4 ms·

Tristan Walker: two years ago, today.

103 points by sahillavingia 15y ago

carbocation 15y ago
Someone with this kind of tenacity seems to be a potentially great "non-technical" cofounder. (Not to be misread as a statement implying that he's a foursquare cofounder.)
- frankdenbow 15y ago
  Agreed. Much lip service is paid to "hustle" but very few actually have it in the way Tristan does.
- inmygarage 15y ago
  You should drop the "potentially." Anyone with the opportunity to work with and learn from Tristan should consider themselves extremely lucky. He's one of the most awesome, humble and driven people I know.
  - carbocation 15y ago
    Without "potentially," I'd be describing him as a great non-technical cofounder, which would only be true if he were a cofounder. I am sure that he is an actually, not potentially, great person. :-)
    - inmygarage 15y ago
      Excellent point.
- xiaoqmabg 15y ago
  welcometo: http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com The website wholesale for many kinds of fashion shoes, like the nike,jordan,prada,, also including the jeans,shirts,bags,hat and the decorations. All the products are free shipping, and the the price is competitive, and also can accept the paypal payment.,after the payment, can ship within short time. free shippingcompetitive priceany size availableaccept the paypal ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com ===== jordan shoes $32nike shox $32Christan Audigier bikini $23 Ed Hardy Bikini $23Smful short_t-shirt_woman $15ed hardy short_tank_woman $16Sandal $32christian loubo utin $80 Sunglass $15 COACH_Necklace $27handbag $33AF tank woman $17puma slipper woman $30 ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com ===== ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com ===== ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com ===== ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com ===== ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com =====
neoveller 15y ago
I can't help but imagine how the outcome may have been different had he not name-dropped "Stanford Business School".
- clemesha 15y ago
  Not trying to be snarky, but a huge benefit of going to a place like "Stanford Business School" is precisely the advantageous effects of "naming-dropping" you went there.
  - neoveller 15y ago
    Indeed, but it side-steps the parts where the blogger inflates the importance of being passionate and such. Anyone less fortunate in those terms in that point in life probably couldn't get away with it, even if it were still a great school (top-50). It goes along the same irony vein that results in so many people to using Mark Zuckerberg as an example of how/why dropping out of school can be better than staying in, all the while ignoring the fact that he was still at Harvard, far above and beyond the initial position of those re-purposing the example for themselves.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
- quickpost 15y ago
  > This was before they even had @foursquare.com email addresses (and well before our series A round). It sounds like it was pretty early on...
jayzee 15y ago
I am not sure I like people offering to work for free. Nor of founders taking people up on this offer. Also, I guess this explains why foursquare signs up so many seeming biz dev wins but still does not manage to generate revenue from any of these deals. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704076804576180841727743146.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870407680457618...
- harryh 15y ago
  Tristan worked for free for a really short period of time. He now makes a salary and has significant equity in the company (like all other full time employees at foursquare).
JustinHoffman 15y ago
No offense but this is really lame. foursquare is no big deal. I don't ever use it, don't know anyone who does. This is only a big deal if you are working at foursquare, which most people aren't.
jmtame 15y ago
awesome post Tristan. working for free makes perfect sense for a short period of time--you let cofounders get an opportunity to try you out risk-free. it's not "desperate" like some people think it is; it shows serious dedication and interest, and those are the type of people you want to attract. too many people feel entitled, where has the appreciation for hustle gone?
emplynx 15y ago
I got hired for my current internship in the same sort of way. I loved the company, and emailed one of the VPs telling him how much I wanted to work for him. Probably doesn't work every time, but it's worth a shot.

103 points by sahillavingia 15y ago

Someone with this kind of tenacity seems to be a potentially great "non-technical" cofounder. (Not to be misread as a statement implying that he's a foursquare cofounder.)

frankdenbow 15y ago
Agreed. Much lip service is paid to "hustle" but very few actually have it in the way Tristan does.
inmygarage 15y ago
You should drop the "potentially." Anyone with the opportunity to work with and learn from Tristan should consider themselves extremely lucky. He's one of the most awesome, humble and driven people I know.
- carbocation 15y ago
  Without "potentially," I'd be describing him as a great non-technical cofounder, which would only be true if he were a cofounder. I am sure that he is an actually, not potentially, great person. :-)
  - inmygarage 15y ago
    Excellent point.
xiaoqmabg 15y ago
welcometo: http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com The website wholesale for many kinds of fashion shoes, like the nike,jordan,prada,, also including the jeans,shirts,bags,hat and the decorations. All the products are free shipping, and the the price is competitive, and also can accept the paypal payment.,after the payment, can ship within short time. free shippingcompetitive priceany size availableaccept the paypal ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com ===== jordan shoes $32nike shox $32Christan Audigier bikini $23 Ed Hardy Bikini $23Smful short_t-shirt_woman $15ed hardy short_tank_woman $16Sandal $32christian loubo utin $80 Sunglass $15 COACH_Necklace $27handbag $33AF tank woman $17puma slipper woman $30 ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com ===== ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com ===== ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com ===== ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com ===== ===== http://www.fullmalls.com http://www.fullmalls.com =====

neoveller 15y ago

I can't help but imagine how the outcome may have been different had he not name-dropped "Stanford Business School".

clemesha 15y ago
Not trying to be snarky, but a huge benefit of going to a place like "Stanford Business School" is precisely the advantageous effects of "naming-dropping" you went there.
- neoveller 15y ago
  Indeed, but it side-steps the parts where the blogger inflates the importance of being passionate and such. Anyone less fortunate in those terms in that point in life probably couldn't get away with it, even if it were still a great school (top-50). It goes along the same irony vein that results in so many people to using Mark Zuckerberg as an example of how/why dropping out of school can be better than staying in, all the while ignoring the fact that he was still at Harvard, far above and beyond the initial position of those re-purposing the example for themselves.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

quickpost 15y ago
> This was before they even had @foursquare.com email addresses (and well before our series A round). It sounds like it was pretty early on...

jayzee 15y ago

I am not sure I like people offering to work for free. Nor of founders taking people up on this offer. Also, I guess this explains why foursquare signs up so many seeming biz dev wins but still does not manage to generate revenue from any of these deals. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704076804576180841727743146.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870407680457618...

harryh 15y ago
Tristan worked for free for a really short period of time. He now makes a salary and has significant equity in the company (like all other full time employees at foursquare).

JustinHoffman 15y ago

No offense but this is really lame. foursquare is no big deal. I don't ever use it, don't know anyone who does. This is only a big deal if you are working at foursquare, which most people aren't.

jmtame 15y ago

awesome post Tristan. working for free makes perfect sense for a short period of time--you let cofounders get an opportunity to try you out risk-free. it's not "desperate" like some people think it is; it shows serious dedication and interest, and those are the type of people you want to attract. too many people feel entitled, where has the appreciation for hustle gone?

emplynx 15y ago

I got hired for my current internship in the same sort of way. I loved the company, and emailed one of the VPs telling him how much I wanted to work for him. Probably doesn't work every time, but it's worth a shot.