garry’s posthaven

CNet illuminates the troubled story of SpiralFrog, an online music startup that burned through $26.3 million, and only generating sales of $1.2 million.

They bought traffic with the misguided intention to "get eyeballs fast." Smell like 1999 to anyone? Their traffic maintained a 1:1 correlation to the amount of money they were plowing into affiliate ads.

It's a cautionary tale. Great metrics might help you raise dumb money. But if you're buying those metrics, it's just a house of cards -- possibly worse than a Ponzi scheme. At least in a Ponzi scheme, someone comes out on top (and later, in handcuffs, hopefully).

If you buy traffic, everyone loses.

Anybots was founded by Y Combinator partner Trevor Blackwell. If you've ever been to a YC event, you've probably seen these robots moving about and interacting with the party -- walking around, shaking hands, and even catching objects.

Humans controlling agile and powerful robots -- kind of like the Matrix plus robotic control. It certainly makes for a great premise for a sci fi action flick.

Zappos has done an incredible job of building a culture that transcends the classic soul-crushing corporation. Add Netflix to that list.

The classic and key takeaway is around how companies start with small teams of incredible high performers and evolve into large organizations filled with process that stifle those same difference-makers. This deck is an instruction manual on how to avoid it.

There are quite a few companies that desperately need to infuse the contents of this deck into the way they operate.

Foil wrap and all. I had always assumed it was created elsewhere, but it fills my heart with joy to know that my very own hometown was responsible for bringing the concept of a foil-wrapped overstuffed burrito to the world.

Living in Seattle years ago, I could not understand why it was so hard to find the burrito I knew and loved. They always insisted in on drenching these perfectly good burritos in sauce.

I'm going to call it a San Francisco burrito from now on. But maybe that's not necessary... there's only one kind of burrito in the world for me.

Hat tip to @tkane for enlightening us all.

I love these kinds of questions posed towards filmmakers and media creators of all kinds. Like Ira Glass on creativity.

Great auteurs answer these questions about specific industries but they're broadly applicable to everything, including my favorite topic, creating Internet startups.

There's a certain auteur aspect to it that translates precisely. It's a business, no doubt about it. But you have to appeal to people, even change people's lives -- the way they think and act. You have to understand and communicate visually, spatially and emotionally with your audience.

There's a technical element, substitute filmmaking and editing and cinematography for software engineering, scaling, and tech architecture / ops.

How you start is the same. You create. You create until your fingers bleed, and then you create some more. Iterate and don't worry about creating crap, because at the end of it, you'll have made a movie. Or a site. Or a story. Whatever it is.

The final part spoke to me the most. Yes, it's harder than ever to become a filmmaker or an Internet entrepreneur, or an author-- a creator of any kind. There is so much competition. But that competition sucks so fucking bad, that it will be plain as day when you've created something good.

It can be done. Today. Now. Go.