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A Week After Google Changes Algo, Mahalo Fires 10% of Staff

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Re: A Week After Google Changes Algo, Mahalo Fires 10% of Staff

#41

Post by jasonmcalacanis »

1. We're working with the folks impacted to place them at whatever company they would like to join. I'm personally reaching out to folks who might want these fine people. They will all wind up on their feet and be great additions to the vibrant startup scene in Los Angeles.

2. Mahalo is doing amazing videos with experts, but our (text) articles were created by passionate writers who are not necessarily experts. Google want's experts, so we're doubling down and getting experts to help build curriculums and lesson plans for our videos. I'm 100% certain that will solve the problem.

3. You can think of us as a free version of Lynda.com for everything. Or a version of Kahn Academy for everything.

Imagine tens of thousands of these type of pages and videos being made a year: http://www.mahalo.com/learn-adobe-photoshop-adjustments-pane...

We're going to teach folks every major piece of software, every recipe of note, how to change their oil and how to play any song on guitar or piano. http://www.youtube.com/howtoplayguitar2

Video is the future, and we're going to be the largest creator of educational videos this year.

It sucks that we got hit so hard, but we will come back stronger. The 95 members of the team that are still with us are more committed than ever to the mission.

Yes, it really sucked to get off stage after 47 amazing LAUNCH companies had such amazing launches on stage. I got told on my way to the after party. We struggled over these decisions all weekend with the leadership team.

At the end of the day entrepreneurship is about kicking ass and getting your ass kicked. I've been through this many times, but I would be lying if I said it didn't impact me. It does.

This is the first time I had such a big high followed by such a low, low.

OK, time to change a diaper and give a bottle. No rest for the weary.

Back to work.

Re: A Week After Google Changes Algo, Mahalo Fires 10% of Staff

#42

Post by suprgeek »

xutopia wrote: post #6

"Free advice for entitled Gen Y trophy kids: if you spend 12 months at a company over and over you look like a flake." http://twitter.com/#!/Jason/status/12621363849 Or maybe it makes you look like someone who thinks they have better opportunities elsewhere.

Free Advice for opinionated Entrepreneurs - when you have the right to fire anyone at any time; evaluate the person you are hiring on merit and "fit" for the role. Not based on number of past stints or time spent at each company; but mostly do not come off looking like huge hypocrites.

Re: A Week After Google Changes Algo, Mahalo Fires 10% of Staff

#44

Post by annajohnson »

I like Jason Calacanis. He's done a wonderful job with TWIST, the This Week In network, the Open Angel Forum and the Launch conference. I find him to be very funny and entertaining, passionate about entrepreneurship, tough-minded and determined to succeed, forthright and honest about his opinions, and someone who isn't afraid to make hard decisions. I do wonder about the future of Mahalo, though. Unlike some of Jason's other ventures, it seems as if Mahalo - now version 4.0 - has struggled to obtain a unique and strong identity, let alone sufficient market traction, so far. If it can be the best how-to video site on the Internet, great, but given Google's recent stance on how-to content sites (i.e. the 'farmer' algorithmic change), not to mention all the other companies vying to be the best how-to video site on the Internet, the company certainly has its work cut out for it. On the other hand, these are precisely the circumstances that sort out the real entrepreneurs from the wannabes and from Jason's comments above... I wouldn't count him or the Mahalo team out.

Re: A Week After Google Changes Algo, Mahalo Fires 10% of Staff

#45

Post by mypityforyou »

jasonmcalacanis wrote: post #41

1. We're working with the folks impacted to place them at whatever company they would like to join. I'm personally reaching out to folks who might want these fine people. They will all wind up on their feet and be great additions to the vibrant startup scene in Los Angeles. 2. Mahalo is doing amazing videos with experts, but our (text) articles were created by passionate writers who are not necessarily experts. Googl…

How many weeks severance did you give them?

Did you pay it in actual dollars, or Mahalo dollars, with the patented Mahalo exchange rate?

Re: A Week After Google Changes Algo, Mahalo Fires 10% of Staff

#46

Post by forensic »

marcamillion wrote: post #3

The messed up thing about this is, that 10% of the staff have 'slaved' for however long they have been there. All for naught. Maybe they can still get a referral from Jason, but given that I don't think that pays the bills...hopefully it can help them land on their feet.

"slaved".. were they not compensated?

Re: A Week After Google Changes Algo, Mahalo Fires 10% of Staff

#47

Post by staunch »

jasonmcalacanis wrote: post #41

1. We're working with the folks impacted to place them at whatever company they would like to join. I'm personally reaching out to folks who might want these fine people. They will all wind up on their feet and be great additions to the vibrant startup scene in Los Angeles. 2. Mahalo is doing amazing videos with experts, but our (text) articles were created by passionate writers who are not necessarily experts. Googl…

You like brutal honesty and you put yourself out there, so I think it's fair to ask you. Why don't you leave your role at Mahalo and do what you're the absolute best at? (TWiST, LAUNCH Conf, TC competitor)? Plenty of people can do a video eHow, but almost no one else could rival TC.

It seems like a pride/ego/money thing from the outside. Is it something else?

Re: A Week After Google Changes Algo, Mahalo Fires 10% of Staff

#48

Post by mypityforyou »

jasonmcalacanis wrote: post #41

1. We're working with the folks impacted to place them at whatever company they would like to join. I'm personally reaching out to folks who might want these fine people. They will all wind up on their feet and be great additions to the vibrant startup scene in Los Angeles. 2. Mahalo is doing amazing videos with experts, but our (text) articles were created by passionate writers who are not necessarily experts. Googl…

Free advice for entitled Silicon Valley luckboxes: if your shitty content farm gets kicked out of google again and again, you look like a flake.

Re: A Week After Google Changes Algo, Mahalo Fires 10% of Staff

#49

Post by mypityforyou »

ihodes wrote: post #19
S_A_P wrote: post #13

Could someone tell me more about this Jason Calacanis fellow. He seems to be a very polarizing figure on this site. Really all I know is that he seemed to have a falling out with Michael Arrington and alot of articles seem to mention him in a slightly negative light. Is there some reason for this, and no I'm not trying to troll.

Mahalo is equated with spam in the eyes of many HNers (including me), and JC is seen as the promoter of said spam. EDIT: Why the hell is this getting so many upvotes? Because it's easier to read? Upvote, instead, some of the comments with actual fucking content. EDIT2: Also, while I think (much of) Mahalo is spam, I respect Jason and his business, and wish him the best of luck.

> I respect Jason and his business, and wish him the best of luck.

Serious question: why would you respect him or his shitty spam farm?

He's an abrasive, ignorant, no-talent douchebag who doesn't care the first thing about delivering actual value.

Fuck him. I hope the VCs of the world wake up and realize the only reason he has any money is because AOL was staffed by morons.

Re: A Week After Google Changes Algo, Mahalo Fires 10% of Staff

#50

Post by mypityforyou »

rokhayakebe wrote: post #21
arnorhs wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should check out some of his shows on http://thisweekin.com/thisweekin-startups/ - you can get a sense of who he is from watching a few. The general consensus on HN is that he doesn't treat people well or is somehow not very "honest". Personally, I'm a big fan. I watch every episode and I generally agree with most of what he says.

I agree. He just seems brutally honest, and that gets him in trouble. But hate him or love him, the guy does a great job with TWIST. I do not use Mahalo, so I cannot speak for it.

He's honest, except when he's talking about himself or his ventures.

Then he's brutally and completely dishonest.

He gets no respect from me. It saddens me that he's conned you into thinking he's a decent man. You really are a fool in this game. He laughs at dipshits like you. Literally. He actually makes fun of you for watching TWIST.

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