4 ms·

I like how the article re-defines "startups" so that they can then claim that most small businesses aren't one unless they do X, Y, and Z. Last time I checked

I like how the article re-defines "startups" so that they can then claim that most small businesses aren't one unless they do X, Y, and Z. Last time I checked any new business was a "startup" since they were, you know, just starting up...

pytrin 14y ago
You are correct of course, I'm talking about the popular terming of startup as a funded business trying to become huge. I make this distinction at the beginning of the article.
- jeremyarussell 14y ago
  Title should be "Building and app does not make you a VC BACKED startup" Also I fail to see why in that first half of the article you are saying people that have done their small little app or company aren't entitled to the same title as someone who was able to get a hundred thousand dollars from a man to trade his ownership for money. Then you go on to say how you have made a startup, and guess what, that startup is selling you bits of code. If it's really about keeping people from reinventing the wheel, then give the wheel designs to everyone for free. If it's about selling code snippets to companies to turn a profit, best of luck to you. PS: At the end of the reading, I didn't really get exactly why a small app team isn't a startup because they don't have the money.
  - pytrin 14y ago
    I can reverse the same advice at you - just give your app away for free. What? you want to charge for it? We try to create an incentive for people to share code - we publish both free and commercial code components, and we leave the licensing decisions to the authors. Who are you to say everyone must give their code away for free? their work has no value if it's not free? I'm a big fan of free open-source (cause really, who doesn't like to get stuff for free), but you shouldn't deride people who decide to make a business out of it. In fact, I would argue that the code has more value from the application, since it can be used by others to create their own businesses. So why should it always be given away for free? Many successful commercial open-source companies are the forefront of the open-source ecosystem (redhat, MySQL, Magento). They support it as much as free open-source does, and you need both for good balance.
    - jeremyarussell 14y ago
      Oh lets keep this straight, I don't begrudge you for making money and my good luck wish was not sarcastic at all. Nor am I deriding you for trying to sell a service. Just saying if you want to make money that's cool, just don't sell it like you are doing someone a personal favor when you aren't. Don't make me out as one of the radical open sourcerors either. Many of the absolute best pieces of software are proprietary.
tptacek 14y ago
Like hacker/cracker, or open-source/free-software, or any of a myriad of other classic message board topics, "startup/small-biz" is a pointless rathole argument. It's easily avoidable by reading articles with an open mind and trying to grasp what the author means. In this case, the author's take on "startup" versus "small business" is fairly anodyne: he's not disparaging small app shops, and in fact is leveling a popular critique of VC startups. The bigger issue with this post is the extremely clumsy segue from talking about the mobile software market to talking about his own business. There's nothing wrong with promoting your business in a blog post --- why else write one? --- but the transition here sure was jarring.
- jeremyarussell 14y ago
  why else write one? -- To provide helpful informative information and/or a neatly compiled opinion that has hopefully been well thought out, going into detail as to why things are or why the author thinks this. Even to rant about things. Promoting a business doesn't really belong in an article that starts out philosophical. (hence the jarring sensation.)
  - larrys 14y ago
    Parent: "There's nothing wrong with promoting your business in a blog post --- why else write one?" You: "why else write one? -- To provide helpful informative information" And to promote yourself of course. Which is good for business. Even if that is not your intention. While many people prefer to comment anonymously on HN anecdotally I'm not aware of many bloggers that blog that way. (Even Fake Steve Jobs came out of the closet eventually).
    - jeremyarussell 14y ago
      There's nothing wrong with promoting yourself, just makes more sense to keep philosophy in a separate blog than your advertising. I was just answering the why else portion. Edit: Grammar
- pytrin 14y ago
rprasad 14y ago
I always assumed the difference between a "startup" and a "small business" was that the small business was trying to make money, whereas a startup might be, but usually was not, interested in profit.

pytrin 14y ago

You are correct of course, I'm talking about the popular terming of startup as a funded business trying to become huge. I make this distinction at the beginning of the article.

jeremyarussell 14y ago
Title should be "Building and app does not make you a VC BACKED startup" Also I fail to see why in that first half of the article you are saying people that have done their small little app or company aren't entitled to the same title as someone who was able to get a hundred thousand dollars from a man to trade his ownership for money. Then you go on to say how you have made a startup, and guess what, that startup is selling you bits of code. If it's really about keeping people from reinventing the wheel, then give the wheel designs to everyone for free. If it's about selling code snippets to companies to turn a profit, best of luck to you. PS: At the end of the reading, I didn't really get exactly why a small app team isn't a startup because they don't have the money.
- pytrin 14y ago
  I can reverse the same advice at you - just give your app away for free. What? you want to charge for it? We try to create an incentive for people to share code - we publish both free and commercial code components, and we leave the licensing decisions to the authors. Who are you to say everyone must give their code away for free? their work has no value if it's not free? I'm a big fan of free open-source (cause really, who doesn't like to get stuff for free), but you shouldn't deride people who decide to make a business out of it. In fact, I would argue that the code has more value from the application, since it can be used by others to create their own businesses. So why should it always be given away for free? Many successful commercial open-source companies are the forefront of the open-source ecosystem (redhat, MySQL, Magento). They support it as much as free open-source does, and you need both for good balance.
  - jeremyarussell 14y ago
    Oh lets keep this straight, I don't begrudge you for making money and my good luck wish was not sarcastic at all. Nor am I deriding you for trying to sell a service. Just saying if you want to make money that's cool, just don't sell it like you are doing someone a personal favor when you aren't. Don't make me out as one of the radical open sourcerors either. Many of the absolute best pieces of software are proprietary.

tptacek 14y ago

Like hacker/cracker, or open-source/free-software, or any of a myriad of other classic message board topics, "startup/small-biz" is a pointless rathole argument. It's easily avoidable by reading articles with an open mind and trying to grasp what the author means. In this case, the author's take on "startup" versus "small business" is fairly anodyne: he's not disparaging small app shops, and in fact is leveling a popular critique of VC startups. The bigger issue with this post is the extremely clumsy segue from talking about the mobile software market to talking about his own business. There's nothing wrong with promoting your business in a blog post --- why else write one? --- but the transition here sure was jarring.

jeremyarussell 14y ago
why else write one? -- To provide helpful informative information and/or a neatly compiled opinion that has hopefully been well thought out, going into detail as to why things are or why the author thinks this. Even to rant about things. Promoting a business doesn't really belong in an article that starts out philosophical. (hence the jarring sensation.)
- larrys 14y ago
  Parent: "There's nothing wrong with promoting your business in a blog post --- why else write one?" You: "why else write one? -- To provide helpful informative information" And to promote yourself of course. Which is good for business. Even if that is not your intention. While many people prefer to comment anonymously on HN anecdotally I'm not aware of many bloggers that blog that way. (Even Fake Steve Jobs came out of the closet eventually).
  - jeremyarussell 14y ago
    There's nothing wrong with promoting yourself, just makes more sense to keep philosophy in a separate blog than your advertising. I was just answering the why else portion. Edit: Grammar
pytrin 14y ago

rprasad 14y ago

I always assumed the difference between a "startup" and a "small business" was that the small business was trying to make money, whereas a startup might be, but usually was not, interested in profit.