Normally we cover bootstrapped products: people who are self-funding the stuff they build. We do this because I’m naturally drawn to bootstrapped companies.
For this episode I wanted to go into “enemy” territory: I wanted to talk to the VC community. To do that I contacted Jason Calacanis, an angel investor, and the voice of funded startups on his podcast This Week In Startups. This is part 1 where we delved into the human said of Mr. Calacanis – where he came from, and how he got to where he is today.
We also have 3 new sponsors this month:
- Looking for a new job? Mood Media is hiring a Jr. Product Manager. They are looking for an energetic, entrepreneurial technophile who is ready to drive Mood Media’s Interactive product lines in North America forward into the next decade. This person must be a visionary, strategic thinker with a hands-on approach. For more details, visit: productpeople.tv/moodmedia
- I also just discovered KnowAds. The hardest part about online advertising is figuring out what works. KnowAds reveals your competitor’s campagins showing you exactly what’s working for them. You get to see their most successful ad copy & ad placements. Go to productpeople.tv/ads and sign-up for an account.
- And finally, if you’re trying to set-up an online store, you need to use Shopify. I’ve tried setting up dozens of online stores for clients, and there are always so many headaches: handling payment gateways, multiple currencies, taxes, shipping rates. Shopify solves all of these problems for you. I want you to go to productpeople.tv/shopify and get a 14 day free trial.
Notable quotes
- “My first business was making copies of Star Wars on BetaMax for my friends.”
- “I don’t think being an entrepreneur is the best mode of existence; but I do think it’s important for our kids to see us working hard.”
- “Show me a great entrepreneur, I’ll show you a fucked up relationship with their parents.”
- “There were these things called BBSes. I had a 300 BAUD modem.”
- “In college I was making $3.50/hour managing computer systems.”
- “One of my first jobs was doing LotusNotes scripting.”
- “When I saw Mosaic, the first browser, I was like: Whoa. When they added images, the internet felt like a magazine.”
- “People thought that paying bloggers was sacrilegious.”
- “I thought doing 10 blog posts a day on gadgets was crazy. But we ultimately we ended up doing 40, 50, 60 posts a day.”
- “Weblogs Inc. was a great product.”
- “We sold the first podcast ad ever to Volvo. We commercialized it; we saw there was a business opportunity there.”
- “When people use it, and can’t shut up about it, you know you’ve got a great product.”
- “I like to tinker, I like to build products. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to do other stuff, but I like product.”
Show notes
Episode 32
