Nice piece - jacquesm made an analogous point the other day in a nice write-up chiding founders of small companies for their sometimes pretentious use of office

Nice piece - jacquesm made an analogous point the other day in a nice write-up chiding founders of small companies for their sometimes pretentious use of officer titles, sparking a lively discussion (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1382657 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1382657 - "You Are Not the CEO"). At the height of the bubble, it became common wisdom that startups somehow were not real startups unless they distinguished themselves from small businesses by staking out a grand vision and promoting it relentlessly in their business plans, in their marketing materials, and in their company presentations. It was at that time that everybody and his uncle suddenly became a "leading provider" of this or that, even when the claim obviously lacked credibility. Such claims always sounded phony and, even if an occasional company eventually lived up to them, were almost sure to be discounted as empty and meaningless by the customers who counted. So it is refreshing to see a direct and sincere style aimed at early adopters as opposed to the large buyers who will tend to shy away from large commitments to unproven startups no matter how promising the products or services. One can be sincere without overdoing it, however, and too much emphasis on "three founders in a room" and the like is perhaps too casual.