They do have a monopoly because they hold a patent on the search algorithm. While 'anyone' can come up with a new search algorithm, are you really going to best the authority measure used in academia for a hundred years?
Not necessarily. He could have secured less than optimal funding (e.g. a single source) and bought himself the opportunity to find ideal candidates now.
I have been driving a Model 3 since for 3 months now and it's the most amazing car I have ever had. I switched from a BMW 3 series, which is a no contest comparison. The autopilot is the killer app for driving long distances on the freeway especially in traffic. I let a friend drive for a while and then, after driving home in his own car, said 'I feel like I just saw a washing machine and now I have to wash my clothes by hand.'
This company would be cool if it were helping existing burger employees to have ownership in the coming wave of automation. Let me know when you find that company and I will invest the little that I have!
This is an interesting dichotomy to present (meaningful versus friendly work culture). I imagine there are also people who prefer the former. I am not judging at all -- find the dichotomy pretty accurate.
They only pay $5 per Bird per night. If each Bird "works" only 3 hours a day on 15 minute trips, that's about $30 a day earned per Bird. They probably get the scooters for ~$300 so each one pays itself off in 10 days. Call it 12 to account for damaged Birds. Extrapolate that out to say, 1000 Birds in a City, and that's at least $1MM in revenue monthly per city.
The flaw here is that you assume that "Kara" will learn from her mistakes. Not always the case. Especially in "creative" personality types. Find a creative, rational person if you can.
Maybe you think there is no value, but don't realize the information you or others glean from the meeting pays off. Perhaps think about what value could come from these meetings and then determine whether you are getting it.
The odd part to me is that people forget how much you get for the measly 2% or so in fees you pay to a bank annually. You get FDIC insurance, protection against fraud, someone you can call for assistance, relative stability, ability to pay for things anywhere. With btc you get none of that, plus risk of losing your assets due to a user negligence, ignorance, hacks, sophisticated scams, or other culprits.
I hate Soylent so much. If you like the idea of eating efficiently, just get some whey protein and possibly a veggie shake mix. Oh wait, that's not good enough. I need to seem hip, cool, and into the latest fad diet plan.
Why not sell 75% ownership and stay on to assist with the continued development and growth of the site? That way you are still invested and you reduced your risk in a reasonably fair way. For a small site with limited revenues, valuation is somewhat subjective as you are projecting forward with many unknowns.