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Mint founder on Silicon Valley

techcrunch.com

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Re: Mint founder on Silicon Valley

#31

Post by axod »

modoc wrote: post #24
axod wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment isn't really useful :/ you're obviously an outlier. Most people would go insane if they couldn't access youtube or facebook. Social media, music, video are real problems that people have, and need solutions to. The problem comes when a startup doesn't really solve anything new and just copies existing stuff.

I guess you and I have differing opinions on what "real problems" are. Personal finance, yup. Facebook feed, not so much. Out of people who use Mint and who use YouTube, I'd bet many would pick Mint over YouTube if they had to pick one. Honestly, if youtube or facebook vanished, and in this magical world, no one propped up a replacement. People would moan for a week, and then they'd go back to the same things they di…

Perhaps some of it is the fact that in the US you have to file your own taxes, so there's much greater emphasis on accounting.

Maybe that's why it's valued more there :/ (In the UK I'm not sure most people would see the value in it).

Facebook+youtube aren't just about wasting time. They're about communication and sharing information, which as social beings, is pretty important to most of us.

Re: Mint founder on Silicon Valley

#32

Post by TriinT »

axod wrote: post #30
TriinT wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Your comment isn't really useful :/ you're obviously an outlier. Most people would go insane if they couldn't access youtube or facebook." Facebook has 200 million users or so. The world has over 6 billion people. Hence, only 3% or so of the world's population uses Facebook. Moreover, Facebook is basically a rolodex. If Facebook disappeared tomorrow, people would use email instead. They would have no other choice. L…

>> "Let's talk of real problems. Over 1,000 million people live in extreme poverty." Lets not. This is hacker news.

Please! You are the one who called lack of Facebook a "real problem". I merely pointed out that there are actual real problems. Sure, I agree that this is HN and that this is NOT the place to discuss actual real problems (the truly real problems cannot be solved by software), but your reply was rather unintelligent and unimaginative. You used to do better than that...

Re: Mint founder on Silicon Valley

#33

Post by zaidf »

modoc wrote: post #19
zaidf wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I can see where he is coming from(and have myself grown tired of the social media stuff), his tone is kind of condescending. Cool he sold his "real problem" startup; but to suggest YouTube, facebook aren't solving "real problems" is interesting in the least.

If I woke up tomorrow and one of those sites was down for good, Mint is the one I'd miss the most.

Precisely my point. What is a "real problem" varies from person to person. Me, I'm not even on Mint. But I couldn't go without facebook.

Note I never said facebook was the "biggest" real problem or even one of the biggest. That is the poster's gross distortion of my post to strengthen his argument.

Re: Mint founder on Silicon Valley

#34

Post by motoko »

arohner wrote: post #5

Wow, one line out of the whole story mentions TechCrunch, and they run that as the headline. And it's slimy how TC implies that because Mint launched at TC50, it caused Mint to be acquired.

It's honest for TechCrunch to broadcast their own sincere celebration in Mint's success. It would be suspect if TechCrunch did not emphasize its own participation in Mint's headline success in a TechCrunch headline. TechCrunch doesn't deserve to be called slimy for this.

Re: Mint founder on Silicon Valley

#35

Post by teej »

TriinT wrote: post #25
axod wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment isn't really useful :/ you're obviously an outlier. Most people would go insane if they couldn't access youtube or facebook. Social media, music, video are real problems that people have, and need solutions to. The problem comes when a startup doesn't really solve anything new and just copies existing stuff.

"Your comment isn't really useful :/ you're obviously an outlier. Most people would go insane if they couldn't access youtube or facebook." Facebook has 200 million users or so. The world has over 6 billion people. Hence, only 3% or so of the world's population uses Facebook. Moreover, Facebook is basically a rolodex. If Facebook disappeared tomorrow, people would use email instead. They would have no other choice. L…

You are confusing a "real problem" from an entrepreneur's point of view, and a "real problem" from a global social perspective.

I have been to Africa. I have fed the hungry, healed the sick, and vaccinated children myself with my own two hands. Interestingly enough, I wouldn't be in contact with the friends I made over there without -Facebook-. So don't tell me that Facebook "is basically a rolodex", because for me it isn't.

Re: Mint founder on Silicon Valley

#36

Post by zaidf »

TriinT wrote: post #23
zaidf wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I can see where he is coming from(and have myself grown tired of the social media stuff), his tone is kind of condescending. Cool he sold his "real problem" startup; but to suggest YouTube, facebook aren't solving "real problems" is interesting in the least.

When I think of solving "real problems", I think of: - curing cancer - cheap water purification - vaccines for tropical diseases (the U.S. / European pharma companies have very little incentive to work on them) - energy-efficient desalination - energy-efficient computing systems - efficient solar panels and cheap fuel cells - easy access to high-quality learning materials (MIT OCW rocks) and you think of YouTube, Fac…

You are completely distorting my point. It's like if I said I love chocolate, you'll say "OMG the things you should really love is your family blabla."

Indeed. You can love chocolate and your family. Just like you can view facebook, mint AND curing cancer as "real problems".

Re: Mint founder on Silicon Valley

#37

Post by axod »

TriinT wrote: post #23
zaidf wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I can see where he is coming from(and have myself grown tired of the social media stuff), his tone is kind of condescending. Cool he sold his "real problem" startup; but to suggest YouTube, facebook aren't solving "real problems" is interesting in the least.

When I think of solving "real problems", I think of: - curing cancer - cheap water purification - vaccines for tropical diseases (the U.S. / European pharma companies have very little incentive to work on them) - energy-efficient desalination - energy-efficient computing systems - efficient solar panels and cheap fuel cells - easy access to high-quality learning materials (MIT OCW rocks) and you think of YouTube, Fac…

I think the parent, and OP were talking about "real problems" within the realms of software. Which is what most of us do.

Online communication is an invaluable net win for everyone. Social media is just one type of communication but a valuable force for good.

Well done for saying we should cure cancer though.

Re: Mint founder on Silicon Valley

#38

Post by zaidf »

modoc wrote: post #24
axod wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment isn't really useful :/ you're obviously an outlier. Most people would go insane if they couldn't access youtube or facebook. Social media, music, video are real problems that people have, and need solutions to. The problem comes when a startup doesn't really solve anything new and just copies existing stuff.

I guess you and I have differing opinions on what "real problems" are. Personal finance, yup. Facebook feed, not so much. Out of people who use Mint and who use YouTube, I'd bet many would pick Mint over YouTube if they had to pick one. Honestly, if youtube or facebook vanished, and in this magical world, no one propped up a replacement. People would moan for a week, and then they'd go back to the same things they di…

  Out of people who use Mint and who use YouTube
What if you ask 1000 random people between YouTube and Mint?

Re: Mint founder on Silicon Valley

#39

Post by TriinT »

teej wrote: post #35
TriinT wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Your comment isn't really useful :/ you're obviously an outlier. Most people would go insane if they couldn't access youtube or facebook." Facebook has 200 million users or so. The world has over 6 billion people. Hence, only 3% or so of the world's population uses Facebook. Moreover, Facebook is basically a rolodex. If Facebook disappeared tomorrow, people would use email instead. They would have no other choice. L…

You are confusing a "real problem" from an entrepreneur's point of view, and a "real problem" from a global social perspective. I have been to Africa. I have fed the hungry, healed the sick, and vaccinated children myself with my own two hands. Interestingly enough, I wouldn't be in contact with the friends I made over there without -Facebook-. So don't tell me that Facebook "is basically a rolodex", because for me i…

Good point. But I stand by what I wrote before. The comment I replied to stated that:

"Most people would go insane if they couldn't access youtube or facebook. Social media, music, video are real problems that people have, and need solutions to."

Hence, it's about people's problems, not entrepreneurs' problems. Of course, it all depends what we mean by "people" and "problems". Fortunately, most Americans do not suffer from Malaria, Dengue, Cholera... most Americans are able to feed their children and have access to potable water. Same for Western Europeans. So, if by "people" we mean the richest 5% of the world's population, then social media may be a problem indeed. But what about the other 95%? Are they untermenschen of some sort?

"This is HN. Let's not discuss that", I hear you reply. Well, yes and no. We talk so much about software, but (personally) I would like to see some more diversity here on HN. I would like to hear more stories of some inventor who comes up with a cheap desalination technology, or some grad student who find out a really cheap way of diagnosing certain diseases. These may not make a huge change on the top 5% of the world's population, but it could have a huge impact elsewhere. There are markets for cheap, efficient technologies and solutions, but there aren't that many incentives. Facebook and Twitter are luxuries. Let's try to keep that in mind for the sake of keeping our feet firmly on the ground...

Re: Mint founder on Silicon Valley

#40

Post by krschultz »

modoc wrote: post #24
axod wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment isn't really useful :/ you're obviously an outlier. Most people would go insane if they couldn't access youtube or facebook. Social media, music, video are real problems that people have, and need solutions to. The problem comes when a startup doesn't really solve anything new and just copies existing stuff.

I guess you and I have differing opinions on what "real problems" are. Personal finance, yup. Facebook feed, not so much. Out of people who use Mint and who use YouTube, I'd bet many would pick Mint over YouTube if they had to pick one. Honestly, if youtube or facebook vanished, and in this magical world, no one propped up a replacement. People would moan for a week, and then they'd go back to the same things they di…

Exactly. Vimeo & Hulu replace all the value of YouTube. It is commodity free video hosting, there is no community at YouTube.

Facebook is useful for me, but I wouldn't pay for it if I had to.

I'd gladly pay for Mint.

Mint has nothing to do with taxes like axod says. It is about budgeting and tracking expenditures.

I used to get a statement in the mail each month from 4 different institutions related to bank accounts, credit cards, and investments. (Or check online at 4 different places). Then I would reconcile them with my checkbook / some pile of receipts to double check.

Now I go to one place 1-2 times a week and check against my receipts right away. It never builds up and takes significantly less time.

It also helps budget and gives you data to figure out where you are spending your money.

If you are not one of those people who has money to keep track of or you don't balance your checkbook, then sure the value is hard to see. But if you actually take care of your money it is immensely helpful and saves me time and money.

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