HN user
"The thing about metrics is that they’re all connected to each other. You have to look at your entire pipeline."
This is so true - even vanity metrics have their place in the big picture. When you hone in on one thing and ignore other factors it can be terribly misleading.
This is really interesting to see - nice work!
Very good point. But I'd argue that most customers start off as "users". Sure - some people show up for the first time and whip out their credit cards - but when you're starting that small your best (early) customers will be ones you convert to paid out of the beta.
"...rest and recuperation is an essential part of being a pro"
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Great to look back at the year and realize how much you've learned and all the growth that's happened. Hard to believe how much one year can change everything!
This has been an interesting lil' experiment :-)
Looking forward to sharing a bit more in the new year.
I wish we would have launched the promo sooner, but getting that first annual signup felt so great!
Google acquired something else? Shocking!
That's horrendous.
Oh - nice. As they should. Thanks.
True - but that doesn't take into account that the starting line is not the same... But it's getting closer.
Love the connection between Robert Fortune and the tea heist as a lasting wound and a reason for China's underground app market. Such an interesting/frustrating read!
Music to my ears. It may not be as sexy to talk about bootsrapped businesses that are profitable and creating great lifestyles for the founders and employees... but that's what I'd choose for myself over the the VC route any day. It's two completely different universes - but one is falsely glorified.
I happily pay $9 bucks a month for spotify. It's one bill I'm not bummed out to pay each month. I get at least that much value out of it - probably more.
Love that they're gettin' after it.
http://madeinsd.org/ A curated showcase of awesome digital products, homegrown here in San Diego.
"...we can build San Diego into a Virginia or a Philly: a place to be inspired by other smart people who are building sustainable lifestyles, profitable products, and happy families. That’s where I want to live."
Love this. People rarely talk about tech startups and sustainable lifestyles/happy families in the same vein and it's a shame. It's one of the biggest benefits I see to building a product company and I think there ought to be more emphasis on that. The whole silicon valley "universe"of fighting for funding, planning exit strategies, pitching contests, accelerators, etc is pretty unappealing to me.
Great job on calling that out :)
I enjoyed that a lot - well done!
I remember seeing a kickstarter campaign a long time ago for this company. So cool that they're really making it work and doing a kick-ass job at it.
There are success stories like this for sure, but I wouldn't advise you to go quitting your job just yet :)
It's INCREDIBLY hard to get a blog to a profitable state, despite the fact that many people make it sound like a walk in the park. In fact, most successful bloggers will tell you it takes years of doing everything right to really get there. Not trying to be discouraging, just a little more realistic than this article.
If you really have the passion to start and stick with a blog, I'd definitely recommend these two books:
Blog Inc: http://www.amazon.com/Blog-Inc-Blogging-Passion-Community/dp...
and
Pro Blogger, Blogging Your way to a 6-Figure Income: http://www.amazon.com/ProBlogger-Secrets-Blogging-Six-Figure...
I absolutely LOVE the paper app. This is so cool.
And we drive ourselves crazy before even making a decision... even one as small as what to order off a menu or what kind of cheese to buy. It's just magnified with bigger decisions.
Is this for real? Seems like total BS. Esp. in making sweeping statements across an entire cultures.
Look what happened with corn subsidies. Now corn is in EVERYTHING we eat. Literally everything. The beef, chicken, and pork you eat has all been fed corn. Every processed food has corn starch or corn syrup or some other product of corn. Most of the words you can't pronounce in the ingredients list are derivatives of corn. And it's all because of ridiculous bills and subsidies and money getting thrown around in big agro. Recommended Read: Omnivores Dilemma
Great idea. love this.
Wow those photos stunning...and thought provoking.
Yep! It's so much more powerful to show vs. tell.
I totally agree that 6 years is way too much. It's absolutely absurd. Punishment definitely doesn't fit the crime.
"To date — the ‘unlock all’ has been our highest grossing option." Love this.
And although it sounds so simple (just add a button!) there's really more to the success of it behind the scenes and you did great job highlighting those factors (ie: perceived value - convenience, etc.)
Super motiving post :)
Haha that's so true. Phones have definitely become this replacement for any tiny moment of feeling alone. Why else do people take them in the bathroom and go on facebook while they sit on the toilet?! We're all becoming more and more averse to any sense of feeling or being alone - even if for only a few minutes. Amazing to think about all the little ways we do it when you stop and actually think about it for a minute. Love Louis CK!
"Eggs, for example, can be consumed three to five weeks after purchase, even though the "use by" date is much earlier."
This grosses me out. Especially given the number of food-borne illnesses in this country every year I'd much rather be safe than sorry. And spend 3 bucks on some new eggs.
[CDC estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of food-borne diseases.]
Wow - I've never heard of anything like this before. Pretty incredible what can happen in the body sometimes! It doesn't sound half bad though... getting drunk on a big bowl of spaghetti :)