ssx | 14 years ago | on: VC Decries Airbnb’s Recent Funding for Founder Control and Cashout
ssx's comments
ssx | 14 years ago | on: VC Decries Airbnb’s Recent Funding for Founder Control and Cashout
This is not the definition of a Ponzi Scheme, you should probably look it up on wikipedia.
But I do agree with the article, dividend's like this are not the spirit of building a good company. Just founders who want a huge pay-day. I would have understood 1m-4m, but not 21m, thats a huge percentage of their investment.
ssx | 15 years ago | on: Pulse Raises $9M in Series A From NEA, Greycroft and Lerer Ventures
Awesome. Love this app. The most used app when I'm on the toilet.
ssx | 15 years ago | on: How Jared Tame bootstrapped his startup by writing “Startups Open Sourced”
An interview about interviews. Awesome!
ssx | 15 years ago | on: Calculus Revisited - a complete self-study calculus course from MIT OCW
Awesome! A great refresher. {nostalgic of the simpleness of life back in highschool...study and learn}
ssx | 15 years ago | on: Ask HN: Ideal path after college for a technical founder?
I just realized, I only gave you descriptions for your options, although I did give my suggestion (work at small startup).
If you have a great idea and feel comfortable with the entire web stack, apply to YC or other comparable programs. If that doesn't work out, then work at a small startup. If you can't get that, maybe you go to grad school. Thats probably my best advice.
ssx | 15 years ago | on: Ask HN: Ideal path after college for a technical founder?
There is no set path for these things, but if there was an ideal path it would probably be working as an early employee < 15-20 at a startup. While at the Startup you get real-life experience working at a company, you meet new people and mature. Maybe you stay 1,2, or 3 years, then you go off and do something on your own. Meeting/Networking is crucial because your co-founders have to be good matches.
Grad school would be great if there is a purpose. ITP would be good if you want to be a founder that leans product/design. Stanford/MIT would be good if you want to lean more in technical.
Y-combinator is the startup-MBA. It is an amazing program that I would recommend to any entrepreneur at any stage (college undergrad, grad, 1-10 year, or older). My issue with someone from college jumping right into YC is lack of life experience and technical experience. There are exceptions to that rule, and PG does a great job in picking those young entrepreneurs that can handle it. So if you feel you have what it takes, apply.
ssx | 15 years ago | on: Recursion
hmmmmm....C#
HN needs a vote down button
ssx | 15 years ago | on: Can Google get social networking right?
Google failed at "Shopping", failed at "Video" (read youtube acquisition), failed at "Buzz", failed at "Wave" and I'm sure there are others that I'm leaving off. What google does is Ad's and search, that's their bread and butter.
It's very hard for big companies to venture off and do something out of their comfort zone. Facebook failed at "Marketplace". And you'd think that Facebook would be poised to take over that space, but still struggled.
Google is more poised to bite off of Linkedin's social graph, rather than Facebook's. IMO Though, with the right hire's Google can do it.
ssx | 15 years ago | on: Essential Vim
Vim is awesome. NERDTree is a must for any developer.
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If the founder's want to sell some of their equity, I'm fine with that, but that is NOT what happened here. This is purely a pay-day.
If I knew my company was going to be the next eBay for realestate, why would you hamper your company by taking 21m off the table. This signals greed and/or being unsure of your future success.