tom_rath

27 ms·

211.
by tom_rath 18y ago
That document is specious. Getting something to orbit is a lot harder than launching a whack of V2s (holding nothing but an explosive payload) across the English Channel and the huge market for rockets foreseen in 1993 (when that paper was
212.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Folks (myself included) have been "thinking" that since the 60s. If you put some commercial numbers on that problem, you'll see it's a lot harder than it looks. Satellite launch failures alone can cost in the hundreds of millions of dollar
213.
by tom_rath 18y ago
That's a huge assumption. Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet: Orbital Sciences thought they could create cheap launches with Pegasus too. As failures occurred, customers requested more and more safeguards and testing and the cost
214.
by tom_rath 18y ago
"This post has been deleted at the request of its author." Was it really that bad? Calacanis can come across as a bit full of himself, but I've often gained an insight or two from his posts.
215.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Have you tried using Java Web Start? It's wonderfully simple to deploy and (almost) lets you forget about past nightmares with applets.
216.
by tom_rath 18y ago
How will your product "do things to make these numbers go up, not down"? If all your tool is letting me do is count web site page-views and total dollar sales, that's not going to help.
217.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Well, businesses definitely need structure, but I don't see how this particular product would help me observe trends (aside from web site page views and total dollar sales), iterate and optimize. Perhaps if there were a case study of some s
218.
by tom_rath 18y ago
So, the product is another to do list? Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't see how this would benefit us any more than another to do list. Have you been designing this product to match the requirements of an existing software company
219.
by tom_rath 18y ago
I'm in your target market, but I do not have any need for the features you're offering. Have you worked with independent software developers to identify the need you're satisfying with your product? For my own case, at least, it's not tha
220.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Bah! This is The New Economy. You just don't "Get It".
221.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Is this guy's startup profitable or is it dependent on that superfluous 'investment capital' stuff?
222.
First photo taken of a planet outside our solar system(gemini.edu)
1 points by tom_rath 18y ago|0 comments
223.
by tom_rath 18y ago
It's not over-simplified -- marketing is hard. That's why superb marketing staff are worth their weight in gold. Those people who can determine what people want don't just snap their fingers and pop out an idea. An iterative process is fo
224.
by tom_rath 18y ago
No, with proper marketing one would not make the same mistake. Instead, one would conclude that the product was a no-go and adjust their strategy to fit (in this case, putting the idea on the shelf). Consider marketing the social component
225.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Not quite. The product which met with some success was his second iteration: "Retailers told me that what the customer really wanted was a key chain with a usable condom." Although research of his supply chain was extremely bad, it doesn'
226.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Wow. How could a "Stanford MBA" not even know the basics of marketing? If this fellow had clearly identified his market before specing out and ordering his product he would have completely avoided his first-iteration fiasco. I also suspec
227.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Why give up equity? Will these people be offering genuine marketing (tailoring and designing your product to address specifically identified markets) or will they just be 'sales guys'? If these folks will just be bringing in contacts and sh
228.
by tom_rath 18y ago
And that's a breeze in Canada. Starting from a position of complete ignorance, I had everything finalized in a day and only had to leave my home to get a document notarized by a lawyer around the corner. Total out-of-pocket was around $20
229.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Only one, but if it takes a filing cabinet of paperwork, three bribes, a $20k processing fee and a four-month wait after personally visiting the application centre 200 miles away, you'll be unlikely to start that business. The time and reso
230.
Ask HN: An update from Y Combinator Diaries participants?
3 points by tom_rath 18y ago|0 comments
231.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Yeah, my first non-commodore computer was a blazing fast 33MHz 386 with 4MB RAM -- 1991 (~$3,400 by the way) Damn, do I feel spoiled watching a modest app compile in a few seconds today!
232.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Back at ya: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution Sexual activity aside, human creative activity did not 'produce beings of greater intelligence'.
233.
by tom_rath 18y ago
No, the process of human evolution is a tale of organisms adapting to their environment. There is no guarantee that human beings will evolve into something more intelligent. If the average person is granted the ability to manufacture their
234.
by tom_rath 18y ago
...but when you do need that obscure piece of paper you need it right now . Think of a filing cabinet(1) as an exception or error handler. In a perfect world, you could just burn your receipts and statements after you've finished with the
235.
by tom_rath 18y ago
The economy is cyclical. We've been in an extended boom for some time. As there is no such thing as "The New Economy" a recession will come next.
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by tom_rath 18y ago
The old 5BX plan worked wonders for me: http://www.oakengates.com/5bx/ Rather than get me fat, starting a company pushed me to build the body I'd always wanted.
237.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Then won't marketplace competition ensure bandwidth-capping nightmare scenarios never come to pass?
238.
by tom_rath 18y ago
What would be wrong with tiered pricing? Shouldn't a service be priced to reflect usage?
239.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Have you taken a full touch-typing course? Touch-typing (REAL touch-typing -- not practiced single-finger poke or custom-splayed hand peck) installs keyboard use in your cerebellum and removes the function of typing from your higher brain.
240.
by tom_rath 18y ago
Can you buy these things? Patek Philippe may prattle on about how their watches are meant to be passed on to descendents, but this is something whose use is explicitly dependent upon outliving you. Heck, losing it adds to its value! I'm no

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