Twitter Co-Founders Offer Tips for Entrepreneurs | Hacker News Reader

Twitter Co-Founders Offer Tips for Entrepreneurs

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53 pointsssclafani12 comments

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This is nearly useless. Every point either

- focuses too much on twitter specifically (3, 4)

- focuses on large startups specifically (1,4)

- is a platitude (1 through 5, plus the "Bottom Line" section)

- is complete bullshit (5, given how many 3rd party apps Twitter has screwed over).

And a couple of asides:

- having a "Corporate Social Innovation" department, sounds like something straight out of Orwell.

- "if you can't read, you can't tweet" also seems Orwellian, because of course the only purpose of reading is to increase the uptake of the social network flavor of the day.

"When determining what product you are going to build, Ev notes that the key is to create 'something for everyone.'"

Really? My understanding is that trying to create "something for everyone" is a great way to make "something for no-one".

I think what he's saying makes sense to an extent. I'd argue that nearly all of the large (based on valuation anyway) startups recently have made "something for everyone".

Just to name a few: Facebook, Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, Skype

First learn how to turn a profit, then give out advice about how to build a startup... The other way around makes you look a bit silly.

I don't have the current numbers, but:

- On Twitter's profitability (this is before Sponsored Tweets launched): http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2009/tc200...

- Ev's other startup, Pyra Labs (Blogger), had a successful exit in 2003. There are some better details in "Founders at Work".

"'If you build something that people value, something that is unique, and ahead of the others, then you will make money.' – Ev"

Mmh.

I agree with Ev.

But I live in Italy, and if I build something that people value, unique and ahead of the others, but I don't know how to make money from beginning, nobody going to listen my idea.

I like the way of thinking of US.

s/Italy/Europe/

Then figure out how to make money.

The first tip: don't get your company email accounts hacked.

Ha.

Wow, seems to be a lot of animosity here. I have a lot of respect for what these guys achieved with Twitter. Although the advice is pretty general, IMO it's not bad advice.

Small nit-pick, but Biz didn't actually create the Fail Whale.

"'If you build something that people value, something that is unique, and ahead of the others, then you will make money.' – Ev"

So, I guess Twitter did not build something that people value, something that is unique, and ahead of the others.

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