Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

3 comments on Hacker News

1. NeutralrdoubleOct 15, 2011

   Then it sounds like someone who was just featured on the TV show 'Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" and has significant 'traction' growing rapidly would get a VC investment?

   In New York, they probably would.

2. NeutralNY_EntrepreneurOct 15, 2011

   I don't quite 'get it': So, "Could you expand on your answer a little, please".

   You seem to be saying that the key is "traction", significant and growing rapidly.

   Then it sounds like someone who was just featured on the TV show 'Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" and has significant 'traction' growing rapidly would get a VC investment?

   Or so could someone who opened a pizza shop in a hot, new shopping mall.

   So, it sounds like nothing about the core technology, Buffett 'moat', potential business size, or business planning is relevant?

   Then, suppose the business is a new Web site. Suppose the founder gets from his ISP a static IP address and 15 Mbps upload bandwidth. Suppose his largest Web page can be sent for less than 200,000 bits. Suppose he half fills his bandwidth 24 x 7 for

   ( 15 * 10**6 ) / ( 2 * 200,000 ) = 37.5

   pages sent per second. Suppose he sends three ads per page and gets $1 per thousand ads displayed (CPM). Then his revenue would be greater than

   1 * 3 * 37.5 * 3600 * 24 * 30 / 1000 = 291,600

   dollars a month. Now just why would he accept equity funding?

   Net, it sounds like, for an entrepreneur, when equity funding might help, his project is 'too early', and, by the time the funding is available, the VCs are too late.

   So, it sounds like VC funding is for where (A) the business has suddenly encountered some problem and needs cash fast or (B) the founder wants to take some cash off the table and not for usual business formation.

   Then back to the restaurant: All across the US, restaurants and Main Street businesses get built without VC funding, and commonly those businesses need much more in capital equipment, ovens, site renovation, trucks, etc. than a Web site filling 15 Mbps upload bandwidth. So, if those businesses don't need VC funding, why do new Web sites?

3. NeutraljeffbarrJul 10, 2010

   Here's mine. I like to get an early start. My eyes are generally open before the 5:00 AM alarm rings.

   4:55 AM - Eyes open

   5:00 AM - Out of bed

   5:10 AM - 6:30 AM - Deal with email and eat breakfast, create TODO list for the day

   6:30 AM - Get showered and dressed

   7:00 AM - Drive or walk to bus (if not working from home that day)

   8:00 AM - 5:30 PM - Work

   6:30 PM - Home

   6:30 PM - 10:00 PM - Random (dinner, gym, walk with wife, help kids with homework, personal projects, etc)

   10:00 PM - 11:30 PM - Watch a few random episodes of Seinfeld or Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on DVR

   11:30 PM - Fall asleep in front of TV

   12:30 AM - Wake up and go upstairs for actual sleep

   My time on the bus is spent reading or resting.