From Selling Scoops of Ice Cream to Founding ZeroCater
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From Selling Scoops of Ice Cream to Founding ZeroCater
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Re: From Selling Scoops of Ice Cream to Founding ZeroCater
#2I'm not much of a sucker for inspirational stories, but this is one of the best I've read in a long time.
Re: From Selling Scoops of Ice Cream to Founding ZeroCater
#3Arram followed the advice I normally give people applying to startups for non-technical jobs that have no relevant experience: he prepared tremendously for his interview and actually came with real suggestions on things we should do, and visualized himself in the position. On paper, he wasn't someone we would have considered (his previous experience was as a security guard and ice cream scooper with no college degree). But, out of all the candidates, Arram was the only one who had prepared as if he had already gotten the job and was going over first steps.
We actually ended up hiring someone else as the community manager, but I was impressed with Arram and wanted to find a place for him at Justin.tv, so we created the "grab bag of unwanted tasks." While he fluctuated between doing those things well and sometimes not as well, he became a contributing member of the team.
Because we were paying Arram not so much, I told him he should start doing the lunch ordering for a few friends' companies for some side cash, and pretty soon after he came to me and told me he was quitting.
Out of all the people who have "graduated" from Justin.tv, I'm most proud of Arram. His drive to start a company is incredible, and he's done it despite the odds. Proud to say I'm an investor in ZeroCater and I think he's going to make me some money as well.
Re: From Selling Scoops of Ice Cream to Founding ZeroCater
#4great story
Re: From Selling Scoops of Ice Cream to Founding ZeroCater
#5great story
Re: From Selling Scoops of Ice Cream to Founding ZeroCater
#6Arram followed the advice I normally give people applying to startups for non-technical jobs that have no relevant experience: he prepared tremendously for his interview and actually came with real suggestions on things we should do, and visualized himself in the position. On paper, he wasn't someone we would have considered (his previous experience was as a security guard and ice cream scooper with no college degree…
Reading inspiring stories like this makes me realize how much of entrepreneurship is about taking risks rather than hard work. Moving to another place with a few thousand dollars in your pocket, quitting a stable job without a firm idea in mind, figuring things out as you go.
There may have been dozens of well prepared and hard working candidates available that day, but probably none were out of job and interviewing for Justin.tv at the time Arram was. There are also always tons of people working at perfectly great jobs, but a very few of us have the gut to stop working and forge a company built on nothing but determination to succeed.
Re: From Selling Scoops of Ice Cream to Founding ZeroCater
#7[deleted]
Re: From Selling Scoops of Ice Cream to Founding ZeroCater
#8I always chuckle when I hear "MVP" in the same sentence as a RoR/node.js stack, complicated monetization strategies and A/B testing.
A bank account and a Google Docs spreadsheet. That's MVP.
Re: From Selling Scoops of Ice Cream to Founding ZeroCater
#9It occurred to me as I was writing another comment about how much I love ZeroCater that they might be the perfect fit for what I'm trying to build right now. I've started validating and getting Beta customers for a personalized perks program where people don't get a set group of company0wide perks, but instead get them personalized to what makes them a happier and more fulfilled person. I've been trying to figure out the catering problem, because I don't actually want to CREATE any perks, but instead partner with people that already fulfill things that would be considered perks. Catering is definitely the one I have the hardest time imagining managing.
Is this an appropriate place to ask if anyone thinks ZeroCater would be interested in being the fulfiller for catering for that system and/or they could ask Arram or the appropriate person what they think? (email = tommy@thecityswig.com)
Re: From Selling Scoops of Ice Cream to Founding ZeroCater
#10I've heard some pretty terrible stories about the vegetarian options offered by ZeroCater. It seems that many times they give the omnivores a full meal and then the vegetarian meal is the same meal without the meat, meaning it contains virtually no protein.
I'm not a vegetarian, but I am sensitive to other people's preferences. Has the situation changed lately?