Appreciate the counsel my friend!
139 karma · joined March 18, 2009
Securing a coach is both possible and critically important to career trajectory. Further, the FANG SVP that has climbed ladder without benefit of guidance and network such associations yield is rare indeed.
If desired I can make introduction to a couple of people that are well respected, lmk.
You have 3 choices and each of them is absolutely fine and at your discretion: 1. Treat your work as a "bug bounty" and contact each manufacturer for compensation. 2. Choose educate ecosystem via github post. 3. Keep quiet and use for exact purpose you intended.
**Never, ever, ever become more committed to a startup than the founders are. A startup warrants devotion and continued work only when leadership is demonstrably committed to victory.
Pls immediately begin pursuit of finding a position that thrills you!
THIS: Assuming that you're healthy and remain mentally/physically vigorous, answer the below questions authentically:
1. Are you sick and tired of current daily routine and lack of intellectual stimulation? (You're obviously restless, hence posing this question).
2. Have you curated a list of startup ideas that are of interest and within scope of skill-set?
3. Has a restful night of slumber devolved into hours upon hours of visualizing the ONE product that will inspire the drive, discipline and creativity required to build and introducee it to the world?
Go kill it!!
And you'd like to shame them. Shame on you!
The vast majority of engineers will always view sales as a necessary evil, and thus the percentage whom achieve even base level competency is staggeringly low. In contrast, elite sales people are both driven and financially rewarded to master the nuances and myriad client incentives you outline above. Further, they are high IQ and will work tirelessly from outset to acquire deep knowledge of all required to serve the engineering team, close customers and contribute to P&L.
With rare exceptions a startup is ill-advised to not hire a sales lead from very early days. Involving this high achiever intimately with totality of inaugural customer acquisition is best practice, not doing so is akin to asking an offensive lineman to run a crossing route in the red zone.
In late August '08 I was epitome of rags to riches American Dream, bootstrapped founder of a 100+ person startup boasting 12 consecutive years 2x growth, 8-figs liquid and a signed LOI that represented generational wealth. Easy guess what happened next......
To answer your question Sirspacey, I'm nearly as passionate about crypto/blockchain rendering global feds impotent as I am about loving my amazing wife and children.
Your response, while applicable to the car salesman pushing the useless add-on feature or Best Buy associate shilling a warranty for the crappy laptop you just bought, is a galaxy away from the issue I've raised. Each of us is granted limited time on this earth, I'd urge you to consider only working on software that remedies a problem you truly care about.
The sales talent required to build processes, identify most promising inbound/outbound prospect funnels, execute script/price-point analysis & closing ratio's, etc. to bring a v1 to market is immense. Respectfully, your friend is woefully unqualified to serve your startup well. A B2B with pricing model you've suggested requires a 10x pro.
Where are you located? Website?
What is the "uber of real estate"?
Zillow & Trulia are just content sites that afford advertising opportunities to Realtors. Redfin will never achieve mass because sophisticated buyers & sellers will not---nor should they---trust these industry newbies with such responsibility. (Note: Redfin almost exclusively hires the wet behind the ears)
Interested in HN thoughts on this & it's correlation to Sam's post.
Respectful rebuttals: 1. Criminals and sexual offenders are everywhere (see national registry) and I don't think being concerned makes me a "paranoid parent"....FYI- I have 3 kids.
2. Building this functionality into a cell phone is an exciting thought.........but any criminal can just throw it out the window, it has to be affixed in an "alarm system" type way----I am open to ideas.
3. Business Week and TechCrunch---wow believe they agree---have both suggested that there are significant safety/value benefits to such a device. The real issue is that for kids older than 5 it must be cool and customizable so they like it.
Lastly, infants dont roam but are often abused. (i.e. terrible environments, screaming, not being changed often enough, shaking, etc.) that the parent never knows about because when they stop by at 5:30 to pick-up after work all seems perfect. It is a huge deal!
I am thankful you are in a safe town. Most in the US, not just rural, who go on the national sex offender registry site are alarmed at how many of these criminals are within close proximity to their house and schools.
PS. I have 3 children and have purchased the watch gps option from a company. It has very real design flaws but I am comforted in knowing my child cannot be taken without me immediately notified and informed with location.
As I said, make it a cool looking "apple-like" device and some of the house arrest images will go away, I think. Google the girls Dugard and Smart and the thousands of others that disappear or are abused each year and the business becomes compelling. I DO NOT wish to be an alarmist but bottom line is nobody thinks it will happen to them.
They say finding a co-founder is akin to finding a spouse. In this country > 50% of marriages fail, what does that tell you?
I believe that for those adequately capitalized they should fund themselves and then hire for skill-set gaps. If you need the financial and technical resources of 2 or more then just be careful what you wish for and take off the rose colored glasses before entering the relationship.
Lastly I would offer that a multi-person team needs a clear and elected leader (CEO), there are far too many decisions in building a company to expect that a democracy can compete.
The above is offered as testament to real-life experience. There are obviously going to be exceptions that have worked out great...and I'm happy for you!
Does anyone know if either of these businesses are already running w/ traction?
And measuring results is right. It is right for the employees who depend on the company to thrive as well as the middle-class family that has chosen to include a particular stock in their 401K or mutual fund.
Be advised, this is not a sexist comment. I have friends that have left the career path to the woman and the father is the primary emotional provider for the kids, and they seem to very much enjoy their decision.
As an entreprenuer and married father of 3 I would also love "work-life balance". It just doesn't exist for those of us who want for our careers and families the best life has to offer. Thank God to my wife for allowing me the time to take care of US.
I think the CEO was absolutely correct and should be praised for his leadership in this matter. No company is perfect, Craigslist included, but the 1st Amendment is not dead in the US of A!
This is why I begin driving from NY to SV to permanantly relocate in 4 days!!!
Questions:
What stage is your product? Enterprise or consumer? Are you at $0 Gross Sales or $1+ and building? Are you building TNBT or seek to exit early? Are you bootstrapped, how do you compensate this individual?
Also, it is my hope that all those who have commented on "craftsman v. entrepreneur" and the glut of "business types" have personally built companies and met the challenges of payroll & bringing a product to market.....but I really doubt thats the case.