DoDont::Blog » Startup

DoDont: A New Social Network; Bring On The Snarky Comments

Brent — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:07:54 +0000

Untitled, Haden Nicholl, 2007

We’d like to introduce you to DoDont (www.dodont.com or click Home at the top right of this page). Please feel free to rail against us, our lack of business plan, and social networks in general. Please let us have it. We don’t have that many features. We don’t even have Twitter integration!

Oh wow, a social network. That’s impressive. I guess you think you’re pretty smart and this is 2004? You know, I’m sick and tired of all these lame sites that don’t add any value. Where’s the group commerce? The private sales? The virtual goods?

We are just a few people who have other jobs and created DoDont in our spare time.

Oh really? Guess what…cry me a river. I built a site in two days that got sold to Google.

But you haven’t even tried DoDont. How do you know you won’t like it?

Your site’s stupid and so are social networks.

But DoDont is an Opinion Engine. It is the place to create and find opinions on the Internet.

You made that up.

No, it is. You just finish a post that starts with either Do or Don’t. It’s that simple.

Let me get this straight, DoDont is just a post with either Do or Dont at the start of a sentence? Hey guess what, maybe I’ll do the same thing on Twitter or Facebook…or BOTH!

That’s fine. Please do. But realize that DoDont is laser focused on just this one thing, opinions. We have a system that allows you to find the information you need. We expect Dodont to work with many services. And guess what? DoDont is binary.

Don’t try to woo me with binary. I love that word.

Do or Dont. Positive or negative. Binary.

Stop it. Stop saying that….it’s such a beautiful word….

I’ll say the other B-word.

Don’t do it.

I will.

Don’t!

Boolean.

Ahhh!

Boolean!

You are some force of evil to be dropping Double Bs. Sir, that is not cool.

That’s right. You can even support or oppose each post. Support or Oppose. One or the other.

Is Britney Spears on DoDont?

Um…no. Neither is Justin Beiber…

Really? Well that’s good.

You mean the fact that certain people are not on our site is a positive? Well, if that’s the case, based on who is or who is not on Dodont, then DoDont can totally be your favorite site in the whole wide world.

Wait, you don’t have asymmetrical relationships? What are you stupid?

Saying asymmetrical relationships doesn’t make you smart.

Does too.

Oh wow, Mr. Smart Guy. Asymmetrical relationships. Asymmetrical relationships. What a great idea. Never thought of that one. Maybe we should hire you. Oh, wait, I forgot we have no money so you may have to excuse the lack of perfection at this early stage.

No excuses, I sold my company to Goog-

I know. To Google. I saw it on your blog, your twitter profile, and that stupid t-shirt that you wear.

I didn’t make a t-shirt.

I was being facetious.

Oh that’s helpful How witty of you. At the end of the day, guess who has sold a company to no one…you!

Touche. How ‘bought this, at least check out DoDont. If you don’t like it, post a Dont saying why you don’t like it. I will oppose your post. You will be angry. I will be contrite. And then the cycle will repeat.

Fine. I will. And I’ll also take you up on that t-shirt idea. It could be useful for the holidays. Don’t worry, you’ll be on the list.

Actually, truth be told, we appreciate the criticism. When it’s pointed and astute, it only helps. It pulls us out of our own little DoDont mind warp. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t feel good. It’s like taking a punch in the stomach, but eventually it heals over with muscle.

Well, I’ll also be honest. I don’t have time for civility, but I’ll try harder in that category.

You should.

It’s just that, I see something and I give my opinion, my first opinion, which is usually right. It doesn’t always come out right, but the opinion is right. Sure, not always. I can be wrong…but I’m more right than wrong.

DoDont may just be the perfect site for you.

Lay off on the sales for a second, ok?

OK.

I’m not trying to be cocky, but I’m made for this stuff. I know technology. Do you understand what I’m saying? I’m made for this stuff. I love it.

That’s valid.

I shouldn’t be bothered with every new application out there, but guess what, I’m bothered by every new application out there. I need to see progress. It rubs me the wrong way if I feel we’re going backwards…… It bothers me to no end if we’re not pushing things hard enough. I want humans to reach their potential.

Hmm. The only thing I would have to say to that is I agree with you, but sometimes companies like us just don’t have the current resources to achieve our fullest potential. Mentally, ideologically, we’re with you. We want what you want.

Ok, but-

Hold On. I’m not finished. We’re in this game too. Don’t forget that. The thing is, DoDont and every other startup are creating new things. It may just be a glimmer of progress, but it’s progress. So I would just say, take other factors in when you weight in on a new application…especially for green startups.

Ok, but green startups need to execute. Period.

Of course they do. DoDont does. Check it out. You’ll see.

This was a good conversation.

It was.

I don’t disagree with anything I’ve said.

Neither do I.

Good. It’s just…it’s easy to get disillusioned with the world.

Agreed.

So we are in agreement?

Yes.

Critical Thinking is Sexy or Do What Works

Brent — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:46:55 +0000

The amount of information available for the budding tech entrepreneur is pure awesome. A critic would call it information overload. I disagree. It first can seem overwhelming, but once you find the right people to follow and read the right blogs, you’ll have your finger on the pulse of the tech scene. Sure, there is always more information available. Things are always being missed. But the good information is basically there for the taking.

I’m a strong believer in a liberal arts education. The main components of a liberal arts education are reading and writing. You are always doing both. But one does not succeed unless one reads and writes critically. It is not about taking in information and then regurgitating what you read onto the page. Once you read something, the first step is comprehension, keeping the author’s perspective in mind. With that achieved, you must think critically on the topics raised and formulate an original hypothesis. The final step is translating your thoughts to the page, in clear and concise language. A liberal arts education can easily be combined with a science, technical or business degree. It can be a minor or just a concentration of interesting classes. I went all in. I studied history and English literature, with a sprinkling of political science. History and political science taught me about the world while literature taught me about the human condition.

My father is a physician. He has seen it all in his career. One truism that he passed on to me involved treatment methods for patients. He subscribes to the scientific method. But things are not always crystal clear in medicine. No studies are 100% accurate. But the end goal is always the same; a healthy patient. So when talk shifts to to unproven treatments that were successful, my father listens to the information with open ears. He favors the methods that are scientifically proven, of course. But if someone says I tried all the drugs, and the only thing that saved me was drinking a glass of wheat grass twice a day, then great! The moral? Do what works. Writing everything off as nonsensical because it doesn’t follow a set rule, especially if it achieved the end goal of a healthy patient, is narrow minded. And more importantly it could limit future medical breakthroughs. I’m happy the wheat grass worked and I’m even more happy that you’re better.

No two startups are the same. Paypal’s beginnings were different than Google’s which was different than Apple’s and YouTube’s. What they all have in common is that they each found out what worked best for them. And when that glimmer of success appeared, they all pushed hard on the gas pedal and never looked back. It’s great to look at successful companies as examples of what to do and not do, but that will only get you so far. So you have a new product you want to launch? Should you launch at a conference, soft launch, do a marketing launch, or a closed beta launch with press access? People have done well and bombed in all of the above scenarios. That’s where your critical thinking comes in. You have the information, now how are you going to handle it? Situations dictate more than theory or experience. Sometimes you will need to make a nontraditional move to forward your business. A startup is like curing an ailment; think of all the possibilities, try different approaches, and after all of that, go with what works.

Build Your Own Web Application: Patience

Brent — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:24:43 +0000

Untitled, Haden Nicholl, 2007

Patience is a funny thing. Preaching about its virtues when it comes to building an application is odd. As the main person behind a product, you have to be constantly moving and pushing things forward, if just a little, everyday. You need that primal drive to get your product to market. Internal maniacal motivation is what your company needs and is a defining characteristic of founders. That is exactly why patience is so important. If you are properly motivated, then patience can be one of the most difficult principle to address. Building a product, and more importantly a company, you can’t always be sprinting. The realities of the world will fight you and beat you down. But the acceptance, the zen understanding that you are pacing for a marathon allows all obstructions to be intelligently addressed.

Just fucking do it (#jfdi) is a mantra moving around startup circles. I couldn’t agree more with this principle. This is a great way to motivate yourself and your team. That said, when it comes time to finding your co-founders or an early hire, a lack of patience can ruin everything. Investors place high importance on founding teams. The core of your company’s future rests on these key factors. It is difficult finding qualified people, getting the right chemistry, and finally convincing them to wholeheartedly believe in your crazy idea. Yet the wrong move can weigh heavily on your ability to make difficult decisions and your resourcefulness.

Patience shouldn’t be a slippery slope. It shouldn’t be confused with laziness either. Think more in terms of an animal on the hunt. If the predator gets impatient, it looses its prey, who easily evades the poorly conceived attack. If the predator waits too long, then it can miss critical opportunities. There really isn’t a middle road either. The best hunters are patient and swift.

Frustrations can run high in startups. You want things done yesterday, but the fact that projects can take longer than expected or even never gain momentum can dampen the most earnest spirit. Over time a constant barrage of disappointments can sometimes lead to failure. Patience will allow perspective. Patience will keep you realistic and optimistic. Patience will prove that you do have what it takes to build a product and run a company. Embrace patience with intelligence and feel good about your future.