Comment by traceroute66
4 years ago
> Maaaan if we were in the same room. Don't belittle someone who's trying to accomplish something (and following through with it).
I'm not belittling. I'm just saying set realistic goals. "Build an open-source Amazon" without the budget or the manpower ? Its simply not realistic unless you have very deep pockets and a team of hundreds of full-time staff.
If you think I'm being unduly harsh, what sort of grilling do you think the OP will be subjected to when they rock up at a bank or VC fund looking for a few hundred million ?
That's why theturtletalks should apply to YC first! I'm sure YC would love to fund an open-source Amazon competitor if they believed in the execution enough to give it, say, a 1% chance of success (or even much less than that, given Amazon's size).
That "bank of VC fund" you speak probably looks at a startup like this very differently after they've been through YC, not just because of YC's reputation but also because YC can do a lot to help a startup like this after funding it.
Just as a quick counter-argument. Amazon did not become today's behemoth overnight. It started as a source for books and then slowly expanded into other sectors as it perfected its execution.
I might agree that the characterization is a little bombastic, but:
1) It is oddly good marketing if mildly misleading ( as discussed in other posts it is not exactly a 'replacement for Amazon store for seller' as I would have initially thought from the initial presentation )
2) Here we are discussing its merits or lack thereof
In short, I agree with your general point, when compared to today's Amazon, but I think it was more of a rhetorical device rather than a 'factual statement'.
You're 100% condescending and unduly harsh. Obviously the dude is not 'replacing amazon' that's a mischaracterization on their part, but they are doing something definitely legit, and within scope of what a small team can do to start with.
No, you're setting limits on another human being, likely because you're intimidated by them even having the stones to go through with it (and you won't/can't). Folks like you are a dime-a-dozen and they are always hollow souls who can't accomplish a fraction of the people they push down.
> what sort of grilling do you think the OP will be subjected to when they rock up at a bank or VC fund looking for a few hundred million ?
Appropriate grilling (financial prospects, executive potential, etc), not being told to "lower your ambitions."
It's amazing how many people condescend to others on here and then are surprised when someone else defends them.
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