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0 pointsrevorad13y ago0 comments

Ah yes, I wrote about that yesterday - http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4378546

Tripit and every other VC-backed company is in a completely different business than indie devs making apps. The product that companies like Tripit are selling, right from the beginning, is the company itself, not some free or cheap app. The app is just a marketing vehicle to increase the price of the company.

The amazing thing is that PG himself has been clearly saying this for years. And we still refuse to accept it!

Blindly copying VC-funded startups' surface tactics is the second leading cause of indie developer homelessness.

If you are in the business of business, you've got to sell. Successful entrepreneurs, whether VC-funded or bootstrapped, know how to sell.

If you are funded, it would be stupid to try and do anything that doesn't increase the valuation of your company. The best founders know how to weave a compelling story, and are always selling their company. Always.

The most successful bootstrapped entrepreneurs are always selling their product. Notice how patio11 does not miss an opportunity to somehow weave in a mention of one of his products, while still coming across as the most helpful guy ever (because he is). And when he's blogging about SEO and other useful stuff for other entrepreneurs? He's selling his consultancy services.

If you're not selling, it's not a business. It's a hobby.

ABC: Always be closing.

0 comments

patio1113y ago

For what it is worth, I have historically taken pains to avoid selling on HN.

trhtrsh13y ago

You don't sell, but you promote your expertise and your personal brand for consulting, and offhandedly refer to how successful you are, with a indirect touch that is less off-putting and generates a bit of subtle mystique about "how does he do it? what is he talking about?"

A famous patio11-esque statement is a comment like "If you think that's a good sales technique, you don't understand the mindset of middle-aged schoolteachers" (while not repeating the fact that you market a product to that specific demographic.)

Can't fault that much. It would be extremely sacrificial to complete avoid saying "BCC" at all or ever mentioning that you generate X-figure returns for your consulting gigs, and spammily redundant to re-explain the whole Bingo Card business in every post.

You give away far more honest value (good, detailed advice) than you take away in "promotional references", contrasted against link-litter posts like this:

Headline: How X can help your business

Poster: Yeah, at http://mycompany.example.io, we use X.

You are like a human Google, giving away good, in-depth information, with a side of context-relevant promotion for your consulting business, but the information is valuable even without "clicking to learn the secret" or "buying the book". If all advertising were like that, the Internet would be a much nicer place.

skyhook_mockups13y ago

At this point you are the product Patrick. The second you decide to monetize the patio11 brand (maybe by writing a book?) you're going to print money.

PS: write a book.

richardw13y ago

He's already written why that'll never happen, but I'm on his mailing list and I suspect him of building up the steam to leverage that financially. It'll likely be repeat-sales oriented and have a greater-than-$10 customer lifetime value. I can't wait to be fleeced, because at least we know he'll be focused on providing me with value.

revoradOP13y ago

Hey, there're some bingo lovers among us :-)

osxwm13y ago

Keep telling yourself that. Just because we're not the audience of BCC or AR doesn't mean you're not selling something to us.

solutionyogi13y ago

Wow. I don't like this comment at all. I have been following Patrick's online participation when there was no Hacker News and all geeks (including Patrick) used to hang out at Business of Software forum (at JOS). I can definitely say that he genuinely likes to share his knowledge and help others out. I really don't think he is getting any BCC or AR customers through his participation in these forums.

AznHisoka13y ago

patio11 always has some of the best advice -- sometimes I think he's a black hat SEO disguises as a helpful expert :)

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