So boostraped startups, like mine, that would need /profit from it the most, are explicitly excluded. Well, Google, we didn't need your money anyway.
It's not money, it's credits.
Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups
61–70 of 179 posts
Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups
#62This is just a clever ploy to get the most promising start-ups locked in before they realize they're paying through the nose for a commodity.
And don't forget that it's credits not money.
You can't take this and spend it at leaseweb or digitalocean if that's your preferred way of solving things, nor will they pay you to dis-entangle from the lock-in once you want to move.
Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups
#63But if moving off your current platform and to Google's worth it? One year goes fast.
It's moving the other way that will get you.
And that will likely wipe out any savings and then some.
Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your calculations are horrifically wrong.
Have you taken a look at what CPU mining pays recently? It's a rounding error from zero. A modern Xeon does around 5-10 Mhash/core/s, while ASIC mining is measured in Ghash/s. Leave it on for a year and you'll mine an upper bound of 0.00004-0.00008 BTC/core, according to https://alloscomp.com/bitcoin/calculator (that's even discounting future difficulty increases, so is an optimistic estimate). That's 2-4 cents/core/…
Bitcoin isn't the only cryptocurrency.
Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your calculations are horrifically wrong.
I think his calculations are off, but his general point is pretty accurate. If you're doing pure CPU mining, even $100k worth of hardware won't generate you that much money per week. As a pure guess I'm going to assume the actual return you'd see is a few hundred dollars per week.
Depends on the cryptocurrency, he used bitcoin in his follow up to my comment. CPU mining of bitcoin is horrendous (you can get a cheap USB stick that can mine as much as an expensive i7 processor) but other cryptocurrencies were specifically designed to make the gap between GPU and CPU mining much smaller and make ASICs not economically viable.
Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups
#66My biggest objection is the "approved VC" rule. Being from Washington DC, if I were to create a startup and get funding, am I on the approved list? I doubt they would have heard of the VCs out here (I don't know of many tech VCs). Seems like it will be really easy for them just to pick big names, change/bend the rules for them to ensure they make a lot of money. It is good for their bottom line but bad for most out t…
> I doubt they would have heard of the VCs out here
Then those VCs should write to CloudPlatformStartups@google.com and get themselves added to the list.
Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really enjoy the dissonance between startup mythology (bold innovators who play by nobody's rules) and the very conservative reality, as expressed in eligibility criteria like this. Think different, in one of the approved ways. Why this part of our industry is exempt from disruption, while everything else is fair game, is a source of constant wonder to me.
This is just Google's form of semi-automatic due diligence. Instead of them having to carefully vet each startup, determine that they're actually getting work done and are a real company and have at least some tiny bit of potential, they'll just defer to the accelerators and incubators to decide on that. Remember they're giving away $100,000 of credit for free, so they have to make sure it's not being squandered. I a…
"so they have to make sure it's not being squandered"
Because, of course, no VC-backed company EVER wastes any money.
Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really enjoy the dissonance between startup mythology (bold innovators who play by nobody's rules) and the very conservative reality, as expressed in eligibility criteria like this. Think different, in one of the approved ways. Why this part of our industry is exempt from disruption, while everything else is fair game, is a source of constant wonder to me.
This is just Google's form of semi-automatic due diligence. Instead of them having to carefully vet each startup, determine that they're actually getting work done and are a real company and have at least some tiny bit of potential, they'll just defer to the accelerators and incubators to decide on that. Remember they're giving away $100,000 of credit for free, so they have to make sure it's not being squandered. I a…
I don't dispute anything you say.
But the fact that they can make this an eligibility criterion speaks to the conformism in startup culture, and the gatekeeping role of a very small establishment.
Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups
#69> This offer is available to startups that meet the following criteria: > - In an approved Accelerator, Incubator or VC fund Why is this a thing? Not everyone wants to build their startup through venture capital, or an accelerator. This just reinforces the existing "permission-based" startup ecosystem.
Starting a business was quite possibly the first thing in my life that I didn't need to ask anyone's permission for. You don't need Google's, YC's, or a VC's blessing to start. You might need it to get their money, but startup costs for many software companies are asymptotically approaching zero.
If I could change one thing about business culture in Europe, it would be this. You just start doing something and the paperwork, permits, accounting and so on can all come later. It's a wonderful feeling.
My impression is that you can't get started in the EU without at least a little up-front paperwork.
Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups
#70My biggest objection is the "approved VC" rule. Being from Washington DC, if I were to create a startup and get funding, am I on the approved list? I doubt they would have heard of the VCs out here (I don't know of many tech VCs). Seems like it will be really easy for them just to pick big names, change/bend the rules for them to ensure they make a lot of money. It is good for their bottom line but bad for most out t…
Or you should just email them and state your case regardless of if you're on the list or not. Remember they are human beings on the receiving end of that email. I doubt they are getting swarmed by emails and wouldn't mind hearing from you. The worst thing that happens is they say no or ignore you and that's that.