Category Archives: Startup News

News about upcoming and existing startups

“He is the best programmer who doesn’t care about our vision.”

Courtesy of Rolling Stone Magazine (2011)

Courtesy of Rolling Stone Magazine (2011)

The title quote is from the biographical film, Jobs (2013). It’s a statement that was made by Steve Jobs (Ashton Kutcher) when one of his team members failed to see/share the vision that he had for the fonts on the Lisa Project and the programmer was subsequently fired.

This past week has been pretty interesting.

The business has taken the turn for the better- for the first time in I don’t know how many months– and with that, came a myriad of lessons. I learnt about what perseverance really means to skeptics, critics, investors and consumers alike.

It’s that look in the founder’s eye that says:

 “Really, this project is going to happen. And it WILL be a breakthrough success. I am here, to rule the world.”

This is what my next feat is: being able to express to future investors our intentions and our ability as a team to make good on all our deliverables. Many would think that a couple of years of experience (where it matters), some great ideas and a well thought-through plan of execution is enough to woe any potential “buyer”. But I think that the above is actually secondary. What the buyer wants to see is more than mere ability but a combination of ability and passion/drive/zest. That is, how badly do YOU want to see this succeed?

When the going gets tough, it is the belief and dedication of every member of the team that determines whether you crumble under the pressure or you rise-up to the occasion. Forget, for a moment, the list of qualifications which accompany the various organs of the company. Yes, organs.

The company as a whole is like the human body with every team member being a different yet vital organ…Vital to the performance and wellbeing of the overall body. And believe me, the going really does get tough. There are times when nothing seems to be going your way and every attempt to move forward seems like a leap towards the back. It is in these times where tensions rise and with them comes a googolplex of overwhelming frustrations that sadly can not be remedied by anything but success. A programmer that believes that he deserves to get paid according to his contribution and his expertise will fail you at this point because you are unable to fulfill these needs. You’re still a startup. Which by definition is:

“…a human institution designed to deliver a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty.”- Eric Ries, The Lean Startup

So you need people that will be willing to endure these conditions because they possess a clear understanding and belief in the vision of the startup. And they are determined to do all that they can to achieve this vision because they know- that their efforts will yield success and this success will be worth all the time and money sacrificed for this team of revolutionaries.

That’s what you want: dedication throttled by belief; not mere action driven by compensation.

So, look amongst your crew members and ask yourself whether these are the right people to be the custodians of your vision of a better tomorrow.

Marine-turned-CEO says ‘strong leadership is what it takes to win the battle’

“You have to continue to focus and believe and be very clear about driving that optimism for the people around you. To move forward, fearlessness has to exist. Don’t get rattled, go with the flow, and bring as much value to the company as you can.” Bill Hustad

Tinkering: the diary entry of an obsessed Linux user.

Help with Linux

Not too long ago, tinkering was reserved for those geeks and nerds that spent hours and hours just typing away at their keyboards trying to change this and that because of this and that only to change that once again (two days later)because of this.

Let me first point out that, I am not ‘that guy’. In fact, ‘that guy’ would probably sneer at the mere utterance of our so-called resemblance. What I am, however, is a liker-of-things. Cool things, things that are different and have a revolutionary quality to them- things that actually matter.

With that being said, a year or so ago I purchased a refurbished netbook that came with no operating system- I then installed Ubuntu Linux onto it. And thus spawned the beginning of a lengthy love/hate relationship between myself and the OS. The great thing about Linux is the fact that it is open-source meaning that there are now millions (perhaps hundreds of thousands) of nerds that are working towards making this OS better and better. They create tools regularly in order to make their lives simpler, better and perhaps easier. As a result of the wonderful community of Linux users that already exists, these iterations can also be used to make every other user’s experience of Linux THAT much more pleasant. This is the intrinsic beauty of the Linux operating system.

With this beauty, however, comes a bit of dedication that is required from the user.

Linux systems vary from Windows and Mac systems in that the software that Linux uses is not coming from a handful of companies but from a myriad of avid hackers and engineers. This openness, does bring with it the infinite potential for errors, bugs and calibration/compatibility issues. At this point the user could either turn to the Linux community for advice or choose to fix the issue himself through a series of tinkering sessions aimed at eventually discovering the solution for himself. In my experience, I’ve realised that both options go hand-in-hand. When I first started using the OS, I was always trying to find solace and support through seeking for help in the various forums available to a Linux user (all of which are great). As time went by, I had probably visited the Ubuntu forum about 10 000 times and each time I’d come out with a solution. All of this was essentially educational as my skills were continuously enhanced with every problem I faced. Now I find myself trying out a bunch of solutions from my bag of acquired tricks when faced with an issue. And more often then not, I will have solved it myself.

Looking forward about a year later and I now find myself tinkering endlessly at my machine. Not because solutions are needed but because with Linux, change is imminent. There is always some new alternative version of a particular type of software being released to the community. And that entices a user to want to use it. And most of the time, the modifications are not particularly essential. They could range from simply installing a new conky to your desktop to trying to run 3-different OSs on one machine. Why do these things?

Because they’re cool and most importantly, because we Can.

9workspaces

Workspaces Courtesy of Google+ user Michael Murphy

Follow @ZooLooConcepts on Twitter.

Linux Job Report- the Pressing need for Linux talent (2013)

The following report was found at the Linux Foundation to convey the pressing need for Linux talent out there. The survey included responses from more than “850 hiring managers at corporations, small and medium businesses (SMBs), government organizations, and staffing agencies across the globe – as well as responses from more than 2,600 Linux professionals worldwide”. Read the full report at the Linux Foundation

Maybe this will get you a bit more interested in becoming a Linux Pro?lf_infogfx_jobs2013