Jamis Buck has stopped development of Capistrano. I wish I could say I'm saddened by this, but I'm not. Let me explain.
Capistrano works. For me, it works perfectly. Perhaps I have simple deployment needs, but I can do damn near anything I want by typing the words "cap deploy". Deploying all kinds of web projects cannot get any easier. That is pretty damn cool.
So frankly, I'm glad Jamis gave it up. It's done, and I'm sure that he'll be on to more cool stuff in the future. Meanwhile, Capistrano is as useful as it ever was. So thanks, Jamis. And keep the good stuff coming.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monitoring Your Brand on the Internet
Jeremy Bencken has done it again - he's come up with another innovative use of common tools. If you're looking for a cheap (free) way to monitor what people are saying about your business (or anything else for that matter), this is exactly what you're looking for. It covers all the major "Social Media" outlets and is infinitely customizable.
Jeremy has pieced together several free web services into what amounts to a pretty slick system. It requires a little work to set up, but you can't beat the price. This is bootstrapping at it's finest.
He's even included a screen cast. Check it out.
Jeremy has pieced together several free web services into what amounts to a pretty slick system. It requires a little work to set up, but you can't beat the price. This is bootstrapping at it's finest.
He's even included a screen cast. Check it out.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Why $20,000 from Capital Factory is a Good Deal
Last week, a group of successful entrepreneurs launched Capital Factory here in Austin. It's a program that is similar to Y Combinator (out of Silicon Valley) and TechStars (in Boulder - where I went to college).
Programs like these are great deals for young web entrepreneurs. Oddly, I hear the following complaint most often from these same young entrepreneurs:
"They want 5% of my company for $20,000. That's a valuation of $400,000 and I think that's a lousy deal. Angels are giving money out at $2-3 million pre-money."
The thinking behind this objection is all wrong. Yes, that 5% does imply a value of $400,000. But lets look at what makes up that value: an idea and the willingness of a few smart people to follow up on it. No traction required. No customers, no revenue, no actual proof of anything. Those $3M angel deals are very different animals - they have money, products, and often customers.
As one of my colleagues put it, it's $400,000 more than you had yesterday.
Second - the money that Capital Factory invests is not really an investment. At least, that's not how you should think about it. It's a vote of confidence. It's a signal to other investors that you and Capital Factory are serious. It's a test. What can you do with $20,000 of someone else's money? Can you create tangible value when given the chance? It's a way to convince your family that you're not off on some wild goose chase.
You are not trading 5% of your company for $20,000. Any motivated group of young entrepreneurs can come up with $20,000 very easily without giving up any equity.
No, you are giving up 5% of your company to engage a group of people who have an interest in your success and who have the ability to impact your chances for success. That's worth a lot more than $20,000. Not only to your current venture, but to your future endeavors. This is the stuff that makes ventures work. It's not about the money - it's about the people.
So why offer the money at all? When it comes down to it, the money is just a tangible symbol of seriousness - a way to communicate a sense of urgency and a glue to keep all the parties interested and involved.
So if you think you have what it takes to make a company from nothing, come to Austin - and let Capital Factory help.
Programs like these are great deals for young web entrepreneurs. Oddly, I hear the following complaint most often from these same young entrepreneurs:
"They want 5% of my company for $20,000. That's a valuation of $400,000 and I think that's a lousy deal. Angels are giving money out at $2-3 million pre-money."
The thinking behind this objection is all wrong. Yes, that 5% does imply a value of $400,000. But lets look at what makes up that value: an idea and the willingness of a few smart people to follow up on it. No traction required. No customers, no revenue, no actual proof of anything. Those $3M angel deals are very different animals - they have money, products, and often customers.
As one of my colleagues put it, it's $400,000 more than you had yesterday.
Second - the money that Capital Factory invests is not really an investment. At least, that's not how you should think about it. It's a vote of confidence. It's a signal to other investors that you and Capital Factory are serious. It's a test. What can you do with $20,000 of someone else's money? Can you create tangible value when given the chance? It's a way to convince your family that you're not off on some wild goose chase.
You are not trading 5% of your company for $20,000. Any motivated group of young entrepreneurs can come up with $20,000 very easily without giving up any equity.
No, you are giving up 5% of your company to engage a group of people who have an interest in your success and who have the ability to impact your chances for success. That's worth a lot more than $20,000. Not only to your current venture, but to your future endeavors. This is the stuff that makes ventures work. It's not about the money - it's about the people.
So why offer the money at all? When it comes down to it, the money is just a tangible symbol of seriousness - a way to communicate a sense of urgency and a glue to keep all the parties interested and involved.
So if you think you have what it takes to make a company from nothing, come to Austin - and let Capital Factory help.
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