portfolioexec

Not sure how much appetite for real estate information there is on HN, let's give it a try...

Who's next in line to place an order?!

all of my ideas have been bourne out of experience. is there an industry that you like outside of web? my passion has been in real estate and it's led me to create a web app for real estate investors that solves many of their needs.

Yeah, sit and watch the world go by. Let something - anything - spark an interest and just follow the vibe. You'll soon discover something you hadn't known before and find yourself in a preferred position to that in which you are now.

I think your range of points on security, unverified information etc are all valid.

My viewpoint is about gaining a more rounded understanding for a person's character, i.e. using all available information on a candidate to try and build a more accurate representation of them.

If Spokeo are offering some sort of verification service such as those offered by Experian et al then I find this to be a flawed model.

If you have a first-class degree from a top institution, that's called "so what?".

Spokeo fits in nicely I think, to answer the so what and offer a more rounded view on prospective candidates.

It reduces asymetry of information and reduces the risk of adverse selection by employers. In my opinion, having a good qualification is not enough of a signal to being a good employee. It therefore provides essential information that should ultimately benefit both parties.

That said, I don't think there's any substitute for a good face-to-face interpersonal interaction to determine a person's character or suitability for a role.

When you say he can't sell enough houses - does he not have enough sellers or buyers?

With such high foreclosure rates, I'm assuming it's a lack buyers. Being a property investor myself, I can tell you there are a lot of people I know personally who are biding their time and getting ready to pounce on bargains.

I'm based in the UK and so far the US market has tanked so much more. If you can package the deals and market them to UK investors I think you could be on to something.

There are definitely people wanting to buy, they just might be out of your typical geographical reach. Knock together a site with some example deals and get some exposure. Or post on loopnet.com or similar.

Google "bandwagon raiding machine" and see some products being marketing in the UK. I got access to one and basically all it says is find people in the US to source foreclosure deals then buy them.

I found this to be really annoying! You're presented with such ridiculously selective and misleading information on the two innovations. You're then coaxed into making the apparently wrong choice of innovation.

Who makes decisions based on such little info anyway? And the info presented was the choice of the author.

Then... the rest of the post basically says don't make decisions based on such little information! I found that pretty pointless.

Finding a flipside though, this guy's creating a demand for his own content by offering a question with a seemingly obvious answer then shaking it up with new info. That I like: create a problem which you then solve.

On the two extremes - this is quite interesting. One of the key value-adds that we have on Portfolio Executive is simplifying complicated processes. On one our forms we've got the number of required data fields down from 16 to 4, with a few more being presented as required.

To make the form responsive and interactive we're obviously using ajax and js, and we add in some sexy transitions and graphics. i think there are many sites that do similar things where necessary.

in examples like this i think the user interface/experience actually becomes the functionality and so the distinction is difficult.

for me i always do the 'Apple test': can i make it simpler? faster? more obvious?

a really intriguing method of storytelling, i find it far easier to become immersed in the storyline. it's just somehow more... real.

I'd suggest getting together for some social (basketball, a drink, playing cards... whatever you guys do) and have a casual conversation. Never be too keen to let others know what you're thinking. Once you've been hanging out a little while, start bouncing the idea. As in discuss the business opportunity and see how excited he gets about it - without actually mentioning that you'd like him to join.

You know that he's got skills you need, but does he want to be involved? You can test this by just floating enough information for him to have to work a little to get more out of you.

This could then lead to a passionate, enthusiastic conversation and result in the outcome you want. If he doesn't take the bait, maybe offer a little more, but ultimately I think it means he wouldn't be right for the team - lack of burning desire.

We always appreciate most the things we've worked hardest for :)

Not overly sure if it's comparable, but anyone watch X-Factor/American Idol?

Making the comparison: 1. great team = likeability of the singer as a person 2. great business = their ability to sing

How many singers have 1. but still fail? How many seem to have both and still fail?

I think you have to be top dog in both areas.

But then I'm not an investor :p

I agree with this guy: I think you make your own luck.

If you take aggregate effort in a community and average it out, then there's an equal probability of that special event happening to anyone. If however you are that person who puts in the extra effort and brings up the average, you are turning the odds in your favour and increasing the likelihood that the special event actually happens to you.

Think of it as everyone buying one lottery ticket, but you buy more than one... your odds of success are proportional to the effort you've put in.

Thoughts?

I actually think that while risk (uncertainty) in the general economy has increased, little has changed for young startups. Does the tumbling economy really affect the likely success of a startup that much? In my view, the current economic climate makes startups relatively less risky.

"Not a single new technology firm has come to the stock market this year, according to the British Venture Capital Association. And further back the evolutionary chain, venture capital investment in start-ups is now stalling in the US, and it's hard to see that pattern not being repeated in the UK."

"Last time we had a serious downturn in technology investment at the beginning of this decade, the world did not stand still. In a harsh climate, smart new ventures - from last.fm to Skype - were born, and consumer behaviour was transformed by the arrival of broadband."

Here's the rub: a divergence of incentives...

"The typical investment manager/financial innovator thinks: 'If I win, my profit will be proportional to the gross sales I have initiated. If I lose, I will be dismissed, and perhaps I will lose my reputation in the process.' Thinking even further, the manager realises that the downside is limited to being fired, but the upside is limitless. This asymmetry between profits and losses encourages audacity. Once a certain risk threshold is breached, the investment manager who places bets with other people’s money ignores danger. From a social point of view, the problem stems from the divergence of incentives. Even though the intermediary knows that he may suffer a severe personal loss, it will never be proportional to the losses inflicted on investors."

On the whole some good tips - I do think these should be applied more generally too. It's always important to stay lean and watch the bottom line.

I have to disagree on the point about putting 20% down on a property! I've grown up around property investment and in my opinion the current economics are brilliant. I'm getting ready to borrow more and more to snap up some great bargains. The important thing with property is cashflow... it doesn't matter whether prices fluctuate. Lower capital values just mean higher cashflow... so bring on the good times!