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Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

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Re: Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

#51

Post by freemarketteddy »

PabloOsinaga wrote: post #12

I don't see what's wrong with larger companies having a hard time attracting talent. A good read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_the_firm As transaction costs go down (in general), it makes less sense for us as a society to have production/value creation organized in larger organizations (firms, companies, etc) - instead in a bunch of independent smaller groups. Companies only exist to minimize transaction co…

Thanks for sharing this...although while reading this I also chanced upon "The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom"...which explains why I find working with random people on github more enjoyable and productive than with people from my organization.

http://www.benkler.org/wonchapters.html

Re: Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

#53

Post by 9999 »

StuffMaster wrote: post #11

He paints a picture of “Google pretending to be Switzerland, but doing back deals with everyone, and Apple being left alone to build the Deathstar.”Guess where that will leave most startups. Nice analogy. Time to move to Dantooine and work on my X-wing startup.

Dude, are you sure you want to do that? I've got this buddy that's got this crazy thing going on on some gas giant. They're way past angel stage, they've got catered meals every day, a band practice room, a fooz ball table, and a carbonite freezing chamber.

Re: Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

#54

Post by freemarketteddy »

biggitybones wrote: post #43
wavephorm wrote: post #33

Parker suggests that one reason it will end badly is because the Internet industry will ultimately consolidate just like the PC industry did in the 1980s and 1990s. Why? Why does the future have to be like the past? As rich and well connected Sean Parker is, he cannot predict the future. Coincidently given his stature it makes him probably the least qualified to predict what will ultimately happen in the computing in…

The issue with fragmentation that ultimately leads to consolidation is the cost incurred by companies and developers to support all of these platforms. I can't tell you how much it pains me as an android user to see an app only available for the iPhone. As a developer, it's magnitudes worse to have to send messages to my users saying "we'll be getting to an [x] platform app soon!" when realistically it just stunts ou…

> I can't wait for the end of this native app nonsense.

As an iOS developer I recommend that you try to understand how much more intellectually satisfying developing for the iphone is than android or HTML5!

Re: Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

#55

Post by mkramlich »

StuffMaster wrote: post #11

He paints a picture of “Google pretending to be Switzerland, but doing back deals with everyone, and Apple being left alone to build the Deathstar.”Guess where that will leave most startups. Nice analogy. Time to move to Dantooine and work on my X-wing startup.

1. X-Wing startup -- great idea

2. Dantooine -- this will put a hard, violent limit on the length of your startup's runway, perhaps choose a different location?

Re: Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

#56

Post by rick888 »

nestlequ1k wrote: post #32
georgemcbay wrote: post #30

I don't think he is completely wrong but I think this is just another (higher-end) instance of the age-old tradition of companies saying it is too difficult to find engineers while being unwilling to pay fair value for said engineers. To be clear, I know that Facebook does pay quite well by industry standards (offset somewhat by the bay area cost of living) for top talent, but if this situation is causing them an iss…

There's a certain type of personality (very prevalent in the valley) who won't work for a big company like facebook, twitter, or google for any amount of money. I would imagine these types of people make up the majority of the YC class. Maybe they'll get bought via a talent acquisition but as soon as their golden handcuffs are off, they are out doing their own thing again. The reason they allow themselves to get boug…

I'm part of this group too. It's less about money and more about freedom to me. The freedom to work on what I choose and the near complete control I get over my own destiny.

No matter how good it is at a company like Facebook or Google, there will always be a point where they make you realize they have control over you. Whether it's working on a project you hate, ridiculous corporate policies, or having to kiss the ass of your manager. I've done it all for the past 15 years at a few different companies and I finally just got sick of it.

Re: Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

#58

Post by freemarketteddy »

firefoxman1 wrote: post #44
wavephorm wrote: post #33

Parker suggests that one reason it will end badly is because the Internet industry will ultimately consolidate just like the PC industry did in the 1980s and 1990s. Why? Why does the future have to be like the past? As rich and well connected Sean Parker is, he cannot predict the future. Coincidently given his stature it makes him probably the least qualified to predict what will ultimately happen in the computing in…

"Why does the future have to be like the past?" That's what everyone says in a bubble: "History won't repeat itself this time!" Unfortunately, while industries and companies change and evolve, human nature (specifically fear, greed, and hype) doesn't change. The wise learn from history while the rest keep repeating the mistakes from 15-20 years before.

It is pedantic to assume that history will repeat itself no matter what in every possible industry!...Things are not always just as simple to be explained in terms of periodic cycles.

Re: Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

#59

Post by biggitybones »

freemarketteddy wrote: post #54
biggitybones wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The issue with fragmentation that ultimately leads to consolidation is the cost incurred by companies and developers to support all of these platforms. I can't tell you how much it pains me as an android user to see an app only available for the iPhone. As a developer, it's magnitudes worse to have to send messages to my users saying "we'll be getting to an [x] platform app soon!" when realistically it just stunts ou…

> I can't wait for the end of this native app nonsense. As an iOS developer I recommend that you try to understand how much more intellectually satisfying developing for the iphone is than android or HTML5!

I was coming strictly from the standpoint of time being the scarcest factor and thus the most important; I completely agree with you on the intellectual satisfaction of developing native apps :)

Re: Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

#60

Post by wavephorm »

brc wrote: post #42
wavephorm wrote: post #33

Parker suggests that one reason it will end badly is because the Internet industry will ultimately consolidate just like the PC industry did in the 1980s and 1990s. Why? Why does the future have to be like the past? As rich and well connected Sean Parker is, he cannot predict the future. Coincidently given his stature it makes him probably the least qualified to predict what will ultimately happen in the computing in…

People tend to forget the big got big in those days partly because of control over distribution channels. It was incredibly difficult for a small software company to break into large amounts of sales if they didn't have both retail and enterprise reach. I wouldn't be surprised to see a smaller set of niche hardware companies pop up going against that trend, and I certainly see the state of software at the moment frag…

Absolutely. The web and now HTML5 completely obliterate the old school mentality that you need to have conventional sales channels, and ancient business models to suceed. Any of these "big wigs" that think Apple and Google will dominate forever will be proven wrong.
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