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kieftravon Ask HN: How to make TechCrunch talk about my startup?

The more important question is "Why do you want TC to cover you?" Does your target audience read TC? If not, you shouldn't bother.

Get your product in front of your target customer. Get some relevant blogger to cover you. Cold call potential customers and buy them lunch in exchange for trying out your product.

Getting coverage in TC should be a means to an end - getting your message out to your customers, helping with credibility/recruiting, etc. TC coverage shouldn't be viewed as an end in itself. Getting customers to love your product - and be willing to pay for it - is much more worth your time.

kieftravon Ask HN: How are lean startups easily accepting CC payments?

My personal strategy has been to start out with paypal because it's super easy to integrate, and then when you have enough sales, upgrade to something like braintree. That way you wait until proof of concept and revenue before you put down money on a better solution.

kieftravon You shouldn't apply to YCombinator if...

Great post, David! I remember the beginning days and hearing the story as it happened. Nice to read the whole story in one well-written article. Keep it up!

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Thank you. While I wouldn't say masterful (rather serendipitious), I'm definitely planning to write an article about it.

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

From the Gumball Capital page or TC? If TC, please follow through to the Gumball Capital page and click "Make a Donation".

Does that help?

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Got the email and noted the request. I'll see what I can do about the penguin!

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Yep. Just tell me who you want it to, what you want me to do, and that you want it to be anonymous and I'll do it!

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

No border guards as far as I know... And I should double check as I'm supposed to claim some land for a couple groups of people.

North Dakota, eh? Yeah, I got over the mortal enemies thing when I realized how few of us are in Silicon Valley.

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

There's a little "HEY YOU" on the second page, which you click and tell me your idea. Or you can send me an email!

Either works. Thanks for the support!

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Yes, I'm 23. And I'm a kid at heart.

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

I'm doing this because I wanted to do something so crazy that it would help raise awareness for this organization. In two hours here's what's happened:

1) We've raised $3,000 (6% of the goal), 2) 10 schools from California to Brazil want to run our program, 3) offers for in-kind help (programming, pr, news, etc), and 4) It's fun! It's spreading the word in an innovative way and I'm loving what we're doing!!

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Yes... That would be pretty sweet.

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Awesome! If you wanted to tick them both off in one go, I totally think you could do it... ;)

Here's the company organizing my marathon: http://www.icemarathon.com/

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Yeah, I know. I'd love to set up something like WePay but simply didn't have the time and we're already verified on Paypal. But I would like to talk to the WePay guys... :)

Also, the link doesn't work in TC but it does work when you visit our page - http://gumballcapital.org/7-Marathons-7-Continents/ - and click "Make a Donation"

Sorry for the difficulties!

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Thanks for the offer but I'm a pretty big PHP guy (yeah, I know, snide comments)... ;)

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

My apologies. I meant to say Ivy League caliber... ;)

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Thanks David!

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Thanks Ian! woOOOooohooOOOOooo!

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

That's what I have to look forward to! It's going to be Awesome!!

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Thanks!

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

Good question. I'll keep an eye out... :)

kieftravon This Kid Will Do Whatever You Want in Antartica

1) Set up a plane to Puntas Arenas, Chile. 2) Coordinate with group of other crazy people to fly to Antarctica 3) Bring LOTS of warm clothing. 4) To run, be very careful. Mostly shuffling. 5) Find big ice sheets to run on

- Travis (the guy running the marathons)