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I've always disliked Techcrunch but I'm starting to realize how valuable their "Cribs" series is. They have the very best documentation of a dying culture of sp

I've always disliked Techcrunch but I'm starting to realize how valuable their "Cribs" series is. They have the very best documentation of a dying culture of spoiled founders aimlessly running startups like a daycare for adults. I wonder how much longer people are going to be pulling this off for. Investors need to wise up and start giving their money to people who are mature enough to be modest and efficient with their company's resources before they've proven themselves as a business.

deleted 11y ago
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argonaut 11y ago
I seriously get the feeling people are just looking for any excuse to criticize Famous. I don't see what's wrong with their office. What's objectionable? A couple of $5 nerf guns? A cheap Lego board for project tracking? Or is it the fact that people aren't packed in as tight as they are at a place like Facebook (which is ironically something people on HN love to criticize)? The crappy makeshift studio they have? Seriously. Their office seems pretty normal. The only thing you might find objectionable is the expensive SF location, which the article notes they got on the cheap at below-market rates, or the printer (the printer is probably only 1-2 thousand dollars, less than a Macbook).
- 7Figures2Commas 11y ago
  Yeah, I don't see what's wrong either. The CEO is a fantastic interior designer. And his LinkedIn self-summary[1] is a real piece of art in its own right. I find it hard to believe any of what this former employee wrote[2]. [1] https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenewcomb https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenewcomb [2] http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/06/nopen-source/?fb_comment_id=1000213700000381_1000304419991309 http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/06/nopen-source/?fb_comment_id...
  - argonaut 11y ago
    A non sequitur. I said there's nothing wrong or particularly wasteful with the office. I didn't comment on the company at all (the company is clearly in the dumps).
    - 7Figures2Commas 11y ago
      > I said there's nothing wrong or particularly wasteful with the office. Just because you said there's nothing wrong or particularly wasteful with the office doesn't mean others agree. Outside of bubbleland, most people are going to struggle to understand why the CEO of a company that almost certainly doesn't have a cent of profit spent any time whatsoever thinking about how he could avoid "boring noise panels." "Why not make this a piece of art as well on the ceiling?" Really? When will folks learn[1]? [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9778832 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9778832
      - argonaut 11y ago
        And you know it was he who personally spent his time buying those noise panels (and not, say, the office manager) because...? My broader point is people are just trying to find any excuse to uncharitably interpret anything just so they can to crap on the company.
        7Figures2Commas 11y ago
        "One of the things I wanted to sort of like inspire people with that worked here is you always feel beautiful while you're here." Those are the words of the chief interior designer himself. Bottom line: this company crapped on itself. You're deluding yourself if you truly believe office managers are driving decisions to waste time and money on stupid sh*t like beautiful noise panels.
        argonaut 11y ago
        He doesn't actually say he bought the panels. In that sentence he's talking about something he thinks is a company value.
gnu8 11y ago
Do investors really need to 'wise up' as you say? It seems to me that they are quite tolerant of this type of thing, because it's cost effective in the end. They're searching for billion dollar unicorns, the diamonds in the rough, and they have to launch hundreds of startups to get them. That requires a lot of young engineers willing to work for ramen and stock options. The perks required to bait them are a modest expense in the grand scheme of things.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

argonaut 11y ago

I seriously get the feeling people are just looking for any excuse to criticize Famous. I don't see what's wrong with their office. What's objectionable? A couple of $5 nerf guns? A cheap Lego board for project tracking? Or is it the fact that people aren't packed in as tight as they are at a place like Facebook (which is ironically something people on HN love to criticize)? The crappy makeshift studio they have? Seriously. Their office seems pretty normal. The only thing you might find objectionable is the expensive SF location, which the article notes they got on the cheap at below-market rates, or the printer (the printer is probably only 1-2 thousand dollars, less than a Macbook).

7Figures2Commas 11y ago
Yeah, I don't see what's wrong either. The CEO is a fantastic interior designer. And his LinkedIn self-summary[1] is a real piece of art in its own right. I find it hard to believe any of what this former employee wrote[2]. [1] https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenewcomb https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenewcomb [2] http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/06/nopen-source/?fb_comment_id=1000213700000381_1000304419991309 http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/06/nopen-source/?fb_comment_id...
- argonaut 11y ago
  A non sequitur. I said there's nothing wrong or particularly wasteful with the office. I didn't comment on the company at all (the company is clearly in the dumps).
  - 7Figures2Commas 11y ago
    > I said there's nothing wrong or particularly wasteful with the office. Just because you said there's nothing wrong or particularly wasteful with the office doesn't mean others agree. Outside of bubbleland, most people are going to struggle to understand why the CEO of a company that almost certainly doesn't have a cent of profit spent any time whatsoever thinking about how he could avoid "boring noise panels." "Why not make this a piece of art as well on the ceiling?" Really? When will folks learn[1]? [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9778832 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9778832
    - argonaut 11y ago
      And you know it was he who personally spent his time buying those noise panels (and not, say, the office manager) because...? My broader point is people are just trying to find any excuse to uncharitably interpret anything just so they can to crap on the company.
      - 7Figures2Commas 11y ago
        "One of the things I wanted to sort of like inspire people with that worked here is you always feel beautiful while you're here." Those are the words of the chief interior designer himself. Bottom line: this company crapped on itself. You're deluding yourself if you truly believe office managers are driving decisions to waste time and money on stupid sh*t like beautiful noise panels.
        argonaut 11y ago
        He doesn't actually say he bought the panels. In that sentence he's talking about something he thinks is a company value.

gnu8 11y ago

Do investors really need to 'wise up' as you say? It seems to me that they are quite tolerant of this type of thing, because it's cost effective in the end. They're searching for billion dollar unicorns, the diamonds in the rough, and they have to launch hundreds of startups to get them. That requires a lot of young engineers willing to work for ramen and stock options. The perks required to bait them are a modest expense in the grand scheme of things.