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alphast0rm | 5 years ago | on: We at $Famous_company switched to $Hyped_technology

One of my last teams used gods from Greek mythology (e.g. Apollo [1], Ares [2]), and another nearby team used Pokemon names. Lots of folks started using similar naming conventions and eventually a clear naming manifesto was sent to all engineers to discourage this practice for new services.

It's much easier to discuss and reason about complex systems when the names are self-explanatory, especially when you get to 100s or 1000s of names.

[1] https://www.memsql.com/blog/case-study-scalable-sql-database...

[2] https://eng.uber.com/aresdb/

alphast0rm | 5 years ago | on: Uber is laying off 3,700, as rides plummet due to Covid-19

Ben Thompson wrote an interesting article "What Is a Tech Company?" on Stratechery [1] recently where he discusses the trademark characteristics of tech companies and makes a convincing argument as to why Uber could be considered one:

> Note the centrality of software in all of these characteristics:

> - Software creates ecosystems.

> - Software has zero marginal costs.

> - Software improves over time.

> - Software offers infinite leverage.

> - Software enables zero transaction costs.

> The question of whether companies are tech companies, then, depends on how much of their business is governed by software’s unique characteristics, and how much is limited by real world factors.

  ...
> Uber, meanwhile, has long been mentioned in the same breath as Airbnb, and for good reason: it checks most of the same boxes:

> - There is a software-created ecosystem of drivers and riders.

> - Like Airbnb, Uber reports its revenue as if it has low marginal costs, but a holistic view of rides shows that the company pays drivers around 80 percent of total revenue; this isn’t a world of zero marginal costs.

> - Uber’s platform improves over time.

> - Uber is able to serve the entire world, giving it maximum leverage.

> - Uber can transact with anyone with a self-serve model.

> A major question about Uber concerns transaction costs: bringing and keeping drivers on the platform is very expensive. This doesn’t mean that Uber isn’t a tech company, but it does underscore the degree to which its model is dependent on factors that don’t have zero costs attached to them.

He walks through a few other examples as well (e.g. Netflix, Airbnb, WeWork, Peloton), would definitely recommend reading the whole article.

[1] https://stratechery.com/2019/what-is-a-tech-company/

alphast0rm | 5 years ago | on: Show HN: Chrome extension for team convos and knowledge sharing on any webpage

Hi HN,

Happy to share Inverse, a Chrome extension that empowers teams to have conversations and share knowledge on any webpage. Unlike email or chat applications like Slack or Teams, where information is siloed inside each app, Inverse lives alongside you in the browser so you can view and take part in discussions without leaving your current tab. These discussions are tied to specific URLs, so you can create a common thread that connects related pages, like a document, ticket, design, or dashboard.

Any feedback or comments are much appreciated!

alphast0rm | 6 years ago | on: WeWork considers IPO valuation of as low as $10B

Ben Thompson wrote an interesting article "What Is a Tech Company?" on Stratechery [1] recently where he discusses the trademark characteristics of tech companies and makes a convincing argument as to why WeWork is not one:

  So what about companies like WeWork and Peloton that interact with the real world? Note the centrality of software in all of these characteristics:

  - Software creates ecosystems.
  - Software has zero marginal costs.
  - Software improves over time.
  - Software offers infinite leverage.
  - Software enables zero transaction costs.

  ...

  - WeWork claims it has a software-created ecosystem that connect companies and employees across locations, but it is difficult to find evidence that this is a driving factor for WeWork’s business.
  - WeWork pays a huge percentage of its revenue in rent.
  - WeWork’s offering certainly has the potential to improve over time.
  - WeWork is limited by the number of locations it builds out.
  - WeWork requires a consultation for even a one-person rental, and relies heavily on brokers for larger businesses.

  Frankly, it is hard to see how WeWork is a tech company in any way.
[1] https://stratechery.com/2019/what-is-a-tech-company/

alphast0rm | 6 years ago | on: Launch HN: Cloosiv (YC S19) – Order ahead from local coffee shops

Square's now shuttered Order app [1] also used to offer just in time order preparation [2]:

> With the newest version of the app, Square will flip the model so that food will be prepared just in time for the customer arrive, thanks to a new arrival prediction feature. The technology is designed to track users as they approach a store they’ve ordered from and alert it when they’re nearby so an order can be made just in time.

> For the technology to work, sellers need to set preparation times for different items on their menu. The app then creates a sort of geofence around the business, and recognizes when a customer is nearby and someone should start on an order.

This worked particularly well for me every morning when I'd order a latte, it's great to see more businesses offer similar functionality.

[1] https://www.vox.com/2015/3/13/11560210/square-kills-square-o...

[2] https://techcrunch.com/2014/10/08/squares-order-app-arrival-...

alphast0rm | 7 years ago | on: A16Z is re-registering as a financial advisor, renouncing its status as a VC

> Nobody takes BTC in exchange for goods and services, absolutely nobody.

I was simply trying to show that your original statement was hyperbole, as there are clearly notable retailers that do.

Also as a consumer, I don't see why your point about intermediaries is relevant (barring the marginal price difference between them). If you are planning on purchasing something from a business you don't really care if they are using Intuit or Square to process credit cards transactions, just that they accept credit cards for payments.

alphast0rm | 7 years ago | on: A16Z is re-registering as a financial advisor, renouncing its status as a VC

That's not true, there are large retailers that directly accept BTC, like Newegg [1] and Overstock [2]. There are also services like Bitrefill to purchase gift cards using various cryptocurrencies for use at places that don't directly accept BTC: Amazon, Ebay, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target to name a few of the 750+ supported [3].

[1] https://promotions.newegg.com/nepro/16-6277/index.html

[2] https://help.overstock.com/help/s/article/Bitcoin

[3] https://www.bitrefill.com/?hl=en

alphast0rm | 8 years ago | on: XSS Attack Embedded in an ERC20 Token Contract Steals Thousands

Isn't that something that can be helped by having a good standard library though (e.g. STL)? OpenZeppelin [1] is one example that comes to mind.

There are also other contract languages aimed to solve some of the limitations you mention, like Tezos/Michelson [2][3], which facilitate formal verification.

The issues you point out are certainly valid, but I believe people in the space are cognizant of them and are working on solutions.

[1] https://openzeppelin.org/

[2] https://www.tezos.com/

[3] https://www.tezos.com/static/papers/language.pdf

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