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The Future of Web Apps?
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:02 pm
by jack_indigo
Saw this on Reddit. Seemed like something you guys might want to see and discuss.
http://events.carsonified.com/fowa/2008/london/content
On this link...
Jason Calcanis and Tom Nixon. Work/Life balance or Blood Sweat and Tears.
...it was supposed to show two contrasting views on work-life balance. But they both came off very poorly. First, the British guy came off rushed, like he had a deadline to run off to. The second guy, though, pist me completely off. He said his ideal startup would fire all the "average people". That's a rather wide brush stroke, I'm afraid. He also insulted his host -- 37 Signals.
Re: The Future of Web Apps?
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:16 am
by taylor28
Wow it has large interface. I have to scroll to see it all.
Re: The Future of Web Apps?
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:51 am
by alex.barylski
Loved the second guy...I share those exact sentiments. If everyone was average, human's would never have landed on the moon or break a world record or cure cancer, etc...
It's people who strive day in and day out for excellence that push the world forward. If everyone was stuck in average gear we'd still be swinging from tree's.
That being said I do not believe that Tom Nixon was suggesting average employee's are better...or worse...he was simply advocating a life/work balance which I personally think is fine. It's up to a business owner to be excellent as an excellent leader will make everyone else excellent.
A horrible leader will also bring a business to it's knee's. I would do business with the other guy before I would that Tom guy.
Re: The Future of Web Apps?
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:29 am
by onion2k
PCSpectra wrote:Loved the second guy...I share those exact sentiments. If everyone was average, human's would never have landed on the moon or break a world record or cure cancer, etc...
The problem with that attitude is that most of the work in any business isn't actually very taxing. It's easy. Average people can do it and they can do it well. If you only employ exceptional people they'll end up working on jobs that are well beneath their capability. And they'll get bored. And then they'll quit. Which means you no longer employ people to do the stuff the average guys
can't do.
Sacking all the average people would be a catastrophically stupid business decision in the long term.
Plus, and I mean this with the best of intentions, most people
feel they're above average even though they're not. Most likely including you. And me.
Re: The Future of Web Apps?
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:19 pm
by alex.barylski
The problem with that attitude is that most of the work in any business isn't actually very taxing. It's easy. Average people can do it and they can do it well. If you only employ exceptional people they'll end up working on jobs that are well beneath their capability. And they'll get bored. And then they'll quit. Which means you no longer employ people to do the stuff the average guys can't do.
Interesting perspective and certainly worth considering, but I still disagree...

Re: The Future of Web Apps?
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:25 pm
by jack_indigo
I think perhaps Tom Nixon is normally uptight and cranky, and perhaps burned a few times by slow workers indeed. However, in a startup, man, the guy has to face the facts. A startup can mean risk often times, and so one is up against taking the kind of worker willing to take that kind of risk. Sure, there are times when workers just don't make a good fit, and times when one needs to sit back and re-evaluate their workforce, but to basically put everyone on a chart, find all the average workers, and fire them -- that's a rather wide brushstroke and a bit ridiculous to even think about.
Re: The Future of Web Apps?
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:39 pm
by alex.barylski
Tom was the English fellow I believe.

Re: The Future of Web Apps?
Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:27 am
by jack_indigo
PCSpectra wrote:Tom was the English fellow I believe. :)
Really? My bad. I'll have to watch that again.
Re: The Future of Web Apps?
Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:38 am
by alex.barylski
I'm pretty sure...I googled Jason Calcanis after watching that to see what interesting projects he had started...