We’ve already shared our thoughts on what bootstrapping means, but when I read this piece on bootstrapping I couldn’t help but share since I think it’s pretty much on: “When you decide to bootstrap, you commit to fund primary development and growth through internal cash flow from real-life customers. You — the founder — and [...]

I was having a discussion the other day with a friend about old media transitioning to the new world — a process that the current economic situation will (i believe) hasten. I have long believed that the main thing hampering newspapers, record labels, etc. is their premise that when the transition is complete they need [...]

I really have no clue what’s going to happen with the economy. I read all the same reports that everyone else does. And I do have this sense that human beings are really good at predicting that things will be kind of similar to the way they were in the past. (Which means of course, [...]

I’m not entirely sure that I’m qualified to comment on this issue as I run neither marathons nor sprints, and while our little startup here is progressing nicely, I wouldn’t claim we’re (yet) something to model your business after. That said, I feel the need to comment anyway. (Big surprise.) Jason Calacanis sent out e-mail [...]

In November we will reach the our second anniversary as an official business. (We didn’t get really going until the following spring when Jenny and Walter arrived.) It’s kind of interesting, when you’re starting a new business there’s a literal ton of information on the web, at bookstores, etc. to help you. And yet, there [...]

I know that many people have complained about the Seinfeld/Gates ads, but I liked them. In fact, I would watch a sitcom every week starring Jerry and Bill. I think it’s funny. But i really like Seinfeld and I really like Bill. So I suppose I’m biased. Also, there’s a third ad I believe which [...]

Here’s the thing: I wouldn’t have written the post that John Casasanta at taptaptap wrote about the VCs that are approaching him, but as Chris Rock would say — I understand. A sample from John’s post: “The vultures are out and and they taste blood. The iPhone’s one of the hottest things around right now [...]

From dictionary.com: boot·strap, noun, adjective, verb, -strapped, -strap·ping. –noun a loop of leather or cloth sewn at the top rear, or sometimes on each side, of a boot to facilitate pulling it on. a means of advancing oneself or accomplishing something: He used his business experience as a bootstrap to win voters. –adjective relying entirely [...]

Noam Wasserman on his Founder Frustrations blog does great analyses (like this one) of startup founders and how they fare in different startup exit scenarios. It’s interesting to see the reality. I’d love to see a study that compares venture funded tech startups to bootstrapped tech startups. Specifically I’m interested in: What are the relative [...]

“Who believes a brand’s elaborate web of often conflicting messages, when ten thousand connected consumers agree that the company behind the brand sucks?” (PDF)

We’re still relatively new at this running our own business thing but we’ve been doing it long enough to be able to notice some patterns as well as compare and contrast them with patterns we’ve seen working at big companies. And when it comes to what’s hidden, this is one area where the size of [...]

I suppose it’s easy for me to talk about the pitfalls of being a public company given that there aren’t thousands of people lining up to buy shares in Jackson Fish Market (yet ). That said, I will judge anyway… From the New York Times on the topic of Starbucks recent troubles: “These people say [...]

Now that we’ve corralled some interns here at JFM (they started 3 weeks ago and are off to the races on their project), we’re trying to shake loose the rust on some actual management skills. Not that there’s much “managing” ever going on around here. That said, this writeup making fun of a U.S. News [...]

We’ve discussed the evolution from banner ads to branded widgets to full blown branded web applications. Many marketers are starting to understand the value of delivering useful “content” to their audiences as a means of engaging them. However, it’s worth spending a moment to examine the word “content” and how it’s used. It’s critical that [...]

It didn’t take long after advent of the internet for marketers to look at it as a medium for advertising. And as most creators do when they see a new medium, they create for that new medium using the techniques and approaches that have served them well in more established mediums. In our specific example [...]

Back in November of 2006 when we founded Jackson Fish Market we felt like a lonely voice talking about creating experiences online that functioned both as useful destinations as well as opportunities for brand marketers to connect with audiences. Here we are almost a year-and-a-half later and we’ve happened upon two companies telling the same [...]

My first reaction to this situation is that most folks who make software for a living will have steady employment for a long long time. Here’s the situation. I am looking for a website to use to share my photos with my family. I have the following preferences: I want to background sync my files [...]

Billboards and 30 second tv spots have been among the iconic advertising formats for decades. (The web has its own version in the form of banner ads, interstitials, and the torrent of video advertising inserting itself in our streams.) And yet NBC is moving towards having advertisers sponsor entire shows. From the Times: “At a [...]

I was at an event recently where someone talked about a book they were going to write with advice on how to make big companies work more effectively. Testament to the popularity of this topic are the almost unlimited number of books on the subject. And I believe that his book would add even more [...]

Mike Masnick at TechDirt responds to the original AdAge post with more enlightenment: #3 Content is advertising. Might sound like a repeat of the point above, and in some way it is — but it’s highlighting the flip side. Any content is advertising. It’s advertising something. Techdirt content “advertises” our business even if you don’t [...]

Today the ad industry trade press finally wrote the story we’ve been telling for the last 15 months: Think Different: Maybe the Web’s Not a Place to Stick Your Ads — Matthew Creamer Asks Whether We’re All Missing the Point When It Comes to the Internet This is exciting for us as we’ve been trying [...]

There’s been a blip in the blogosphere (and the Seattle Tech Startup mailing list) lately about corporate culture and how hard people should work at startups. Posts of note include: 37 Signals announcing they are moving to 4 day workweeks (among other things). Jason Calacanis saying you should fire people who aren’t workaholics (among other [...]

…with Deb, Brian, and Tara. Our initial reactions below.

I think it’s hard to find folks who will argue with the premise that advertisers are funding (or soon will be funding) the bulk of consumer software development on the planet. And when it comes to brand advertising, those sponsors are finding that the higher they go up the software evolutionary chain, the better results [...]

This game is called Crayon Physics Deluxe. I can’t describe it better than Austin Grossman did on (excellent new Gawker site) i09. It’s essentially a “magic book”. Watch all the way through. Every new scenario continues to amaze. With stuff like this still being invented we haven’t even scratched the surface of what kind of [...]

I saw an article on AdAge (via Techmeme) this morning that surprised me. The headline is “Media Work Force Sinks to 15-Year Low“. I was surprised because the news felt immediately disconnected from what it feels like to me. To me it feels like there have never been more opportunities and outlets for the creation [...]

I attended the first Java One conference back in 1995. Anyone who was in the industry at the time will remember the excited throngs (at the conference and in the industry) getting all lathered up over all things Java. (They gave out super cool mini Leatherman knives with the Java logo. The TSA now owns [...]

“We can’t refuse Unilever the right to make an Axe campaign without giving someone the right to refuse Unilever the right to make the Dove campaign. If we can say “no” to a sexist campaign, someone can say “no” to a feminist one.” The discussion above is excellent (as it always is on the “Intersection [...]

“Building a world class Yahoo to be the best company it possibly can be using the management skills that Jerry and company have is a far different challenge than optimizing the stock price. Particularly when Google is your stock comp.”

By no stretch of the imagination do I claim credit for having made something that lots of folks consider great (other than my kids). But we’re not talking about kids and as my wife will point out, I had only a modest role in that anyway. I’d like to talk about creating things that people [...]