Startups Open Sourced: Stories to inspire and educate

http://www.startupsopensourced.com/

by jmtame • 15 years ago

72 25 15 years ago

Is this about startups which products are open source such as status.net or is it something else? Kind of confusing.

jmtame11• 15 years ago

I'm interviewing 33 startups and they talk about how they got interested in entrepreneurship, ways they dealt with challenges such as finding cofounders, hiring, raising money, staying motivated, getting users, etc. It's the same Q&A approach as Founders at Work, but all of these guys are still in their early stages (although there are a few like Foursquare and GitHub that aren't as early stage).

patrickaljord2• 15 years ago

So is the book open source?

edit: Got it after reading: "the book is true to its title in that it open sources the founders’ personal lives and their startups".

prayag• 15 years ago

Using open source in the title doesn't seem right since you are neither talking about open source start-ups or open sourcing the book.

I don't think the word open source means what you think it means. It is a particular philosophy of writing software (or doing creative work).

Using open source in the title seems disingenuous.

jmtame11• 15 years ago

I've gone through a few name changes. I didn't start out calling it Startups Open Sourced, I think it started out as "Founders in School" or something close to that back in February, and then it changed to "In the Trenches" and I worried that "In the Trenches" sent an overhyped message, or set the wrong tone as this aggressive, war-story type of book. When the idea of "Startups Open Sourced" came to me, I thought it seemed appropriate, because it's like you're looking at and understanding how each of these founders work on a personal and professional level. You get inside their head and they put it all out there for you to analyze. Hiring, fundraising, finding cofounders, staying motivated, all that is talked about in depth.

As far as the process of writing the book, I'll actually 'open source' that process next weekend. I'll cover everything, from the e-mail templates I sent, to the way I recorded and transcribed the calls and edited everything.

Harkins2• 15 years ago

So someone who buys a copy can redistribute it freely with changes?

http://opensource.org/docs/osd

revorad• 15 years ago

Bought a copy. Looks pretty solid. You should probably offer one free interview for download or online as a taster. Just emailed you with some more ideas.

jmtame11• 15 years ago

Done. http://www.startupsopensourced.com/sample-grooveshark/

ropiku• 15 years ago

Can we get ePub format please ?

jmtame11• 15 years ago

Sure. I'll try to get that added tonight.

krat0sprakhar2• 15 years ago

Would it be possible to mail it to the fellows who have purchased the pdf copy?

chesspro• 15 years ago

Great content. I really enjoyed the interview with Dave Paola, the founder of djangy.com & thathigh.com. I saw his AMA on reddit a while back (http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/ev2zb/i_run_thathighco...) and was curious about his story. I've read Founders at Work and while it's a good read, I've been looking for interviews with more recent startups, which is exactly what this book/pdf provides. Thanks.

jmtame11• 15 years ago

Thanks so much for the feedback! Yeah, Dave's interview still blows my mind when I read it. Guy is a trooper!

marcamillion• 15 years ago

I wonder if the author realizes the irony of selling an 'open-source' book of stories ?

Just saying.

Looks interesting though. A shame I don't have much time to take this on :|

jmtame11• 15 years ago

Yeah a little bit of irony, I hear ya =]

hanibash• 15 years ago

I loved the Grooveshark interview. These interviews feel really personal.

thebigredjay• 15 years ago

I think you could have come up with a more appropriate title, the connection is a bit of a stretch. The content, however, looks great. I just purchased a physical copy.

jmtame11• 15 years ago

Yeah it was more of a pun with an allusion/shoutout to the software/tech world, but I see that some of the HN readers don't dig it. Thanks for checking it out.

krat0sprakhar2• 15 years ago

Just purchased a copy. It would be wonderful if you could bundle it with a ePub version as well (like Hacker Monthly).

jmtame11• 15 years ago

Thank you. I've received several e-mails about this, I'm working on an ePub version and should have it by tomorrow or Tuesday. Send me an e-mail jmtame at gmail dot com.

Edit: just saw your other comment, I responded in that thread.

sjohns52• 15 years ago

A writer is allowed to use words and common concepts in new and interesting ways - this is how new words and meanings get created. jmtame makes a good case for "Startups Open Sourced." He is providing insight into what the start up process is like. This book serves to "open source" the knowledge of starting a company, not the content.

I like the title; it's creative.

Startups Open Sourced: Stories to inspire and educate

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