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How We Bootstrapped a $20K Website into a $4M/year Business

myclean.com

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Re: How We Bootstrapped a $20K Website into a $4M/year Business

#141

Post by Aloisius »

marcamillion wrote: post #69

I love this story. This is also why I bristle when many in the Valley - PG included - keep disparaging non-technical people when they want to start a tech company. I never understood this. For a group of people (programmers) that presumably have been ostracized, shunned, and picked on in their formative years, why do so many in the valley do this to 'MBAs'. It's ignorant at best. The fact is, as has been shown time a…

For a group of people (programmers) that presumably have been ostracized, shunned, and picked on in their formative years, why do so many in the valley do this to 'MBAs'.

It is hard to classify any group as being monolithic, but it has been my experience that an MBA really prepares you to be a good middle manager or consultant. Indeed, this is what MBA programs were originally designed to do and it still shows.

It also makes sense that middle managers would be the last people you'd want to hire at a startup (literally, middle managers are the last to get hired).

Of course, there are exceptions. A lot of exceptions in this case. If you have the startup bug, MBA or not, you'll start a company, but let's not pretend like this train of thought is completely unwarranted.

Re: How We Bootstrapped a $20K Website into a $4M/year Business

#142

Post by [deleted] »

physcab wrote: post #106
marcamillion wrote: post #69

I love this story. This is also why I bristle when many in the Valley - PG included - keep disparaging non-technical people when they want to start a tech company. I never understood this. For a group of people (programmers) that presumably have been ostracized, shunned, and picked on in their formative years, why do so many in the valley do this to 'MBAs'. It's ignorant at best. The fact is, as has been shown time a…

> why do so many in the valley do this to 'MBAs'. Because every technical person has a story about: - "Idea people" telling them what to do and taking all the credit. - A non-technical manager setting unreasonable deadlines. - A non-technical manager trivializing a complex task. - "Oh we'll just get him/her to write some code". - Being treated as if their talents are a commodity. - Being treated as if they cannot com…

[deleted]

Re: How We Bootstrapped a $20K Website into a $4M/year Business

#144

Post by rquantz »

marcamillion wrote: post #112
cygwin98 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me...my MBA taught me how the world works. It is surprising how few people understand how it truly works - yet they speak as if they know. For that single achievement alone, I would encourage everyone to get an MBA. That sounds like quite a claim. Can you shed some lights on how the world works from an MBA's perspective?

Well...I can't speak from an "MBA's" perspective, because there isn't 1 MBA perspective. In terms of the way the world works, I can say that politicians are not in the business of running the world the way it should be run - they are in the business of politicking. It has become fanciful in the last decade or so, to blame bankers, wall street, the 1%, capitalism, etc. for all the worlds ills - but that's just not the…

Except that American bond yields are low because the US is in a depression (a liquidity trap), not because "the situation is not as bad as it seems."

You're right though that debt, personal or sovereign, is not always bad.

Re: How We Bootstrapped a $20K Website into a $4M/year Business

#145

Post by nilkn »

marcamillion wrote: post #126
jconley wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"This is also why I bristle when many in the Valley - PG included - keep disparaging non-technical people when they want to start a tech company." I realize this is probably just semantics but I want to chime in on one little tidbit here. These guys didn't start a technology company in the sense that they needed technology innovation to succeed. They started an innovative cleaning business that uses some technology.…

I understand where you are going, but definitely semantics :)

I think the difference is legitimately more than semantics. There's a very real difference between starting something like Heroku and something like MyClean.

I'm not saying one is easier than the other. I'm just saying different expertise is required. MyClean sounds like a perfect company to be run by MBAs with technology pushed to the side. My gut feeling is the opposite for Heroku.

Re: How We Bootstrapped a $20K Website into a $4M/year Business

#146

Post by colemorrison »

marcamillion wrote: post #69

I love this story. This is also why I bristle when many in the Valley - PG included - keep disparaging non-technical people when they want to start a tech company. I never understood this. For a group of people (programmers) that presumably have been ostracized, shunned, and picked on in their formative years, why do so many in the valley do this to 'MBAs'. It's ignorant at best. The fact is, as has been shown time a…

It's simple really:

Because people make the mistake of constant blanket statements:

Technical people say: "MBAs always suck."

Non-Technicals say: "Techies are incessant and snarky geeks."

One blanket statement results in the retort of another statement, and then group polarization takes effect. So by making this rant, you're just setting a precedent for Techies to be flamed at MBAs even more.

Re: How We Bootstrapped a $20K Website into a $4M/year Business

#147

Post by snowwrestler »

marcamillion wrote: post #112
cygwin98 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me...my MBA taught me how the world works. It is surprising how few people understand how it truly works - yet they speak as if they know. For that single achievement alone, I would encourage everyone to get an MBA. That sounds like quite a claim. Can you shed some lights on how the world works from an MBA's perspective?

Well...I can't speak from an "MBA's" perspective, because there isn't 1 MBA perspective. In terms of the way the world works, I can say that politicians are not in the business of running the world the way it should be run - they are in the business of politicking. It has become fanciful in the last decade or so, to blame bankers, wall street, the 1%, capitalism, etc. for all the worlds ills - but that's just not the…

Markets do not predict the future, they only represent the current state of mind about the future.

The fact that U.S. bond rates are so low does not mean that "something else is at work and the situation is not as bad as it seems." It just means that right now, folks can't think of a better place to put their money than in U.S. bonds. That mindset could change quickly if market conditions change. It was not that long ago that mortgage-backed securities were highly rated and well-funded.

Note: I'm not predicting doom for the U.S. here--just making the point that financial instruments really need to be evaluated by their business fundamentals, not how popular they are with other investors.

Furthermore, while the U.S. bond market is resistance to manipulation due to its size, smaller bond markets are not so protected. Here's one example:

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/July/11-at-890.html

Re: How We Bootstrapped a $20K Website into a $4M/year Business

#148

Post by ThomPete »

marcamillion wrote: post #90
ThomPete wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it has become the lore that you need to be a geek to build a successful software business. There are always exceptions. With regards to MBA's is there any evidence that getting one makes people more sucessful in their careers? I know it helps if you already have a job to climb the ladder, but I don't think there is much in an MBA that isn't covered in a book like "The Personal MBA" and isn't much you will lea…

So...I guess I disagree with the premise. There is no single educational achievement that anyone can get that will single-handedly assure success in their career. Have there been many success stories of people with MBAs? Yes. Have there been many success stories of people with law /medicine/accounting degrees? Yes. Do each of those guarantee success. Hells no. Does an education guarantee success? No. The only thing t…

You are missing the point here.

The claims of the MBA education is extraordinary. They claim that this will give you an edge on everyone else. It's not just a normal business education.

That's the measurement here.

With regards to how the world truly works.

The world truly works in many different ways depending on who you are, where you live and what you do.

Did you learn how africans on the savannah live? How un-educated people in the Bronx live? How people without jobs get social security. Did you learn what a person who get cancer thinks or what someone who get their family killed feels?

What you learned was how the world looks like through the eyes of an MBA, but you have not learned anything about the real world any more than someone living on the streets learn about the real world.

If anything you are abstracted far far away from reality.

Re: How We Bootstrapped a $20K Website into a $4M/year Business

#149

Post by ThomPete »

dkrich wrote: post #97
ThomPete wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it has become the lore that you need to be a geek to build a successful software business. There are always exceptions. With regards to MBA's is there any evidence that getting one makes people more sucessful in their careers? I know it helps if you already have a job to climb the ladder, but I don't think there is much in an MBA that isn't covered in a book like "The Personal MBA" and isn't much you will lea…

Do you have an MBA? I'm not trying to sound like a dick- that's an honest question. I do have an MBA and while I definitely think it was overpriced, the relationships with top faculty, in-depth case studies, and lasting friendships that I got out of it is definitely beyond what you will get from a book. That said, experience is and always will be the best teacher. There is only so much you can get from relationships,…

No I don't have an MBA and I wouldn't want one even if it was given to me.

But I did start a design agency built it to 60 people and ran it successfully for 6 years working for client all around the world of all different kind of sizes.

I have more case studies than I care for.

I also build friendships and a great great network of connections.

And I made money while doing it.

Business is simple (not easy)

Re: How We Bootstrapped a $20K Website into a $4M/year Business

#150

Post by ThomPete »

marcamillion wrote: post #112
cygwin98 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me...my MBA taught me how the world works. It is surprising how few people understand how it truly works - yet they speak as if they know. For that single achievement alone, I would encourage everyone to get an MBA. That sounds like quite a claim. Can you shed some lights on how the world works from an MBA's perspective?

Well...I can't speak from an "MBA's" perspective, because there isn't 1 MBA perspective. In terms of the way the world works, I can say that politicians are not in the business of running the world the way it should be run - they are in the business of politicking. It has become fanciful in the last decade or so, to blame bankers, wall street, the 1%, capitalism, etc. for all the worlds ills - but that's just not the…

"they are in the business of politicking."

This can in my experience as well be said about MBAs

"They are in the business of MBA'ing or business"

It's the title not the skills that gives you access to a higher salary.

Those MBAs I met that where great where already great at what they did and clearly didn't need one. They just thought they did.

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