Disqus - Latest Comments for Boris M. Silver

Re: No Conflict No Interest - Or How To Launch A Platform in 2007

Boris M. Silver — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:37:42 -0000

I don't use Facebook because it has applications -- I use Facebook because every single person I know is on it. I use the applications as a byproduct of being on Facebook. People are getting caught up in the hype of this OpenSocial idea and forgetting that at the end of the day, Facebook does and will continue to dominate.

Maybe it's because I am in college, where everyone is on Facebook, but MySpace was what you were on when you were in high school and couldn't get on the closed college only Facebook network.

The end users won't really care about OpenSocial -- the only people getting excited here are the tech and web people.

For my company, I'm excited to get more reach to users, but I will still prioritize my Facebook user base over any other user base until something indicates differently.

Re: My Reliance on Facebook is Dangerous

Boris M. Silver — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:26:09 -0000

Back when I first started my FB oriented company, I got banned from facebook 3 times in a timespan of 2 weeks.

It was intense to lose it all.

Re: Bebo Launch Grants Monopolies

Boris M. Silver — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 16:35:14 -0000

Mark,

I'm not sitting on the sidelines watching other people make apps and commenting about it -- I'm in the thick of it all. Perhaps my apps will bomb in the future, but so far they haven't. My company has found success on Facebook and I see no reason why we can't continue that success if we were given the same access to the Bebo Platform as other companies.

-Boris M. Silver

Re: 2007/11/02/facebook-sponsored-pages/

Boris M. Silver — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 23:44:24 -0000

Hope this isn't true... don't do it Facebook

Re: 2008/02/23/virgin-america-tickets/

Boris M. Silver — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 01:24:02 -0000

Virgin rocks. Period. They're re-dining air travel in America. Lots of props and love to them.

My number is 181

Re: The Well Funded Layoff

Boris M. Silver — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:55:32 -0000

When I read this news, it didn't make sense to me completely.

I don't think external conditions should matter to the extent that they don't impact your bottom line, but merely impact sentiments or emotions.

From a strict econ perspective, you hire a worker when the marginal benefit of someone is greater than the marginal cost. I've had to let people go, but that was because I didn't think their contribution > cost.

I don't see what a "downturn" has to do with anything. Decisions should be based on internal conditions. I don't know enough about Seesmic's inner goings to know their internal financial conditions or business model, but I think it's a mistake to take this as a sign that the sky is falling. For all we know Seesmic had to let these people go because their business model is not gaining traction, not because the external conditions are failing.

Would the same decision had been made regardless of the financial downturn?

I think more focus should be paid to building a business that generates positive cash flow. We've done it and we didn't raise VC money.

Then when the markets crash around you and everyone is running for the hills, you just shove all your resources towards the edge that you have built up and blow up your profitability. It's like getting dealt a poker hand with +EV -- you just push your chips in to maximize your winnings from the edge.

I think my problem with all the posts out there lately is that they assume people are building businesses without profit in mind. Obviously you have to bunker down and cut cash if you're spending is out of control, but you probably shouldn't have been there in the first place.

All of these advice posts and warning posts should be modified to read: "For Companies With Negative Cash Flow"

I don't think this changes a thing. Keep your head down. Work your fucking ass off. Hustle harder.

-Boris