startups + marketing + nonsense
Archive of articles classified as' "startups"
Back homeI have not got around to write about Paul Carr‘s new startup New Gambit ,and the parent company Not Safe For Work Corporation, but I hope to in the coming week. They have just released a landing page to signup for the beta and it is expectantly NSFW….. screenshot below.
Selling a mobile app (iphone or android) can be a real pain. Over the years I have entertained the idea of selling the first app I came up with in 2008, a soccer app called iSoccer. Apple purposely makes it difficult to transfer ownership of an app from one entity (whether it be an individual or a company) to another. One common solution is for the seller to remove the app from the app store and the buyer resubmits the app under their account. The issue here is certain tracking and relationships are severed when the app jumps accounts. It is the equivalent of buying a house (the app) in a neighborhood (the App Store) but you have to tear the house down and rebuild it down the street. The other option is selling the whole iTunes Connect account, I never felt completely comfortable with that. Then I came across Apptopia.
I don’t know how I first came across Lot18, a startup that provides daily deals on wines. I assume it was an article in techcrunch or another blog. The first thing that caught my eye would have been the mention of a new wine site that offers exclusive access to fermented grapes. When I discovered the site was invite only I was a bit aggravated, but Lot18 allows you to sign up and be invited in the future. I got the invite 10 minutes later.
When I first joined, the site focused strictly on wines with the occasional wine glass set for sale and had 2 tabs, “Featured” and “Select”. I still don’t completely understand the difference, but haven’t really tried either. I just know that the “select” wines often seem more expensive than the “featured” wines. The site now offers high quality foods (coffees, meats, desserts) and wine excursions. Thus the addition of the “Gourmet” and “Experiences” tabs.
The comparison is theirs, not mine. Plum is a site that allows you to rent(?) boutique baby clothes and return them as your infant growths to the next size for bigger wears. I came across Plum a week ago and instantly found it interesting because I have a 2 year old and one on the way. The rate that kids grow out of clothes is astonishing. Plum has quickly grown faster than anticipated as they have now started a waiting list for new members.
Here is a great video that “sings” why there is not a tech bubble.
I have been following YCombinator’s News section almost since its inception. I have seen the YC community in action; from the switch of “Startup News” to “Hacker News”, to the disappearance of nickb and his return. It is one of the best sites on the web for startup information. The members are passionate about the community they have built, the articles are often right on par and spam is kept to a minimum.
I recently noticed a shift of the material making its way to the front page. Almost a quarter of the Top 30 submissions were “Ask YC” questions (aka Ask HN and Ask PG). Instead of posting an article from the web, members ask each other startup advice. This is why YC News is a step above other article submission sites. Digg, Reddit, Yahoo Buzz and Sphinn all have a dedicated community, but not the level of involvement and support that YC members provide.
At a time when sites are doing whatever they can to grow, Paul Graham and the YC community make an effort to keep the population small and focused. This allows the material on the site to remain at such a high level instead of bogging it down with volume. That in it self is a lesson to every founder on the site. Volume instead of quality is a common objective that startups focus on that led them down the wrong path from the beginning.
Sun is holding Startup Camp – San Francisco, May 4th and 5th. I got an invite but will be unable to attend due to other startup commitments. Startup Camp is the “un-conference” networking event to learn from some of the most experienced entrepreneurs today. Since this Startup Camp is being held so close to Silicon Valley, you can expect a few of the Valley’s heavy hitters to attend. A few noticeable names include:
There are currently over 900 registered attendees, the majority being entrepreneurs looking to pick up a few tips. If you are in the San Fran area early next week you should really try to make an appearance. Startup Camp is being held at the Moscone Convention Center.
Depending on your city and the connectivity, it can be difficult to meet with local entrepreneurs and startups. Andrew Hyde and Raymond Angel who have brought you Startup Weekend and VCWear are helping local startups connect on a social level.
Startup Drinks was created to (from the site):
A simple concept: startup culture in cities around the world gathers around a bar to have a pint and discuss what they are working on, what they need help with and what they can do for each other.
They currently have had groups in Seattle, Boulder, Fort Wayne and Austin. Startup Drinks also sets up a page for each city. Here is the Seattle Startup Drinks page. Contact Startup Drinks to have your city added to the site.
