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Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos meet "Ginger" (2003)

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Re: Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos meet "Ginger" (2003)

#41

Post by riprowan »

yawaramin wrote: post #40
riprowan wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never understood this argument. Probably the best thing about being a cutting-edge dev is the ability to work from anywhere. Heck, I've only worked onsite for a handful of my clients. Some of them (including my current client) I've never even met. Why this need to co-locate everyone - in the most expensive city we can find? Why the need to work so hard - just to transfer your hard-earned wealth to a landlord? Yo…

It's because people of diverse backgrounds need diversity in their community/social life as well. In Texas you have two kinds of diversity: white and Hispanic.

> In Texas you have two kinds of diversity: white and Hispanic

uffi... where to start?

Maybe you exhibit prejudice and ignorance of your own?

Did you know that, for example, Dallas has one of the largest gay communities in the USA?

I'm sure Texas could use more diversity, and I won't try to convince you otherwise since your mind appears quite made up, but your comment adds negative value to the conversation.

Re: Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos meet "Ginger" (2003)

#42

Post by martincmartin »

Tiktaalik wrote: post #2

>"I think the emphasis of this conversation is wrong," said Bezos. "You have a product so revolutionary, you'll have no problem selling it. The question is, are people going to be allowed to use it?" Bezos and Jobs were right. Bicycles have been around since the 19th century and yet city planners are still struggling against mainstream political opinion to be able to set aside dedicated space for their use. If most c…

Bicycles have been around since the 19th century and yet city planners are still struggling against mainstream political opinion to be able to set aside dedicated space for their use.

To be fair, in the U.S., bicycle use has increased dramatically in the last decade or two, before the recent trend of adding bike lanes. Increased traffic congestion, including from cutbacks in public transit and city planning that emphasizes safety over car speed, have made cars less practical and increased biking a lot.

Re: Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos meet "Ginger" (2003)

#43

Post by zeristor »

colanderman wrote: post #11
Camillo wrote: post #4

I would say that ultimately the Segway was a failure, but that perception is partially affected by the hyperbolic hype that preceded it. I wonder what its own inventors think. How popular did they expect it to get? How did they expect people to use it? How did they not foresee the backlash to its incredible dorkiness? Would a smaller, handle-less form factor (like the Chinese clones now known as "hoverboards") have b…

Riding a Segway telegraphs either "I am fit enough to balance standing on a moving platform, yet rich enough to drop several grand on a vehicle whose only benefit over a bicycle is not having to move my legs," or "I have respiratory issues." At least today's so-called "hoverboards" and electric skateboards are an order of magnitude more affordable (and transportable). I wonder if an inexpensive automated rental model…

There's also a rather (£14k) pricey wheel chair

http://www.themobilityaidscentre.co.uk/genny-segway-powercha...

Re: Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos meet "Ginger" (2003)

#44

Post by jdpedrie »

pavlov wrote: post #27

Segway and Google Glass went through similar product image trajectories: immense pre-launch hype, then turned into a dorky status symbol perceived as being for tech-obsessed rich buffoons only, and riddled by regulatory problems concerning its public use. Yet Snap seems to be doing quite well with its Spectacles resurrection of the Google Glass concept. Maybe Segway will also come back once someone cracks the design…

> a dorky status symbol perceived as being for tech-obsessed rich buffoons

I think this is pretty key. Whenever I hear about Segway, my first thought is Gob Bluth from Arrested Development riding around on one with his name plastered across the control console.

Re: Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos meet "Ginger" (2003)

#45

Post by nahnh »

riprowan wrote: post #28
seanp2k2 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, one could live in the middle of Texas for $400/month in a place with low crime...and nothing to do, no infrastructure, and no jobs. Jobs won't come there any time soon, because people don't want to be there, hence the low CoL.

I've never understood this argument. Probably the best thing about being a cutting-edge dev is the ability to work from anywhere. Heck, I've only worked onsite for a handful of my clients. Some of them (including my current client) I've never even met. Why this need to co-locate everyone - in the most expensive city we can find? Why the need to work so hard - just to transfer your hard-earned wealth to a landlord? Yo…

Oh you certainly can have a good career working remote, I've largely worked remote my entire career, but I choose to live in one of the top 3 most expensive cities in the US. The networking and proximity to other very talented people is important to me, both for personal and professional growth. My social circles are filled with supremely talented people from a diversity of backgrounds, which keeps me challenged and inspired.

If that's not for you that's totally fine, but I don't think I would have been able to level up my career and life anywhere else as rapidly.

Re: Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos meet "Ginger" (2003)

#47

Post by truftruf »

jayjay71 wrote: post #24
truftruf wrote: post #20

"Screw the lead times. You don't have a great product yet!" - Steve Jobs Advice every struggling startup needs to hear. Great products are rare and the best way to succeed is not to settle on product quality.

But how do you know you have a great product before you ship? Until you have paying customers, you don't have a real feedback loop.

Startups can "ship" many times before anyone notices. Big companies (like Apple) can do private user testing.

You will know when your product is great because users will have an unmistakable reaction. It's the difference between "oh, that sounds interesting" and "shut up and take my money!"

Re: Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos meet "Ginger" (2003)

#48

Post by Angostura »

xt00 wrote: post #5

Using a Segway on a college campus would be great.. Wish they had convinced campuses to buy them for students. The unveiling was so lame.. People wearing khakis and super lame helmets and going over little bumps and looking so non-cool.. I watched way back when and was like... Uh... No.. First should not have helmets on.. Should have been very attractive people and should have showed how quickly they could get from p…

Better than a bicycle in what way, though?

Re: Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos meet "Ginger" (2003)

#49

Post by yawaramin »

riprowan wrote: post #41
yawaramin wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's because people of diverse backgrounds need diversity in their community/social life as well. In Texas you have two kinds of diversity: white and Hispanic.

> In Texas you have two kinds of diversity: white and Hispanic uffi... where to start? Maybe you exhibit prejudice and ignorance of your own? Did you know that, for example, Dallas has one of the largest gay communities in the USA? I'm sure Texas could use more diversity, and I won't try to convince you otherwise since your mind appears quite made up, but your comment adds negative value to the conversation.

OK, I probably spoke too loosely. It's not that Texas doesn't have diversity; for example I've heard Austin has a cool 'artsy' scene. Rather, it's that to outsiders, Texas gives the perception of being very homogeneous. We don't get to see the diverse side of Texas because in media, literature, and other popular culture, Texas is often represented in a certain way. Whose fault is that? Definitely not of the minorities and the rational-minded people of Texas; but it is what it is and it does keep people away.

Re: Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos meet "Ginger" (2003)

#50

Post by narrowrail »

coldtea wrote: post #31
narrowrail wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious: When we talk about product-market fit, do you classify that as marketing?

If you mean recognizing if a product will be good for a particular market, then obviously not.

Well, you would be wrong. I don't know how to make this clear to people without knowledge of how things were defined in the business world before the prevalence of the web, but you seem to be part of the crowd I've decided to correct on HN. It's not that I'm against the language evolving, but one should know where these terms came from. Please note the use of the word "market," as that should be indicative.
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