johnrob

33 ms·

361.
by johnrob 13y ago
You often refer to something called "VC-istan". That name implies that the VCs have some sort of scam going on where founders/employees are the victims. Am I correct?
362.
by johnrob 13y ago
You've unjustifiably framed the problem as preventing terrorist attacks. There's no evidence indicating that is our biggest problem.
363.
by johnrob 13y ago
The great firewall of China is seeming less totalitarian and more pragmatic. The US at least has to hack to get chinese SMS messages; allowing its users visit Facebook/Gmail/etc is like giving data away.
364.
by johnrob 13y ago
Bread now builds waistlines only because we eat too much of it. I would be surprised if a normal sized person gained weight eating mostly carbs but staying below 1500 calories per day.
365.
by johnrob 13y ago
We may have finally found the "instagram for video".
366.
by johnrob 13y ago
I think the argument goes one level further: can we allow private companies to store such data? There's no use in regulating what the government can store if they can simply seize 30 years of history from a private company's data
367.
by johnrob 13y ago
This whole news story has taught me a lesson about the downside of tracking users. I now understand why some people opt out of, say, behavioral targeted ads: it has nothing to do with annoying ads, and everything to do with data eventually
368.
by johnrob 13y ago
What exactly does a partnering company get if the escrow is triggered? They obviously get your source code, but the question is what are they allowed to do with it...
369.
by johnrob 13y ago
Depth, in the form of stack-able windows, has been present in desktop OS interfaces for decades. Is iOS gradually reinventing the wheel?
370.
by johnrob 13y ago
Debug Assertion Failed! Implicit broken rule: "Startups rarely fail because of the competition".
371.
by johnrob 13y ago
YC has to work hard in order to justify the low valuation (or large equity stake, whichever definition you prefer). In that sense you can't really compare YC with normal investors.
372.
by johnrob 13y ago
Wouldn't you need a valuation to achieve that? Most seed rounds are convertible debt.
373.
by johnrob 13y ago
I often wonder if entrepreneurs will start to flee silicon valley for similar reasons. While we have the best assortment of resources in the valley, the competition for them is getting more intense by the day. It applies to everything - e
374.
by johnrob 13y ago
It's easy to underestimate how many years you need to be willing to put into the startup. A fraction of startups succeed, and a fraction of that fraction succeed quickly. If you're only willing to put in a year or two your odds of success
375.
by johnrob 13y ago
If you are indeed underpaid, the first thing you need to do is get better offer from another company. At that point, your current company has to match or you leave. Don't ask for more without an offer - it might work out but you risk compr
376.
by johnrob 13y ago
I am baffled why managers rarely understand 1). In addition to slighting employees, it makes them easy for other companies to poach. It's also messy and expensive to counter offer once a resignation letter has been sent.
377.
by johnrob 13y ago
Only a small percentage of facebook users are actually real... Seriously though I think you might be over concerned about spam in the short term. If the site gets popular then it certainly could be an issue, but that's always a big if.
378.
by johnrob 13y ago
The way you justify taking x% equity is by offering to improve the odds of success by at least x%. 40 million is definitely above any basic notion of success, so it would indeed appear that YC is delivering.
379.
by johnrob 13y ago
Entrepreneurs are rule breakers, and "no startups when you have kids" seems like yet another rule that can be broken (assuming it even is a rule).
380.
by johnrob 13y ago
40 million is an arbitrary number, but it's still interesting that 7% is also the average YC equity stake.
381.
by johnrob 13y ago
Even if there do exist 'political' entrepreneurs, they don't come at the expense of normal ones. Get users, make sales, and you will succeed.
382.
by johnrob 13y ago
How do they upload all the data? An avid photo shooter who uses an iPhone5 can create a lot of data on a regular basis.
383.
by johnrob 13y ago
Question: if lyft drivers don't have to purchase professional insurance, why should cab companies have to do so? The insurance companies charge a lot more when driving for hire.
384.
by johnrob 13y ago
Why would they charge less than a cab? It's clear they are not a ride sharing service, unless your $12 ride was for 50 miles ($.55/mile * 50 miles / 2 people ~= 12).
385.
by johnrob 13y ago
That's precisely where the airbnb analogy breaks down. One of the most powerful aspects of airbnb is the ability for a host to earn good money with little time/effort. Too many companies forget to copy that feature when building an "airbn
386.
by johnrob 13y ago
Replying to my own comment, deflation isn't the worst thing that can happen to bitcoin IMO - unstable prices could be a bigger challenge. Since the market for bitcoins is not regulated, it could end up subject to all manor of tricks to cre
387.
by johnrob 13y ago
I would think a large majority of bitcoins would end up in the hands of people living somewhere with low interest rates - instead of parking their money in banks, they'll park it in bitcoins. The demand for investing - which applies across
388.
by johnrob 13y ago
Isn't this always the case with acquisitions though?
389.
by johnrob 13y ago
The internet and mobile have created opportunities to make large amounts of money faster than ever. You can't blame the VCs for choosing a quick billion vs a slow billion. Along the same lines, the referenced VC deals of the past (Khosla
390.
by johnrob 13y ago
Sounds like you're on the 'deferred life' plan. Drop the startup, get a job in Rome, and start enjoying the pizza. You can't have the fancy car, but you'd get bored of that in a month anyways.

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