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The ‘Terminator’ of startups says he’s seeing two to four wind-downs a week

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Re: The ‘Terminator’ of startups says he’s seeing two to four wind-downs a week

#51

Post by ch4s3 »

ajamesm wrote: post #49
JBReefer wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's actually a core and well supported part of capitalism - people hire more when firing is easy, lenders are more willing to lend in industries with repo men, etc. It's kind of morbid, but rich ecosystems like the Amazon mostly exist because dead stuff is rapidly recycled. The economy is no different: slowing down the cycle is incredibly distortionary.

Yeah, private equity is a natural response to business failing in the wake of a bubble, but bubbles themselves are market distortions caused by insane valuations. Highlighting the value of reclamation just draws the heat off of the irrationality of the tech bubble. Amazon isn't a rich ecosystem, it's oligarchic. And, indeed, any systemic failure in a capitalist economy gets explained away by saying that some cadre of…

>Amazon isn't a rich ecosystem, it's oligarchic.

I think the gp meant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rainforest

Re: The ‘Terminator’ of startups says he’s seeing two to four wind-downs a week

#52

Post by tthayer »

rfrank wrote: post #46
CalChris wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At $1500 for a chair, no wonder these startups are failing.

Something something it's literally impossible to hire engineers who aren't showered in toys and treats. But yeah, I generally agree with you. I like my fancy chair because I spend an awful lot of time in it every day, and I'm tall (6'6"), so most chairs are pretty uncomfortable for me and my lower back already sucks.

I went to work for a utility company blocks away from Puppet HQ, New Relic, Tripwire, Simple, and many others. There are tradeoffs but it has been one of the best decisions that I've made for my work-life balance in years. Perks are basically non-existent, but they ring hollow if the work isn't enjoyable or rewarding enough on its own.

Re: The ‘Terminator’ of startups says he’s seeing two to four wind-downs a week

#53

Post by geofft »

ajamesm wrote: post #49
JBReefer wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's actually a core and well supported part of capitalism - people hire more when firing is easy, lenders are more willing to lend in industries with repo men, etc. It's kind of morbid, but rich ecosystems like the Amazon mostly exist because dead stuff is rapidly recycled. The economy is no different: slowing down the cycle is incredibly distortionary.

Yeah, private equity is a natural response to business failing in the wake of a bubble, but bubbles themselves are market distortions caused by insane valuations. Highlighting the value of reclamation just draws the heat off of the irrationality of the tech bubble. Amazon isn't a rich ecosystem, it's oligarchic. And, indeed, any systemic failure in a capitalist economy gets explained away by saying that some cadre of…

Right, this line of reasoning sounds vaguely like the broken-window fallacy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_broken_window

That is, if people being fired from these miserable startups is good for the economy, wouldn't them not having worked there at all have been even better?

Re: The ‘Terminator’ of startups says he’s seeing two to four wind-downs a week

#54

Post by ajamesm »

ch4s3 wrote: post #51
ajamesm wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, private equity is a natural response to business failing in the wake of a bubble, but bubbles themselves are market distortions caused by insane valuations. Highlighting the value of reclamation just draws the heat off of the irrationality of the tech bubble. Amazon isn't a rich ecosystem, it's oligarchic. And, indeed, any systemic failure in a capitalist economy gets explained away by saying that some cadre of…

>Amazon isn't a rich ecosystem, it's oligarchic. I think the gp meant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rainforest

facepalm Thanks.

Re: The ‘Terminator’ of startups says he’s seeing two to four wind-downs a week

#55

Post by metaphorm »

nsxwolf wrote: post #23

Looks like I'm getting a new chair soon. The best thing about the Dot Com bubble bursting was my cheap Aeron. I'm ready to upgrade.

got mine for free from a guy who got 4 for free from a (failed startup) company his hedge fund liquidated.

Re: The ‘Terminator’ of startups says he’s seeing two to four wind-downs a week

#56

Post by akoster »

scandox wrote: post #25
nsxwolf wrote: post #23

Looks like I'm getting a new chair soon. The best thing about the Dot Com bubble bursting was my cheap Aeron. I'm ready to upgrade.

Yeah the 2008 financial meltdown saved my lumbar region. Paid 250 for a 1,600 euro chair. Very happy. On the other hand a lot of people lost everything. So that was the flipside.

In my area, there were tons of mortgage companies going under left and right back then. Definately lots of people lost their jobs but the glut of cheap office furniture allowed my dad's cost-conscious company consistently upgrade for a while. Since they were a descent-sized firm, buying a lot of chairs or monitors was easy but I wonder how often for someone like myself interested in just a single desk or chair could compete with someone interested in buying a lot.

Re: The ‘Terminator’ of startups says he’s seeing two to four wind-downs a week

#57

Post by metaphorm »

CalChris wrote: post #43
rfrank wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Embody, also by Herman Miller.

At $1500 for a chair, no wonder these startups are failing.

look, friend, this is the most sedentary line of work there is. if you don't have a good chair you're in for a world of hurt.

Re: The ‘Terminator’ of startups says he’s seeing two to four wind-downs a week

#58

Post by toomuchtodo »

CalChris wrote: post #43
rfrank wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Embody, also by Herman Miller.

At $1500 for a chair, no wonder these startups are failing.

$1500/1920 work hours a year = $0.78/hr. Seems reasonable to me.

Re: The ‘Terminator’ of startups says he’s seeing two to four wind-downs a week

#59

Post by brandnewlow »

rexreed wrote: post #22
brandnewlow wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was at SXSW but didn't have as much time for Interactive sessions as in past years. Can you expound on your SXSW observation? I did notice the trade show seemed dominated by the country pavillions like I don't remember before. It made me wonder if they were basically bussing in international startups to cover up for the general lack of startups that wanted to buy a booth.

First, from what I am hearing, there was overall lower number of badge sales for SXSWi. The sometimes large attendance at sessions was masked by the fact that SXSW now allows any ticket type entrance to various events, but only prioritizes certain badge holders. Second, overall attendance at unofficial events was significantly lower from previous years. Previously you faced huge lines for most parties, but many such…

Thanks for the excellent rundown. That matches what I saw as well. I showed up 5 minutes late for a few events, assuming I was out of luck, only to find I could walk right in.

Re: The ‘Terminator’ of startups says he’s seeing two to four wind-downs a week

#60

Post by ch4s3 »

ajamesm wrote: post #54
ch4s3 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Amazon isn't a rich ecosystem, it's oligarchic. I think the gp meant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rainforest

facepalm Thanks.

The context mixes the metaphor and the pun(intentional or not).
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