4 ms·

The (One-Sided) Anatomy Of A Startup Failure

13 points by alex_c 18y ago

olefoo 18y ago
Has there ever been a successful exit (repaid the investors) by a company that was founded with the direct participation of a 'social media superstar'? I can't think of any. I can think of several 'superstars' that got their launch from successful companies, but none the other way around. Big egos do not lead to good decisions.
- dmv 18y ago
  Depends on how specific "successful exit" is. Otherwise: http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2008/07/nowpublic-buys.html http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2008/07/nowpublic-buys.html (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=242417 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=242417)
dennykmiu 18y ago
Right after Scoble was hired, I was invited to a coming-out party organized by Podtech (in Mountain View). That was the first time that I heard Scoble speak in person and I remember telling myself that this had to be the beginning of the end for Podtech. This is not meant to be a negative on Scoble or John (who had a vision that involves Scoble). But I was thinking that if Podtech were to be a media company (which it wasn't until hiring Scoble and other "superstar") then not only does it need to be authentic (which Scoble certainly was and still is) but it had to be relevant as well (to its growing population of free subscribers and more importantly to its paid customers). I was not convinced that Scoble was "sustainably" relevant to increase listener base beyond a small niche (which is a big problem for a VC-backed startup since they expect huge payback). Soon after that I decided to unsubscribe Podtech altogether because a listener, I was confused. Podtech as a media company did not have a unique genre and the contents were all over the place (too much talents, may be, to put it mercifully).
jgamman 18y ago
never heard of it.
menloparkbum 18y ago
The commentary about PodTech reveals that everyone involved with the company is even more clueless than they realize. The lists completely miss the point. The reason PodTech failed is simply because they made something nobody wanted.

13 points by alex_c 18y ago

Has there ever been a successful exit (repaid the investors) by a company that was founded with the direct participation of a 'social media superstar'? I can't think of any. I can think of several 'superstars' that got their launch from successful companies, but none the other way around. Big egos do not lead to good decisions.

dmv 18y ago
Depends on how specific "successful exit" is. Otherwise: http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2008/07/nowpublic-buys.html http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2008/07/nowpublic-buys.html (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=242417 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=242417)

dennykmiu 18y ago

Right after Scoble was hired, I was invited to a coming-out party organized by Podtech (in Mountain View). That was the first time that I heard Scoble speak in person and I remember telling myself that this had to be the beginning of the end for Podtech. This is not meant to be a negative on Scoble or John (who had a vision that involves Scoble). But I was thinking that if Podtech were to be a media company (which it wasn't until hiring Scoble and other "superstar") then not only does it need to be authentic (which Scoble certainly was and still is) but it had to be relevant as well (to its growing population of free subscribers and more importantly to its paid customers). I was not convinced that Scoble was "sustainably" relevant to increase listener base beyond a small niche (which is a big problem for a VC-backed startup since they expect huge payback). Soon after that I decided to unsubscribe Podtech altogether because a listener, I was confused. Podtech as a media company did not have a unique genre and the contents were all over the place (too much talents, may be, to put it mercifully).

jgamman 18y ago

never heard of it.

menloparkbum 18y ago

The commentary about PodTech reveals that everyone involved with the company is even more clueless than they realize. The lists completely miss the point. The reason PodTech failed is simply because they made something nobody wanted.