matthewhelt

There's a stupid joke in the wine industry-whats the best way to make a small fortune in wine?

A. Start with a large fortune.

My company is working on that. We're designing a complete precision viticulture analytical tool based on the principles of sustainable organic agriculture (I'm pretty sure everything is headed this direction, it can be done cheaper then petro-based agriculture when managed correctly. I'm curious, as someone involved in vineyard management - do you agree with this idea? Have you noticed increased demand for organic products?)

We're starting with small, boutique vineyards in Northern California. Maybe if yr geographically located you'd like to join our upcoming beta program?

its stories like this which have been very encouraging in my own venture.

a comment on the cost of living in the united states, and how to do it cheaply. i live in oakland, california - in the heart of the san francisco bay area. my cost of living is incredibly low, my rent is $300, utilities are about $90 a month and that includes power and 1MB network connection. i ride a bike everywhere i go, don't own a car. i cook all my own food, i purchase organic produce for cheap at the local farmers market.

my entire monthly living expenses are less than 500 dollars, in a location where i can get to financial district of san francisco in about 14 minutes.

my business venture is based in my bedroom, my tech co-founder lives in mendocino county. we're currently in product development phase creating an analytical system for precision viticulture. we're getting ready to start our first adventures in funding.

reading stories about people buckling down, focusing on their ventures, and achieving success has (for lack of a better term) inspired me. hacker news and the whole entrepreneurial community in the bay area have been key to informing my decisions.