4 ms·

That's sort of like saying "the depressing truth about relationships is that you need to go out and meet people to get involved in one." I take a lot of pride

by bdunn 14y ago

That's sort of like saying "the depressing truth about relationships is that you need to go out and meet people to get involved in one." I take a lot of pride in promoting my products. Marketing is just storytelling, and when your story aligns with the needs of someone else, a transaction occurs. Honestly, if you want to just write code all day (and there's nothing wrong with that) don't create a product - work for somebody else.

Deinos 14y ago
I couldn't agree more with this posting. I would take it a step beyond the story aligning with the needs of someone else and the transaction. If it is something you truly believe in, it becomes a story you enjoy telling over and over, regardless of the outcome. People enjoy spreading passion, and when you are spreading passion, it ceases to become marketing in the "traditional sense" of a self-serving corporate activity, and it just becomes the act of sharing interest and excitement.
fauigerzigerk 14y ago
That defeats the purpose. If I have a great idea for a product and I want to work on it, why would I go work for somebody else instead? A much better idea would be to join forces with a marketing guy or girl or hire one.
- orangethirty 14y ago
  Life is not so simple. A lot of people don't have the option to develop their ideas. That is why joining people who are building something similar ends up being a good option for them. They might not get the same financial benefit, but they may get other intangible benefits from it (pride, sense of accomplushment, experience). Saying that joining a marketing person or hiring one is not the recipe for building a business. Realize that a business is not solely its marketing, nor programming. You cannot just take a program and market it, and become rich. Not so easy. It takes a lot of hustle (which is not marketing), and luck.
  - fauigerzigerk 14y ago
    So are you saying that developers and marketing people should never start a startup together? Is that really too simple to be "life"? I don't believe that. Sure there are more entrepreneurial functions than product development and marketing. That doesn't preclude some division of responsibilities.
- drusenko 14y ago
  Doesn't this sound oddly like the often reviled "I have a great idea, now all I need is to hire a programmer!"
  - fauigerzigerk 14y ago
    I don't think so. If I have an idea _and_ I am able and willing to develop the product, I have more to offer than just an idea. Product development is a job. Having ideas isn't. I see no reason why software developers and marketing people shouldn't start a startup together. Both have something valuable they can contribute.
    - drusenko 14y ago
      I think you may have missed my point. It was that the "business person" is usually seen as "just having an idea, not doing any real work" by this community -- even though they would bring marketing, PR, product, etc skills to the table. And the dismissive "I'll just hire a marketer" talk sounds a lot like the marketer saying "I'll just hire a programmer". It seems like we're in full agreement: these two functions can and should co-exist.
reinhardt 14y ago
> That's sort of like saying "the depressing truth about relationships is that you need to go out and meet people to get involved in one." This was supposed to be snarky but it's actually a great analogy. There are many people who would love to be able to skip all the go out-meet-impress-pickup courting rituals and get right into a relationship, just like there are many devs who would love for their product to sell itself on its own merits. Usually doesn't work very well in either case but that's not to dismiss this particular wishful thinking.
andyakb 14y ago
"if you want to just write code all day (and there's nothing wrong with that) don't create a product - work for somebody else." this is exactly correct. it is the same reason why so many restaurants fail; somebody says "hey, im a good cook, why dont i start a restaurant?" if you are a good cook and dont know how to run a business, become a chef. if you are a good coder and dont know how to run a business, work for somebody else. business is about way more than just creating a good product. for true, lasting success a good product is almost always needed, but what good is a good product if you dont know how to get anybody to know it exists?

by bdunn 14y ago

Deinos 14y ago

I couldn't agree more with this posting. I would take it a step beyond the story aligning with the needs of someone else and the transaction. If it is something you truly believe in, it becomes a story you enjoy telling over and over, regardless of the outcome. People enjoy spreading passion, and when you are spreading passion, it ceases to become marketing in the "traditional sense" of a self-serving corporate activity, and it just becomes the act of sharing interest and excitement.

fauigerzigerk 14y ago

That defeats the purpose. If I have a great idea for a product and I want to work on it, why would I go work for somebody else instead? A much better idea would be to join forces with a marketing guy or girl or hire one.

orangethirty 14y ago
Life is not so simple. A lot of people don't have the option to develop their ideas. That is why joining people who are building something similar ends up being a good option for them. They might not get the same financial benefit, but they may get other intangible benefits from it (pride, sense of accomplushment, experience). Saying that joining a marketing person or hiring one is not the recipe for building a business. Realize that a business is not solely its marketing, nor programming. You cannot just take a program and market it, and become rich. Not so easy. It takes a lot of hustle (which is not marketing), and luck.
- fauigerzigerk 14y ago
  So are you saying that developers and marketing people should never start a startup together? Is that really too simple to be "life"? I don't believe that. Sure there are more entrepreneurial functions than product development and marketing. That doesn't preclude some division of responsibilities.
drusenko 14y ago
Doesn't this sound oddly like the often reviled "I have a great idea, now all I need is to hire a programmer!"
- fauigerzigerk 14y ago
  I don't think so. If I have an idea _and_ I am able and willing to develop the product, I have more to offer than just an idea. Product development is a job. Having ideas isn't. I see no reason why software developers and marketing people shouldn't start a startup together. Both have something valuable they can contribute.
  - drusenko 14y ago
    I think you may have missed my point. It was that the "business person" is usually seen as "just having an idea, not doing any real work" by this community -- even though they would bring marketing, PR, product, etc skills to the table. And the dismissive "I'll just hire a marketer" talk sounds a lot like the marketer saying "I'll just hire a programmer". It seems like we're in full agreement: these two functions can and should co-exist.

reinhardt 14y ago

> That's sort of like saying "the depressing truth about relationships is that you need to go out and meet people to get involved in one." This was supposed to be snarky but it's actually a great analogy. There are many people who would love to be able to skip all the go out-meet-impress-pickup courting rituals and get right into a relationship, just like there are many devs who would love for their product to sell itself on its own merits. Usually doesn't work very well in either case but that's not to dismiss this particular wishful thinking.

andyakb 14y ago

"if you want to just write code all day (and there's nothing wrong with that) don't create a product - work for somebody else." this is exactly correct. it is the same reason why so many restaurants fail; somebody says "hey, im a good cook, why dont i start a restaurant?" if you are a good cook and dont know how to run a business, become a chef. if you are a good coder and dont know how to run a business, work for somebody else. business is about way more than just creating a good product. for true, lasting success a good product is almost always needed, but what good is a good product if you dont know how to get anybody to know it exists?