Quitting my job to co-found Snapvine proved a near-zero-risk move: 4–5 months later I was ROI-positive on networking, learning, and satisfaction, with a path to higher pay if needed. The startup cost about $5k vs an $85k MBA, delivering far more value and momentum than the MBA.
Ask for better updates with an itemized list of completed work and access to their ticketing system (Lighthouse or similar) to track progress. Get a call to clear the air, stay professional, and then cut scope: drop nonessential features, fix only essential bugs, and ship a minimally viable release.
Recruit great hackers by: using contractors not tied to agencies so you can hire full‑time later; meeting hires over lots of coffees—even if they aren’t looking—because word travels; and focusing deeply on one school with informal talks, brown-bags, affiliate dinners, open houses, and post‑fair meetups to build a reputation.
On the Hacker News front page, "Sell Ice Cream, Not Cream and Ice" drew 2,530 visits in three days—about 30x usual. Breakdown: 1,542 HN, 574 direct, 50 Twitter, 49 Craigslist, 32 jimmyr.com, 200+ others. Direct traffic lacks referrers; Craigslist came from a ThinkSpace job post; ~30 new Twitter followers.
At LeadsCon, I saw that startups can thrive with business—not just tech or product: acquire traffic, filter intent via simple forms, then sell leads to buyers who want ready-to-buy options. Education lead gen may be a $1B market; contractors and schools pay for convenience, not DIY forms.
In 2006, Snapvine’s first viral widget and teen phone app exploded to 1 million signups in 7 weeks, forcing us to occasionally pause signups 25% of time. To refocus on users, we posted hundreds of daily user photo thumbnails on the wall and started a weekly Craigslist focus group.
After our June 2006 Series A, we hired a Do-It-All Office Admin (DIAOA) to tackle distractions—space, supplies, benefits, recruiting, and events—so others could focus on building the business. In 2.5 years, two hires with little experience proved incredibly effective; they owned ops and boosted morale.
Complaints gain value when paired with solution ideas; failure becomes innovation when it includes honest learning; ideas gain traction when backed by follow-through, potentially becoming worth millions. So next time someone presents any of these alone, strive to spark a positive follow-up.
Last week at FiReGlobal West I spoke on a CTO Challenge Panel about tech boosting civic engagement. Key takeaways: education shifts to coaching with individualized pacing; Serious Materials cites 52% of global CO2 from buildings; InTouch Health remote hospital robotics; carbon pricing to drive action; Dell: Standardize, Simplify, Automate.
Competition isn’t fatal; it validates your direction and even lets you copy what works fast. Learn from their customers: email ten random users and ask for their ten favorite features and top five missing ones. Don’t panic—one competitor isn’t enough; keep building even if Yahoo buys similar firms.
