JohnExley's comments

JohnExley | 5 years ago | on: Show HN: Pluto – In-browser spatial video chat

The notion that you’re live on video with others in the virtual space (instead of say, representing yourself with an avatar) creates such a surprisingly special experience. In this way, I think Pluto subtly and beautifully mirrors what real world interaction actually feels like. Excited to see where this project goes!

JohnExley | 13 years ago | on: Announcing Our First Investment, $20,000 in Balbus

The story of Jack stuttering during his pitch meeting to the RoughDraft partners and FIXING HIS STUTTERING WITH HIS APP RIGHT THERE IN THE MOMENT IN FRONT OF THEM is freaking unreal. Bilal tells it here: http://bznotes.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/roughdraft-vc-studen...

Inspiring story. I'm pulling for this guy.

JohnExley | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Emails that Self-Destruct and Notify You When Read

This is such a cool idea. I would email my number to random girls I met on a Friday night haha... "hurry up and save my number orrrrrrrr I will disappear" lol

Nice execution.

JohnExley | 13 years ago | on: Leveling up as a student-entrepreneur

I think your singular focus on executing with Price Intelligently is something (IF MAINTAINED) you will thank yourself for doing for a very long time.

JohnExley | 13 years ago | on: Whose time is worth more: Jason Calacanis' or Dharmesh Shah's?

Interesting study -- wonder if certain entrepreneurs would argue Dharmesh's because he's more focused, so they'd 'spend more money' to get his time, because he'll give them more attention?

Jason is involved in so many important projects, but not sure that makes his time "more valuable".

I'd conclude Jason has much, much more influence, power, and ability to move the needle. That said, pure substance -- I'm going with Dharmesh probably all the way.

JohnExley | 13 years ago | on: How to Figure Out Anyone's Email Address (Updated Version)

For anyone in a non-technical startup role... this is absolute GOLD.

JohnExley | 13 years ago | on: How to Find Corporate Phone Numbers

Clutch post! Wish there was something like this for smaller app developers as well.

JohnExley | 13 years ago | on: General Catalyst Backs Roughdraft.VC To Fund Student-Run Startups In Boston

This makes a lot of sense to me. As Roughdraft's Peter Boyce pointed out, young founders need less and less funding to get started.

This whole thing reminds me of the recruiting craze in the NBA. Remember when guys like KG really drove the trend of skipping college and going straight to the NBA? Recruiters started looking earlier and earlier to find the best talent. When I was like 14 I remember starting to see SLAM magazine articles about the best middle school players in the country. Recruiters tried to befriend the most talented earlier and earlier.

This is what the recent news of Roughdraft.VC and Dorm Room Fund remind me of... VC's trying to find founders who aren't looking for funding and maybe haven't founded something yet. And the best way to find them? The students on campus who are the most helpful and have built the most trust with these "about-to-be-founders".

That LITERALLY is the definition of Peter Boyce.

For those who don't know the story of Boyce, he is the essence of everything startups at Harvard. If you are working on a startup there, you have probably received advice/feedback from him -- or been told to reach out to him. I believe in Roughdraft.VC, and I believe in Peter Boyce.

JohnExley | 13 years ago | on: I am a terrible programmer

Hey PommeDeTerre, I think it's because of two things primarily:

1) Dan is beyond his years in terms of articulating his thoughts on startups and software development, and reminds some people of a young Jason Fried (co-founder of 37Signals, author of "Rework", etc.)

2) Dan is (much like Jason Fried) a bit of a contrarian. He has shipped almost two dozen apps/sites in the past couple years and is working night and day on growing his current startup, but he isn't dropping out of university. He also isn't out raising venture capital and trying to scale scale scale -- instead focusing on building a business that makes revenue and is profitable from (almost) day one. And lastly, because he is not chasing the "sexy", popular consumer app space -- instead focusing his efforts on the 'less glamorous' SaaS and B2B space.

*

The combination of these factors make a lot of us in HN interested in where Dan's career is headed, and thus interested in reading his posts and watching him progress as a founder while still in school.

That's why so many Dan Shipper articles get submitted here, and why they always end up near the top. He is the real deal.

JohnExley | 13 years ago | on: Twitter Has the "Now Syndrome"

In addition to being a young founder, Dan could be the most talented writer I know. Engineering + communication, quite a mix.

JohnExley | 13 years ago | on: Launching All of the Links – a daily dose of the best links on the Internet

so meta - the homie Zack launches a site with great links everyday, with a link to the site on a site with great links every day.

Hahahah, but seriously bro good luck and keep hustling!!

JohnExley | 14 years ago | on: I Want to Work for Khan

Good luck my man! I wish you the best.

P.S. that's an amazing domain name. Do you think they might wanna buy it from you?

P.P.S. Maybe you could teach a few classes on video a la Khan to show your expertise and belief in their mission/etc? Maybe you could even tutor... I could see you teaching a 1-on-1 class for a boy named boyce about 'How To Go To Class'. It would be a moneymaker!