party, or says something particularly slimy about someone. Hell, just do it anyway.<p>2. A lot of the good conferences are there, and if they aren't, Las Vegas is closer than to other cities.<p>And the number one good thing about the bay area:<p>1. Well, at least its not Los Angeles!<p>
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lmuwanga
2007-03-26T07:32:47
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It's not deception. The great thing about start-ups is that we determine the company culture. With mine I'd like employees to enjoy more autonomy than in corporate where it's laid back and everyone has a voice for the direction of the company.
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sf2007
2007-03-26T07:34:37
null
He referred to EBay as "not a technology" company, because they don't have many technical people in management. Just because Facebook has technical people in management, doesn't make it a "technology company" either. At least, not yet. Facebook is a great social networking site but certainy not a technology company. My examples of technology companies include Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Sun, BEA etc.
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sf2007
2007-03-26T07:37:40
Bias against older people?
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staunch
2007-03-26T07:38:45
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It's my perception that less spectacular versions are repeated frequently. Every time I see a story about a new investment followed by an announcement of a new CEO I have to wonder.<p>Gray Haired Suits and Hackers aren't exactly a match made in heaven. Few VCs seems truly comfortable with young technical people running the show. I'll admit that most of the time that might be because the founder lacks the confidence-inspiring "assertiveness" of people like Zuckerberg.
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davidw
2007-03-26T07:39:27
null
My guess is that the Y combinator partners evaluate each team themselves, rather than having an Arc program do it. So while they may have an average they gravitate towards, they probably would be willing to consider teams outside of that if they're impressed. Being a team does seem to be one of the 'rules' that they aren't as flexible about.
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staunch
2007-03-26T07:42:26
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pg
2007-03-26T07:43:25
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This must be what Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia meant when he complained in <i>Founders at Work</i> that DFJ had claimed they'd invented his idea.
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sf2007
2007-03-26T07:47:40
null
I think all my life I've been trying to figure out what I love to do and even though I liked technology, I was never convinced that I loved it. Now I'm 32, but my resume is w/o any startup experience/personal ventures. At the same time, I strongly feel like I want to start a start-up (yes, I'm aware that many fail and that I have to support my wife).<p>Assuming I come up with a convincing idea/prototype and a co-founder, what are my chances of getting funding from Y Combinator? Will there be a bias against me because:<p>(negatives) 1. I'm 32 2. My experience is no start-up experience 3. My experience has mostly been in enterprise s/w, which according to PG is not software :)<p>(positives) 1. Determined 2. Reasonably smart :) 3. Willing to risk my career/lifestyle<p>I would love to get Y Combinator funding because, it will give me the connections and credibility I need for VC funding. <p>I know that eventually it depends all on my idea/prototype/team, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Startup school did nothing but deepened my fear that 30s are not so welcome. At least not the ones who haven't done anything significant in their lives before.<p>Is it too late guys?
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vegai
2007-03-26T07:48:20
null
<i>shudder</i><p>I just don't get people who use segway without trying to make a joke. Is walking so hard?
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pg
2007-03-26T07:48:40
null
Yes, we've funded people who've never been to college, along with a large number who didn't finish.
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pg
2007-03-26T07:50:05
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Yes; we've had several people in their 30s. We get a lot of people in their early 20s, but that's probably just because more of them are starting startups.
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BitGeek
2007-03-26T07:55:32
null
Google-- they did, and they also seemed to take their time doing it...<p><i>"No intelligent investor would create a situation in which the founders had no incentive to succeed. They want founder's interests to be aligned with theirs."</i><p>I responded to this, but its been said, and better: <i>"As things currently work, their attitudes toward risk tend to be diametrically opposed: the founders, who have nothing, would prefer a 100% chance of $1 million to a 20% chance of $10 million, while the VCs can afford to be "rational" and prefer the latter."</i> <a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/vcsqueeze.html">http://www.paulgraham.com/vcsqueeze.html</a><p><i>"VC money can force you to move at breakneck speed"</i><p>You cannot predict the future- you cannot predict the level of success you will have in advance. Thus, signing agreements that put a ticking clock on your business is never a good thing. You can work at "breakneck speed" anyway, without increasing the risk of breaking your neck. <p>There is a fundamental limit to how fast you can go. Google was able to take their time and was fortunate in that regard. Netscape killed themselves with their speed. In fact, this forced breakneck speed is one of the killers of startups -- all the billions that were burned up in the space of 2 years between 2000-2001... much of that money, if spent more wisely, would have resulted in viable businesses in 2003.<p><i>"I think you might be interested in building more of a "lifestyle" business than what most people would define as a startup. "</i><p>I'm not sure what you mean by a "lifestyle" business. I consider the word "startup" to apply to any business. But since I am building a high tech startup that is a web based platform, I'm not taking the relaxed approach of someone opening a hair salon, or whatever. <p>I'm looking to increase leverage, growth rate, and viability. <p>In looking for a citation, I cam across the Paul Graham essay cited above- which I think makes the same essential point I'm trying to make. (So I'm sure I'm plagerizing him to some extent, mixed with my own experiences and stated less eloquently.)<p>In summary, many costs are now lower, thus leverage has increased, and so VC funds under traditional terms, are less desirable and less needed.
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BitGeek
2007-03-26T08:04:39
null
You won't be too far from what I expect will be <i>the</i> startup location of the next decade: Bratislava, Slovakia. <p>Why?<p>-- Pro government business.<p>-- Massive investment in infrastructure from european businesses moving manufacturing there<p>-- highly educated and motivated workforce<p>-- low costs<p>-- relatively centrally located, and close to Austria, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland banking centers.<p>-- Low tax rates and regulation rates.<p>I'm sure some of the other eastern european countries are contenders, and might be better... but innovation is going to start concentrating in eastern europe, as they join the EU, the entrepreneurs will move to get less burdensome regulation while staying in the EU.<p>The US will probably retain some advantages, but we're making it harder and harder for people to come to the US to live and work. <p>
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BitGeek
2007-03-26T08:06:48
null
I know, just trying to spread the word...
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ecuzzillo
2007-03-26T08:07:40
null
I doubt it. Most evidence from people of various ages seems to indicate that your all-nighter capacity (a proxy for general age-variant startup capacity) only seriously falls off after late-30's early-40's, not early-30s. <p>By the way, the light-gray-on-white font in the comment field bugs me.
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BitGeek
2007-03-26T08:16:40
null
You shouldn't be asking. Suppose YC had an official "don't trust nobody over 30" policy. Would that stop you? <p>Build it on the nights and weekends. If you need to keep your day job, do so. If you've never run a business before, start at least a small one. You don't have to go whole hog in a bet the farm type situation... if your wife stays at home, a small home base business might just be the ticket (software or not...) The reason I advise this is a business, any business, will put you thru the business school of hard knocks... and it might be easier to learn those lessons on a venture that has a lower risk of failure rate. <p>Despite the admonition against single founder businesses, there's nothing to stop you from building something on your own. Don't wait for a co founder to show up (or build the lower risk business while you're waiting.) <p>I think finding a cofounder is like finding a wife- you can't order one thru the mail. <p>Your deterimination is a bigger factor than any of the pluses or negative you listed (well, and you can program.) <p>For what its worth, I'm 38, have been working for startups since 1991, started my first company (and online service that was also a franchise) in 1994, and sold it in 1997. That was my MBA. And for a programmer, dealmaking may seem weird or too "social"... but doing it helps you develop a taste for it, and doing it in any form makes it easier. <p>So you absolutely, positively should start a business, any business. I think you might be too late for YC this summer, so finish the year with a working prototype of a product... I'm sure that helps in your application for the next round of YC. But if not that, start something.
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staunch
2007-03-26T08:17:01
null
<i>"Is it too late guys?"</i><p>That's not a very "founder-y" type question. If you're relying on external approval and motivation you're going to have a hard time shouldering a startup. Fierce determination means not letting anything (including age or "rules") stop you. Joe Kraus is fond of saying: "The beginning of the discussion is when someone says 'no' -- that's where the fun begins."<p>Why don't you save up, build your startup prototype, get users loving it, and THEN give YC or a VC a call. There's nothing like hard evidence you have a clue to get someone's attention.<p>I'll be a bit harsh and suggest you might just be searching for an excuse why you can't do it.<p>By the way: PG and co. were around 30 when they did Viaweb.
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staunch
2007-03-26T08:20:23
John Battelle's Searchblog: A Few Questions For Joe Kraus
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http://battellemedia.com/archives/003296.php
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lee
2007-03-26T08:25:04
null
Gee, hope not. It's 4:13 am and I'm just finishing up for the day. I'm 45 and my team is applying. I've worked for a ton of startups and have started a couple of my own. Both my parents had great capacity to outlast their age-peers and function without sleep, so I think there's a genetic aspect to this ability. I don't believe that the ability to stay up late should be the main criterion for choosing worthy startup material. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
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chris_l
2007-03-26T08:25:47
null
I'm located in Munich, Germany working on a search application using Common Lisp.
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staunch
2007-03-26T08:29:08
null
I recall reading something (weak I know) about cell regeneration in young people being so much higher that they actually <i>require</i> more sleep.<p>I'm curious: Do you even require the massive doses of caffeine?
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RyanGWU82
2007-03-26T08:32:48
null
And paying attention to Y Combinator.
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staunch
2007-03-26T08:34:23
null
One of the best programmers I've ever met dropped out of high school (I believe he eventually got a GED). Now he's Director (but never stopped programming) of an entire department with a handful of CS PhDs under him.<p>Do you do background checks for criminal history or education? Are there any fixed requirements like this?<p>(Sorry for not asking all of this in my first post)
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whacked_new
2007-03-26T08:35:53
null
Point about cell regeneration is interesting. Do you recall the age group in question?
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techcore
2007-03-26T08:44:23
Offline access to web apps - the real benefits
null
http://franticindustries.com/blog/2007/03/26/offline-access-to-web-apps-the-real-benefits/
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staunch
2007-03-26T08:45:37
null
I said it was weak :-) I'll admit I have nothing to cite and recall little beyond the basic concept. Could be total bull, but certainly makes sense to someone who doesn't know much about the science behind the idea.<p>My totally useless guess is that as a baby you'd need the most sleep, and around early 20's things would start reversing the other direction. That seems like a pattern in other body functions.<p>Anyone less ignorant have some real information?
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rajamohan
2007-03-26T08:51:22
null
Network is not the network in computer scince it is the people who connects and share the knowledge or atleast assert your idea. It is not possible to all that they just talk to everybody or they are very few frens but they are brilliant in creating the products, for such people VC funding and getting into their network is more usefull. And doing so you can get the pulse/need of the people and your ideas sharpens and you know you need to close the doors.
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staunch
2007-03-26T09:01:51
null
Google didn't take time doing anything. They spent millions on building out datacenters and on bandwidth. <p>The big thing that separates them from the Netscape story is that they're apparently smarter and managed to create a financially successful company. Its quite conceivable that lesser men would have given us Netscape #2.<p><i>"You cannot predict the future- you cannot predict the level of success you will have in advance."</i><p>But being forced to try things more quickly than you might otherwise may help you discover problems and their solutions before others do, like a fast forward button. If you have a company that can genuinely absorb capital it seems to work just fine.<p><i>"...prefer a 100% chance of $1 million to a 20% chance of $10 million, while the VCs can afford to be "rational" and prefer the latter"</i><p>In that scenario there's still great motivation for the founders to work hard. In the scenario you presented (no money left for founders) that is not the case.<p>Why didn't you just post a link to VC Squeeze essay if that's all you wanted to say? You're saying some different things and saying other things differently.
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RyanGWU82
2007-03-26T09:55:44
null
Was that the textbook implementation <i>before</i> he did it? I mean, it's been 30 years...<p>And even if that was the standard design, was there something uniquely impressive about his execution? i.e. different architecture, unusually limited hardware resources, etc. Remember, ideas are a dime a dozen, execution is everything.<p>And just the fact that he stumbled onto the textbook design without knowing what he was doing, that's somewhat impressive too.<p>I'm not totally trying to defend Woz -- he has tended to make some exaggerations lately -- I just figure we should be asking the right questions...
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danielha
2007-03-26T10:20:20
Popuri: Lots of Stats For Any Site
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http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/26/lots-of-stats-for-any-site/
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[ 6346, 6411, 6350 ]
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danielha
2007-03-26T10:25:56
Ringside Startup (Launching a startup with donations)
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http://ringsidestartup.com/
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danielha
2007-03-26T10:30:52
Ustream.tv: A network of justin.tv knockoffs without the tech
null
http://www.ustream.tv/
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2
[ 6361, 6379 ]
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danielha
2007-03-26T10:35:41
ConceptShare | Web-Based Idea and Design Sharing and Collaboration
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http://www.conceptshare.com/#
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ecuzzillo
2007-03-26T10:39:44
null
Some positions can't involve non-a people. You couldn't hire someone with world-conquering drive to be your 1000th recruiter at Podunksville University, Delaware.
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rwalker
2007-03-26T10:41:34
null
Sorry about that. It should be fixed now.
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drop19
2007-03-26T11:26:12
null
I'm only thinking in terms of what's possible. Can I build something like that without continuations? What's what I'm wondering.
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nostrademons
2007-03-26T12:59:34
null
Oh, I'm commenting on how it's interesting that he stumbled onto the standard architecture independently, managing to reinvent 15 years or so of theory (at the time) on his own. Not trying to trivialize his accomplishment at all.
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staunch
2007-03-26T13:07:50
Another TechCrunch Hit for Justin: Build Your Own Justin.tv With Ustream
null
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/26/build-your-own-justintv-with-ustream
7
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[ 6384 ]
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staunch
2007-03-26T13:11:56
null
Something went wrong, the URL is now:<p><a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/25/lots-of-stats-for-any-site/">http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/25/lots-of-stats-for-any-site/</a><p>I'm thinking Arrington back-dated that post for some reason?<p>
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nostrademons
2007-03-26T13:12:18
null
"No intelligent investor would create a situation in which the founders had no incentive to succeed. They want founder's interests to be aligned with theirs."<p>That's not necessarily true. VCs want <i>management's</i> interests to be aligned with theirs. However, there's no particular reason for them to care whether management consists of founders or VC cronies, and most would probably prefer the cronies.<p>I've worked for startups where VCs liked the technology, liked the market positioning, but weren't particularly fond of the founding team. So they invest their money, and at the first sign of trouble, force the founders out. They ended up losing the auction for the company's IP (one of the founders bid on it through an employee proxy and took it to China), but that's not to say they didn't try...<p>I suspect this happens more often than entrepreneurs would like to think. It's the same VC that was featured on an essay here by a certain prominent Lisp hacker...
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nostrademons
2007-03-26T13:13:48
null
Greylock did almost exactly the same thing to a company I once worked at.
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python_kiss
2007-03-26T13:17:57
null
RWW refers to Read/WriteWeb (Richard's blog). I haven't read the article BitGeek is referring to but I am guessing, like most posts on R/WW, it was written by a guest author.
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techcore
2007-03-26T13:40:40
null
There's also something wrong with the actual site, popuri.us. It's dying from the TechCrunch effect.
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c1sc0
2007-03-26T13:47:30
Is it a good idea to send in multiple submissions?
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amichail
2007-03-26T13:47:58
Ruthless enough for a startup? "...these startups did things that I probably would not have been willing to do."
null
http://glinden.blogspot.com/2006/11/ruthless-enough-for-startup.html
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rjb
2007-03-26T13:51:42
null
Why ASAP? I am thinking of relocating from Chicago to either Portland, San Francisco, or Seattle. I had been leaning towards Portland, for no particular reason. I'd love to hear your thoughts on why you want to leave Portland.
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volida
2007-03-26T14:02:37
null
why is this so surprising? and why considered ruthless?<p>it's not random that the richest companies in the world are those involved in telecommunications and transportation. People live to communicate.
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davidw
2007-03-26T14:19:26
null
Perhaps the curiosity is about the "dirty tricks" department.<p>Companies here in Italy are all about dirty tricks, for instance - I don't think anyone would believe an entrepreneur here if he said he was completely clean. That's why a lot of the country voted for Berlusconi even if he was accused of various nefarious dealings.<p>Sorry, that's going rapidly off topic... perhaps what's most interesting to people is wondering how much they have to be ready to do to make a go of things.<p>For instance, PG talks about adding fake workstations in their offices, in his founders at work interview. That's pretty innocuous, and certainly not illegal. Some of the things mentioned in this link though, are of dubious morality, and I can understand not wanting to go that far to win.
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brlewis
2007-03-26T14:29:55
null
What is it about youtube's one-click emailing feature that put it in the same list as myspace spamming 10M addresses?
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volida
2007-03-26T14:37:23
null
even campionato sufferred from this 'dirty tricks'! I wasn't really surprised when I heard about it..everybody knew it I guess...<p>..i mean all these are common secrets nobody wants to talk about..<p>maybe in his examples these 'dirty secrets' are more obvious but come on everybody knows that they occur and what triggers the boost of the acceptance of technology... <p>...kissing for instance in cinema movies was unacceptable 4-5 decades ago...in 10 years what may come us a surpise today that may have caused torrent or youtube's broad initial use, as the writer implies, will be so innocent unfortunately or not, that people will be surprised to hear that it actually helped these services to take off..<p>i suppose this is more like a society problem or truth that is in the nature of humans.<p>even the "reason" for Trojan war was a beautiful woman. But today, now that barriers and nations are a reality, wars for dominance had to move into a new field, and hopefully or not, internet came along...<p>this web 2.0 startup wave, is more a part of a new revolution, thats why is not a bubble...
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larrykubin
2007-03-26T14:52:46
null
Very nice post. After attending startup school I found myself wanting to move for the first time since living in Austin. Then I thought about how much cheaper I could live in Austin while working on the startup. Of your reasons _to_ move to the Bay Area, I am most attracted to 2 and 6. I think there is probably a right time to make the move though.
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domp
2007-03-26T14:53:57
null
Do you mean sending in the same application with updates? Or are you talking about sending in two separate ideas on different accounts?<p>I'm assuming that if they like your initial idea that they would keep tabs on the newer updated versions of your application.<p>If you have other ideas I'd say that it could only benefit you to send in more than one.
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r3v3r3nd
2007-03-26T14:59:42
Failure To Launch: Why Every Startup Should Have A Blog
null
http://onstartups.com/home/tabid/3339/bid/96/Failure-To-Launch-Why-Every-Startup-Should-Have-A-Blog.aspx
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domp
2007-03-26T15:04:28
null
They should get some big players to wear cameras around. Have a featured promotion like 'The Day in the Life of..' to boost their traffic. I'd love to see a day in the life of a semi-popular person(All I can think of is a musician). Okay, this is probably an obvious idea.
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stephenrb
2007-03-26T15:04:35
An Alternative to Basecamp?
null
http://goplan.info/
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amichail
2007-03-26T15:05:00
Do you need to worry about IP issues with respect to people testing your service and giving you suggestions? They might be doing so while at work for example.
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amichail
2007-03-26T15:06:20
null
If the testing and suggestions are extensive, their employer might argue that they have some claim to the IP for your startup.
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story
Readmore
2007-03-26T15:09:17
How not to give your software away for free.
null
http://onstartups.com/home/tabid/3339/bid/1328/7-Simple-Insights-On-How-Not-To-Give-Your-Software-Away-For-Free.aspx
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Elfan
2007-03-26T15:31:31
null
Wasn't there someone in the back with a professional looking camera?
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comment
nostrademons
2007-03-26T15:36:41
null
"Facebook is all about innovation, I think they purposefully avoid old ideas."<p>Are they, really?<p>The only new idea I've seen come out of FaceBook is tagging photos by drawing boxes around the people. Other than that, they're your basic database-backed social networking app. There's very little new there: LiveJournal/Flickr/Friendster/MySpace did it all before.<p>Google innovates. Thinkature innovates. Justin.tv (much as I think their community is heading for disaster) innovates. FaceBook seems to have positioning going for them, but they do fairly little technical stuff that can't be done by a hobbyist programmer in college. Which seems to be what most of their hires are...
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c1sc0
2007-03-26T15:36:52
null
No, 3 separate applications on separate accounts.<p>I'm already in the launching phase of one of my ideas. While developing it I discovered 2 more ideas & found people who believe in them. We spent last weekend writing the 3 more applications and are working on mockups.<p>One the one hand I want to keep my focus, but on the other hand I believe each of these three are valuable.
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amichail
2007-03-26T15:44:15
How to Improve It? Ask Those Who Use It
null
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/business/yourmoney/25Proto.html?ex=1332475200&en=df8ce55e08b17022&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
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Readmore
2007-03-26T15:45:07
null
It's interesting that you can take a look at their code to see how they pull of the synchro. Startup founders, start your photocopiers!
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comment
tommusic
2007-03-26T15:50:09
null
Seattle, baby.<p>Well... near Seattle, baby.
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comment
danw
2007-03-26T15:56:24
null
If your entire app relies on the api of a another company you should expect trouble. Not only can they cut you off at any point as has happened to statsaholic but you'll be less reliable. You'll be affected by your own downtime as well as the api providers. I saw this happen the other day when last.fm released a new beta that included flickr integration. At the exact time that they made the announcement the flickr search servers went down for a few hours. Luckily they'd designed the pages to degrade gracefully and still work without flickr being up.<p>Luckily if your a small startup you can adapt quickly and find another way :)
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naish
2007-03-26T16:05:46
null
I'm in London, Ontario. I'd be interested to hear what you're up to. Drop me a line: mdnaish at Google mail.
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story
jkopelman
2007-03-26T16:15:05
Xobni raises $4.26M to let you improve your email habits
null
http://www.venturebeat.com/wire/2007/03/26/xobni-raises-426m-to-let-you-improve-your-email-habits/
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python_kiss
2007-03-26T16:21:05
null
Congratulations to Xobni and Y Combinator!! Great job guys :)
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amichail
2007-03-26T16:22:40
"Impossible is Nothing"
null
http://youtube.com/watch?v=J7pok0TKDU8
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omarish
2007-03-26T16:28:02
null
how about the reddit founders? they say uva is the mit of the south, but even mit isn't an ivy.
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Readmore
2007-03-26T16:32:31
The Death of YouTube?
null
http://venturebeat.com/2007/03/22/roundup-apple-tv-a-hit-youtube-killer-google-ppa-wink-more/
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pg
2007-03-26T16:36:27
null
Justin.tv is going to be a network. So this isn't a network of knockoffs, just a knockoff.
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comment
jamongkad
2007-03-26T16:37:12
null
It's great to hear about that also. Very encouraging to hear that there are successful start ups beginning to gain traction out of the US.
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Alex3917
2007-03-26T16:39:30
null
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Alex3917
2007-03-26T16:41:54
null
I didn't see the speech, but my guess is that this has something to do with invention verse innovation.<p>Invention means to create new technology. Innovation means to recombine old technologies for a new purpose.<p>Technology companies invent. Technical companies innovate.<p>Advice: Don't be a technology company. Profits are a function of how much people want your product, not how much you spend on R&D. If you can make something people want for zero R&D, versus making something people want that requires a huge investment, the intelligent choice should be obvious.<p>This is the premise of Seth Godin's book Free Prize Inside. That is, you could spend 50 million dollars inventing a new cereal that will double sales if it succeeds (but will most likely fail), or you could double sales just by putting a free prize inside.
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goodgoblin
2007-03-26T16:52:03
null
Well, you can always fly to conferences and network there.<p>As for 6 - Thinking back to something Paul Graham said about how the number 6 startup hub should really not even be considered to be in the same league as the number 1 or 2, I wonder if there might be a non-geographic effect to be gained by all the startups who are NOT in the Valley joining virtual forces to be a counterweight to the SF-club.<p>I think there are likely alot of us, and the bar for our success is certainly lower than it is if you live in the SF-area. <p>Weird that there aren't any pure Startup conferences, at least that I know of. They all seem to be organized by the funders or by people who are out to make a buck on the conference itself. A conference organized by startups with their interests in mind i.e. no $1500 presentation fees, would potentially still attract investors/press/etc. without having to have the impreteur of some internet celebrity organizing it. Its almost like the word 'startup' itself has enough celebrity around it now to pull its own weight. <p>We should have it in some decidely non-startup hub, like Hartford CT or something...
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pg
2007-03-26T16:53:45
null
This is exactly why we nagged them incessantly to launch. Other people had to be working on it. But if you launch first, the latecomers are described as "justin.tv." People need a name to talk about something, and if you're doing something there's no name for, they just use the name of whoever was first.
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comment
rfrey
2007-03-26T17:01:59
null
Perhaps the lesson from this blog is that if you want to be a successful startup, you can't get on a moralistic high horse and tell people what they're allowed to see, say, or do. <p>This dude's definitions of "ruthless" stretch credulity. HotOrNot is ruthless because they allow people to engage in the very-human activity of scoping? Skype is ruthless because they take advantage of the net to remove a market? YouTube is ruthless because they trade in "soft porn"? (And the fact he calls YouTube content soft porn tells me he probably doesn't get cable.)<p>The sites that didn't apply some arbitrary filter of self righteousness to their content succeeded. Surprise! That's not ruthlessness, it's glorious, beautiful freedom. The fact that jokers like this continue to lament the passing of censor bureaus and Manuals of Acceptable Content should only reinforce how precious and incredible the net is.
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far33d
2007-03-26T17:06:54
null
Funny. I wouldn't include any of those on my list of innovative companies. So maybe technology is just an irrelevant term anyway. Let's say "technically innovative" instead.
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pg
2007-03-26T17:08:21
null
If we didn't allow people with criminal records, we would have had to exclude one of our own partners.
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comment
comatose_kid
2007-03-26T17:09:53
null
As a bay-area resident who moved here from Canada a few years back, I'd like to give my own view - my numbers correspond to your numbered points..<p>11. As you get closer to larger companies, people on the road tend to be more rude. I'm thinking of the San Jose/Milpitas area. I think most of those workers are unhappy to be treading off to their anonymous jobs :)<p>10. Disagree. If you live on the 101, I could see how you would feel that way, but try to drive around los gatos or saratoga and say that. No urban sprawl. Plus, 'quality of life' is such a nebulous term....for me, quality of life is improved just by the energy of this place and the diverse types of people it attracts.<p>9. I don't know anyone on prozac, and I'm not sure what that has to do with population density...<p>Speaking of population density/sprawl, I met this nice lady very recently who had just relocated from Paris. Having been lucky enough to visit there myself, I had to tell her how beautiful I thought her city was. She said that she was happy to leave, as the bay area was a "lot greener" (her words) and better for children.<p>8. You point should show anyone why the bay area is a great place. Where else would you know 70 founders?? And getting an edge on your competition doesn't necessarily involve secrecy....<p>7. Totally agree about having to find a home, etc. But the regulations are pretty minor from a biz standpoint relative to the benefits of doing business here. <p>6. Would you rather be a big fish in a small pond? If your startup has potential, you should not only be able to compete with other startups to hire, you will be able to pick from among the best people in the world.<p>5. Second order problems. Instead of looking at expenses, you should be looking at the place that allows your startup to have the most room to grow. If your primary concern is the cost of living, move to Thailand. Gorgeous beaches, your dollar goes incredibly far, and oh, the closest thing to a technology company there is the guy selling electronic keychains on the street...<p>4. I've been in the valley since 2000 - it's much easier to find a place here now than it was back then. And salaries aren't that much higher here than they are in other tech centers in the USA or even Canada.<p>3. Disagree. Since when is having more options a negative thing? If you don't need VC money, don't spend your time chasing it. But if you do, you'll have a much better chance getting it here. <p>Face it - if you need VC money, the treadmill exists regardless of which city your business is situated in - you'll just have an easier time getting on the treadmill if you're in the bay area.<p>2. Can't disagree with that...commutes certainly suck, and they're longer here than most places.<p>1. Agreed...which is why holding onto a stock for 1yr is good, but that's a different conversation...<p>
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far33d
2007-03-26T17:13:18
null
It's so sad. Until everyone learns the benefit of others using their APIs we're doomed to constant reinvention of the wheel.
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comment
danielha
2007-03-26T17:16:04
null
I'm starting to feel that the elusive, intangible rtm is but a legendary myth, like the griffin or the free lunch.
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marie
2007-03-26T17:19:27
null
Congratz cuys! Looking forward to the launch party!
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story
rakohn
2007-03-26T17:19:51
Heysan.com - Slideshow for your Phone Pics
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http://www.killerstartups.com/WebApplication/Heysan--Slideshow-your-Phone-Pics/
1
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comment
jamiequint
2007-03-26T17:22:44
null
after I saw this on Verizons TOS I checked out Sprint and didn't see any of the same restrictions, although I can totally see them harassing you for it.
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comment
mkull
2007-03-26T17:23:01
null
Hey Larry. Thanks for posting this. I could hear everything Paul said and that is good enough for me. <p>Do you have videos from any of the other lectures? If you do please post them, I am sure I (and everyone else who wasn't there) would be very appreciative
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story
dannymo2
2007-03-26T17:23:25
Small Business Week April 2007
null
http://www.sba.gov/sbw/
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comment
danielha
2007-03-26T17:24:41
null
Not if you don't credit them as part of the development. If I worked for BigCo.A and sent in customer feedback to SmallCo.B's new web startup, A has no claim in IP. If I'm just leaking inside info from A to B, that's another set of issues altogether.
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far33d
2007-03-26T17:26:15
null
And, it forces your not-quite-ready competitors to launch their not-quite-ready products on YOUR schedule.
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story
rakohn
2007-03-26T17:29:03
Flagr.com - Bookmark the Real World
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http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/Flagr--Bookmark-Real-World/
1
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story
rakohn
2007-03-26T17:31:40
Shoutfit.com - Friends and Trends
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http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/Shoutfit--Friends-Trends/
1
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