HN user
Thanks for taking the time to write the transcript!
Nathan, how did you get your first few sales? You stated that you "..released the book. Sales started coming in." Those first few sales seem to be the most difficult (I'm currently trying to market an eBook myself), and I'm interested to see how you achieved your first batch of sales prior to your HN post.
Interesting concept, but the idea seems to be just a spin-off of the "fill out surveys for money!" business model. Especially the way in which users earn "perks" rather than cash payouts.
Not sure if this is applicable to a company as large and established as Apple, but I'm reminded of this quote:
"If you’re not embarrassed when you ship your first version you waited too long."
As an undergraduate student studying Computer Science, I completely agree with this post. One of the main reasons that I chose CS is that programming/design knowledge has immense value in the world today, and it is one of the few areas in which a person can create something incredibly valuable with little to no barrier to entry.
I especially enjoyed this quote: "With a laptop, an internet connection, and 50$ you can bootstrap even the most abitious technical projects by yourself."