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11 months ago
Monday is my 70th birthday, and I'm working on a startup. I still don't know how we'll "massively" grow our "user base" and "monetize." We just know there's a better way to talk about getting old in America than the crushingly depressing stuff that's out there. We're starting from scratch, with no Web 2.0 toys, focusing on what techies flippantly call "content."
I went to college to prepare for a career in commercial radio. When I was a senior, I got a full-time job in a radio station, and stretched my senior year over the next two. I considered the radio business to be far ahead of academe in current teaching, but I wanted the breadth and depth -- as deep as it went for me then -- of university teaching. I was too focused on my broadcasting passion then to know what I would be passionate about later. I was a radio kid then, caught up in the excitement of a techologically based performance medium. What I have learned is, there are more than enough passions ahead to keep me excited even now. I want to know more about physics, and how it's evolved.
If any of this sounds familiar, I'm happy. Thanks for your candor and honesty. You'll be fine.
11 months ago
A great startup solves a problem and no matter if you're 17 or 70 you can do it with passion and perseverance. That's what I love about this blog and its commenter’s; they are people with a goal and passion who go for it.
There are definitely parallels I see between your story and my own. My passions will change, new ones will be added to the existing ones and others will fall away. What though is not a passion but is in my genes is in entrepreneurship. Therefore I am not worried about what this year will bring. I will spend it on the thing I love, being an entrepreneur and connecting to likeminded people.
p.s. If I can offer any “Web 2.0” advice on your startup, feel free to contact me (there’s a link at the top of the page).
11 months ago
I am excited for you.
Like I told you before, I was chosen to join these two guys and now the three of us are working on creating a new website for snowboarders. We call it project powder. It'll be an extremely user friendly site, implementing some new features blah blah... we are not re-inventing the wheel, we are making things BETTER, easier, more fun.
The three of us LOVE to snowboard. We love technology and yes of course we love MONEY as well.
One of my partners A. has a background and experience in demonstrating ability to sell into digital media, social networks, online video, web2.0, publishing and ad-network industries. Ability to 'hunt' for potential companies in key markets to penetrate, develop strategic sales relationships and drive revenue. His specialties: Understanding of content delivery networks, cdn competitors, features, peering, hosting, storage services, ISPs, and telecommunication technologies.
The other one L. is a senior engineer, his responsibilities include: sales engineering / customer contact, software development, server administration, architecture design. Buzzwords: Java, Spring, HTML/CSS, Javascript/AJAX, Python, Linux.
[ps I copied that of their linkedIn profiles hehe]
And then there is me, I love to snowboard, I am great with people, make/ maintain/ grow great contacts and connects and have the occasional great idea.
Our team is fun! We bounce of each other's ideas and we all have our own qualities that make us valuable for the team. We all have our other jobs. Of course we want to make money, we all want that, but really we are working the project because our passion for snowboarding and the fact that the snowboard websites didn't really work well for us. We want to improve the user experience, create something awesome and learn [from each other] along the way.
I guess all I wanted to say Eiso, and I know that you know this as well.... if your main reason for being part of a start up is money... well, you might end up being disappointed. Chose the people you want to start a project with wisely, have FUN, learn and laugh!
amen
:)
Mascha
ps: love your blog!
11 months ago
I am always excited to read your messages because you’re one of the people who I’ve never met but would immediately vouch for. I guess you can get to know someone in a series of 140 characters ;-).
Your startup sounds exciting because it has passion. I think that also sums up your advice; fun, learn, and laugh! And that’s exactly how I am going to live my life. To many people slave away at jobs or follow studies they don’t enjoy. I am shaping my life to never let this happen.
Money in all of this is an enabler and maybe even a goal but never something I will measure my self-worth to.
Love life and live it,
Eiso
11 months ago
If you already have a university degree join a startup. This should be the best possible preparation for starting your own company (later). If you don't have a university degree yet - well don't hesitate and join the (best possible) faculty you can get.
11 months ago
Luckily, in the IT field, experience eventually wins the day. I spent 20 years in the US Navy - while there, I started a semi-successful writing career. I also learned about computers. After that I went from project to project in IT - but now? Now I'm Director of IT Services for an exciting, multi-million dollar logistics firm - we were on the Inc. 500 list last year of fastest growing privately owned companies and in the top five on Government services.
It's important to focus, is my point, on what you want to be the final outcome and then follow the straightest and most productive path to that goal. I would recommend (for light reading (lol)) The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.
Dave
11 months ago
11 months ago
As far as the emailed questions, it is the stupidest thing I have ever heard and you should run in the opposite direction. No one in their right might qualifies people in that way. Building a startup team is highly relationship based and has more to do with chemistry, common goals and attitudes, shared passions, teamworks and so on. Anyone that emails questions to qualify someone is totally clueless and I think you should follow your own path.
Allan Isfan
http://isfanstartup.blogspot.com
www.favequest.com
11 months ago