4 ms·

I know this might sound whiney or bitter, but I think the vast majority of successful entrepreneurs were in the right place at the right time. If they weren't,

I know this might sound whiney or bitter, but I think the vast majority of successful entrepreneurs were in the right place at the right time. If they weren't, how else would they have been successful?

jwesley 17y ago
I don't disagree with you, but being in the right place at the right time usually means putting yourself out there by constantly searching for opportunities and trying (and failing) many times. Once you find yourself in the right place at the right time, there is also the matter of recognizing a great opportunity and risking your own capital and reputation by pursuing it with full force. That is much harder than most people imagine.
- dabent 17y ago
  If I recall the story of the "Hot or Not" founders, they suddenly found themselves with an experiment that went out of control. They had no immediate means to profit from it and more traffic than they could handle. Rather than just pull the plug on the site, they found ways to get servers and bridge the gap until they had money coming in. I couldn't help but think I'd have given up on the site early on if no money was flowing. I wouldn't have seen the point in keeping it going with no immediate cash flow.
  - gbookman 17y ago
    Users = Money. It might not be enough money to justify the costs, but there's almost always a way to make it work.
    - dabent 17y ago
      Now if I can only get those users. :-)
RyanMcGreal 17y ago
A lot of people were in the right place at the right time, but didn't do anything about it and let the opportunity slip away. Ask yourself: why did Geocities not turn into Facebook?
- synnik 17y ago
  Because it was publishing static content to an anonymous audience, not dynamic content tailored to each individual user?
  - wensing 17y ago
    When he said 'turn into', I think he's asking why Geocities didn't evolve from 'static content to an anonymous audience' into 'dynamic content tailored to each individual users'. Geocities (Yahoo!), AOL, Xerox--the head of a long list of companies in the right place at the right time but lacking vision.
    - RyanMcGreal 17y ago
      > a long list of companies in the right place at the right time but lacking vision. Precisely my point!
- wensing 17y ago
  Why didn't newspapers create Four Square or Yext or Craigslist or ____. Comfort with the status quo and a lack of vision, perhaps?
- mrkurt 17y ago
  Because Yahoo bought them for a whole ton of stock.

jwesley 17y ago

I don't disagree with you, but being in the right place at the right time usually means putting yourself out there by constantly searching for opportunities and trying (and failing) many times. Once you find yourself in the right place at the right time, there is also the matter of recognizing a great opportunity and risking your own capital and reputation by pursuing it with full force. That is much harder than most people imagine.

dabent 17y ago
If I recall the story of the "Hot or Not" founders, they suddenly found themselves with an experiment that went out of control. They had no immediate means to profit from it and more traffic than they could handle. Rather than just pull the plug on the site, they found ways to get servers and bridge the gap until they had money coming in. I couldn't help but think I'd have given up on the site early on if no money was flowing. I wouldn't have seen the point in keeping it going with no immediate cash flow.
- gbookman 17y ago
  Users = Money. It might not be enough money to justify the costs, but there's almost always a way to make it work.
  - dabent 17y ago
    Now if I can only get those users. :-)

RyanMcGreal 17y ago

A lot of people were in the right place at the right time, but didn't do anything about it and let the opportunity slip away. Ask yourself: why did Geocities not turn into Facebook?

synnik 17y ago
Because it was publishing static content to an anonymous audience, not dynamic content tailored to each individual user?
- wensing 17y ago
  When he said 'turn into', I think he's asking why Geocities didn't evolve from 'static content to an anonymous audience' into 'dynamic content tailored to each individual users'. Geocities (Yahoo!), AOL, Xerox--the head of a long list of companies in the right place at the right time but lacking vision.
  - RyanMcGreal 17y ago
    > a long list of companies in the right place at the right time but lacking vision. Precisely my point!
wensing 17y ago
Why didn't newspapers create Four Square or Yext or Craigslist or ____. Comfort with the status quo and a lack of vision, perhaps?
mrkurt 17y ago
Because Yahoo bought them for a whole ton of stock.