The Boss - First, $99. Then, Millions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/jobs/07boss.html?_r=2

by peter123 • 17 years ago

42 34 17 years ago

nytimes.com

californiaguy2• 17 years ago

This story has so many missing pieces it's not even worth reading.

What I want to know is who's the engineer he suckered into getting his first codebase up and running?

jasonlbaptiste• 17 years ago

It basically summarized his book up in 2 minutes. It leaves out all the details and good information. It's articles like these that do entrepreneurs a dis-service:

a) You don't get the nitty gritty important details on how he really did it. You should definitely read his book to find that out btw. b) The focus is on the zeros and commas, making everyone think they can make million on teh internetz easily.

gojomo• 17 years ago

Are the rest of the details in his book? If so, it's acceptable that a ~650-word newspaper account just provide a taste/tease; it's all the medium can do.

MicahWedemeyer• 17 years ago

The NY Times consistently prints these 'millions in minutes on the Internet' pieces. They did the same think with Markus Frind, Mr. Plenty of Fish, and I've seen others as well.

I know it's fun to rewrite the same story over and over about how you fall out of bed into a pile of money, but it gets a little old for those of us who know you really fall into a pile of hard work and meager reward.

moe• 17 years ago

What do you mean, missing pieces? It's all right in there!

I didn’t know how to program, but realized that advertisers would need a way to track visits online. I thought I could buy software to help me, and found a guy in London who had technology that he offered me for $30,000.

See? It's as easy as ABC. Identify problem, find a programmer who has the shrinkwrapped solution sitting on his harddrive, convince him to give it to you for the promise of paying $big_sum later (as we know most programmers are slightly retarded anyways, he'll do it), launch, cash out, write book, buy rolex, make douchebag stock photo, done.

If that's not a guide on how to launch a successful startup then I don't know what is.

kareemm• 17 years ago

1- license tech now, pay later

2- ?

3- profit!

caffeine• 17 years ago

Honestly: 30 days? $100K revenue from a new tech venture when you're 16 working in the afternoons and can't code? Reaaallly?

I realize these were crazy times but .. I smell a fish.

jonknee• 17 years ago

Especially since they were crazy times, but not because of crazy revenue. Those were the days of big cash outs, not big revenues.

DarrenMills• 17 years ago

I enjoyed the article, but it was all over the place. It ended rather abruptly too. Props to this guy for jumping on board when he did, and getting out when he did.

brianobush• 17 years ago

yes, the article was a written form of ADHD.

socmoth• 17 years ago

might enjoy reading his personal site

http://www.chahal.com/

Alex3917• 17 years ago

I'm not sure whose site is funnier, his or Eric Litman's:

http://ericlitman.com/

izaidi• 17 years ago

We need a ".ego" TLD.

mingdingo2• 17 years ago

This guy has a huge ego (check out his blog).

But taking a 30K risk when you're 16 is pretty impressive, especially considering how poor his family was.

EDIT: Not his blog, his site.

kaiserama• 17 years ago

He lives in Santana Row (also where Blue Lithium used to be located), I saw him while I was visiting my sister a few weeks ago and she and her husband told me has a massive ego as well (they've met him a few times).

But I guess given where he came from and what he's accomplished he's earned the right to act however he wants. I personally think being humble gets you much further in life, but that's just me.

enneff• 17 years ago

"But I guess given where he came from and what he's accomplished he's earned the right to act however he wants."

Why's that? It excuses nothing.

patio112• 17 years ago

But taking a 30K risk when you're 16 is pretty impressive, especially considering how poor his family was.

He would have been, practically and legally speaking, able to walk away from that deal totally without consequence. Remind me who was taking the risk again?

mingdingo2• 17 years ago

I was under the impression that he would have to pay in 90 days.

Otherwise, it's one hell of a deal.

fatdog7892• 17 years ago

Not entirely true. He could void the contract, but then he'd have to turn over any profits made to the guy he bought the code from (unjust enrichment/quasi-contract).

Just because there isn't a remedy under the contract doesn't mean there isn't a remedy at equity. Usually, the equitable remedy is worse (from the minor's point of view) than the contractual remedy, b/c the equitable remedy is not limited to losses/gains/terms under the contract -- it is limited only by what the court deems is "fair".

markbao• 17 years ago

The guy is pretty impressive for a lot of reasons. It's better read in his book/autobiography: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Learned-Rewards-Entrepreneurship...

It's a great insight in his building a business against his parent's wishes (while still a minor), how he managed things, partnerships and legal stuff that went sour, what he did between his first exit and his second company (built a restaurant, invested in stocks and quit, etc.) and more. It's a good read.

raffi• 17 years ago

I started to read the article and it sounded like a very short version of the book. I read the book (on a recommendation from HN) and took a lot from it. In particular I found the dynamic between the programmer who made the technology and himself (who did the business development) interesting. He made the programmer what I thought was a fair deal, worked his ass off selling, and things grew fast. The programmer got really pissed and created all kinds of headaches. Reading this gave me a chance to evaluate any future business relationships I might have as a programmer.

Overall the book isn't on my must read list but I still thought it was pretty good. I

tghw• 17 years ago

I wonder if there are photographers that specialize in the "I'm a rich douche" headshot. Probably pays pretty well...

callmeed• 17 years ago

Actually, yes. I know of a few.

desu• 17 years ago

ClickAgents! I remember them! I still have an uncashed cheque from them from 1999 or something. Somehow my personal website managed to make USD$40 or something. It would have cost me $30 to cash in Australia so I just kept it as a momento of times gone by.

shughes• 17 years ago

I remember him from the show, "Secret Millionaire," where millionaires dress as poor people for a week, then give away money to citizens that helped them out.

While I respected him for doing the show, I remember thinking at the time that he was way too into himself. He'd wear v-neck, designer shirts even though he was supposed to look homeless.

Then he'd cry a lot, and say, "And I normally never cry, but this has gotten me so emotional.." Which means he probably cries all the time to make himself look sensitive.

And he spread out his giveaway, which made the episode boring. Where other millionaires gave $100,000 per person, he'd give multiple people, $10,000.

All around bad episode. Now I'm mad..

The Boss - First, $99. Then, Millions.

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