6 ms·

The article isn't about people not getting a product or expecting a "store". It's about how a more than tripple funding KS which got an additional 3 million in

The article isn't about people not getting a product or expecting a "store". It's about how a more than tripple funding KS which got an additional 3 million in VC backing could not actually accomplish their goal. I bet they would have been more successful with less money. Money gives you freedom(to start over, to feature creep, to bikeshed, to grow faster than you can manage, etc) and security (which makes you less "hungry" and desperate).

cyorir 12y ago
I think the notion that having less money would have been better for them is interesting. It seems like the amount of money they received gave them the idea that they could accomplish more by spending more; what they really needed was extra time in order to accomodate their extra money.
- ChuckMcM 12y ago
  It is a big risk for startups that take too much money that they suddenly feel like they have the capital to do all sorts of things. Too bad they didn't just ship V1 of the product.
- megablast 12y ago
  I guess these guys haven't heard of an MVP.
  - njharman 12y ago
    The point is what is "viable" changes drastically when you have $1,000,000 vs $10,000.
simonh 12y ago
Frankly the whole product concept seems to me to be completely ridiculous. I doubt it was viable however much money they got. I thought long and hard before posting this, because obviously hindsight is 20/20, but I went back and looked at the product description again and I stand by my opinion. IHMO it was a turkey from the word go.
- rasz_pl 12y ago
  Whole product can be replaced by an app.
  - paulrov 12y ago
    It was about selling the feeling of security by moving it from an app to a physical device. Shocked it raised so much to be honest.
  - Albuca 12y ago
    There are already a couple big-name apps out there that do exactly this! (1Password, LastPass, etc.) And most have desktop and mobile versions too!
  - err4nt 12y ago
    This functionality currently exists for any online password on Windows/Mac/iOS in 1PassWord, and I'm sure there are many other wallets and password managers for other platforms that do similar things. Having a USB key for this almost feels like a step backward - how do you plug that into your phone or tablet? 1Password will automagically enter and submit any remembered password in your browser, and any non-web password can be stored and retrieved from the app itself at any time. I didn't even care about that feature when I bought the app, but it has become a lifestyle changer for me and I'd say it's the killer feature. The worst part is, I can buy 1Password for Mac for $50, and the iOS version is less than $20. Anybody interested in this sort of thing should really check out the alternatives already!
- poopsintub 12y ago
  Half of the products on there seem to be ridiculous and that was before they opened it up to "potato salad".
  - poopsintub 12y ago
    No?

cyorir 12y ago

I think the notion that having less money would have been better for them is interesting. It seems like the amount of money they received gave them the idea that they could accomplish more by spending more; what they really needed was extra time in order to accomodate their extra money.

ChuckMcM 12y ago
It is a big risk for startups that take too much money that they suddenly feel like they have the capital to do all sorts of things. Too bad they didn't just ship V1 of the product.
megablast 12y ago
I guess these guys haven't heard of an MVP.
- njharman 12y ago
  The point is what is "viable" changes drastically when you have $1,000,000 vs $10,000.

simonh 12y ago

Frankly the whole product concept seems to me to be completely ridiculous. I doubt it was viable however much money they got. I thought long and hard before posting this, because obviously hindsight is 20/20, but I went back and looked at the product description again and I stand by my opinion. IHMO it was a turkey from the word go.

rasz_pl 12y ago
Whole product can be replaced by an app.
- paulrov 12y ago
  It was about selling the feeling of security by moving it from an app to a physical device. Shocked it raised so much to be honest.
- Albuca 12y ago
  There are already a couple big-name apps out there that do exactly this! (1Password, LastPass, etc.) And most have desktop and mobile versions too!
- err4nt 12y ago
  This functionality currently exists for any online password on Windows/Mac/iOS in 1PassWord, and I'm sure there are many other wallets and password managers for other platforms that do similar things. Having a USB key for this almost feels like a step backward - how do you plug that into your phone or tablet? 1Password will automagically enter and submit any remembered password in your browser, and any non-web password can be stored and retrieved from the app itself at any time. I didn't even care about that feature when I bought the app, but it has become a lifestyle changer for me and I'd say it's the killer feature. The worst part is, I can buy 1Password for Mac for $50, and the iOS version is less than $20. Anybody interested in this sort of thing should really check out the alternatives already!
poopsintub 12y ago
Half of the products on there seem to be ridiculous and that was before they opened it up to "potato salad".
- poopsintub 12y ago
  No?