A Nice Little Niche

Facebook's "Open Graph": Genealogy Applications

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 00:29:19 -0400

Facebook's "Open Graph": Genealogy Applications

I’m in the midst of writing an essay on how Genlighten can...

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:41:00 -0400

I’m in the midst of writing an essay on how Genlighten can search for a bigger market. I’d like to claim I don’t need to, but have we really shown yet that we already have strong customer-perceived value?

We’re a little less stiff and awkward and a lot more funny...

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:50:54 -0500

We’re a little less stiff and awkward and a lot more funny in person… (well, my wife is, anyway) :)

Being an entrepreneur

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:18:49 -0500

caterpillarcowboy:

For the first time since November 2008, I’m getting a paycheck today. It’s not much ($930.46) and 1/5th of what I used to be paid, but I’ll take it. Needless to say, I have no money left and credit card bills to pay, so it’s coming at a good time.

Being an entrepreneur means sacrifice. I gave up my $3000/month beautiful Brooklyn loft for splitting a 2 bedroom with 3 people in Bayonne, NJ for $300/month. I was without health insurance for 15 months. And I can’t tell you just how much I appreciate J for putting up with living in Bayonne when I know she misses NYC and hates the commute.

Being an entrepreneur means being comfortable living on the edge. Last March, when I was still in Brooklyn, I had a $3000 rent check due in 2 weeks, and I didn’t have the money to pay it. And yet, you find a way. I was able to secure an investor and pay my rent on time.

Being an entrepreneur means riding a rollercoaster. One day in December, we’re celebrating because an angel investor told us he wanted to put in $200,000. Over the following weeks, we agree to a price and terms, and then he pulls out. From what Chris Dixon writes, this is more common than it should be. In the end, though, I think it was the best thing that could have happened to us.

Being an entrepreneur means compromise. Having no money means you can’t buy what you want, go out to eat whenever you want, travel wherever you want. But in return, you get to create something meaningful, be your own boss, and love what you do.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Right behind you, David. Thanks.

"Marriage is those those two thousand indistinguishable conversations, chatted over two thousanads..."

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:28:28 -0500

“Marriage is those those two thousand indistinguishable conversations, chatted over two thousanads indistinguishable breakfasts, where intimacy turns like a slow wheel. How do you measure the worth of becoming that familiar to somebody —so utterly well known and so thoroughly ever-present that you become an almost invisible necessity, like air?”

- Elizabeth Gilbert in Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage (via keeptheballrolling) (via wearethedigitalkids) (via fred-wilson)

Yup, exactly.

This is, as Harper would say, pretty awesome.

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:34:30 -0500

This is, as Harper would say, pretty awesome.

Tuning

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:52:30 -0500

Tuning:

bobulate:

Kathleen Mallery on finding the best piano:

“What’s the best piano out there?” I asked.

The piano tuner’s eyes sparkled. ”I always get asked this question. Everyone always wants to know — what’s the best piano. And I always say, the piano that’s in your living room.”

”It’s all about getting it tuned right, bringing out its own sound and then when you play, you play the piano that’s in front you, and you see what it can really do. That’s all there is really. Tuning it and then playing what you’ve got.”

I was fascinated to find, when I learned how to tune an old, not-so-special cello, that I could feel when it was in tune. Not just hear it, but feel it. A complete surprise to me, a former non-string player. When you slow down to tune, it resonates in a way that’s unmistakable.

Resonance…. hmmm…

elwhit: Sin Is Honoring Desire Above What You Know Is...

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:02:28 -0500

elwhit:

Sin Is Honoring Desire Above What You Know Is Right

Dean:

This appeals to me, but it still seems to be missing a crucial reference point. I need help knowing what’s right.

symphonyno2inem: navigolucky: spicygirlsushirolls: Philip...

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:39:37 -0500

symphonyno2inem:

navigolucky:

spicygirlsushirolls:

Philip Glass - String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) - 5. Blood Oath (Sine uoce (angelus non sum))

Speaking of Mishima, Spring Snow (春の雪) is on my list to read…

Love, love, love Spring Snow… and the entire Sea of Fertility tetraology!

Tombstone Tuesday: Benjamin L. TRAFFORD and Cecelia Merritt INGERSOLL

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:54:38 -0500

Benjamin L. TRAFFORD was born on 05 August 1835 in New York City, NY. He was the son of Abraham Trafford and Basilea Harmer.

On 15 April 1857 he married Cecelia Merritt INGERSOLL in New York City, New York.

Cecelia was born 05 August 1837 in New York City, New York to Roswell R. Ingersoll and Caroline Merritt.

Benjamin died on 23 December 1883 and Cecelia died on 12 February 1915. They are both buried in the First Presbyterian Churchyard in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County New Jersey.

charliepark: hiten: Steve Blank’s Customer Development, Eric...

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:30:22 -0500

charliepark:

hiten:

Steve Blank’s Customer Development, Eric Ries’ Lean Startup and Dave McClure’s AARRR[G] in one slide. Created by Brant Cooper

Dean: Well, there you go, that’s all I need to do then!

The family tree is missing medical history

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:10:42 -0400

bijan:

My wife and I have recently become quite interested in putting together our family tree. It’s such a diverse family with various backgrounds and cultures. And a large family at that.

We signed up with Geni and with a bit of nudging and effort from various family members we now have a tree that spans over 380 people and growing.

We are getting a ton of details that we wouldn’t have known otherwise. It’s really quite excellent.

As we reviewed all the information and watch the tree develop, we started thinking about health matters and family medical history.

For example, my wife’s dad died at 50 years old. Her father’s father also died at a very young age as well. Her’s father’s grandfather also died at a young age. All of them died because of heart failure. It’s clear how important it is to understand your family medical history.

But aside from that striking data, we really don’t know much about other medical history we inherit from our family tree. Who in our family has diabetes? Or cancer? Or Alzheimer’s?

I realize that I’m walking into a hornets nest and patient records are highly confidential. But if I had a medical issue that might pass down to my kids and so on, I would very much want them to know about it. I assume my grandparents, parents, uncles & aunts feel the same way.

At some point, we are going to have better tools that give us data and access. Of course, we will need assurances & security to make sure that the right people have access to the right information.

Electronic medical records are a start. Stitching our medical records with our family tree is the next step after that. And we will all be better for it.

Can Genlighten tackle these issues? Not yet, but it’s something to keep returning to.

First Formal Beta Invites Go Out

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:51:00 -0400

Today was the day we sent the first batch of private beta invitations out to interested Genlighten users we’ve met at conferences over the past few years or who’ve signed up on the site. So far it looks like about 20% have registered. Not as many new lookups offered as I would have hoped, but it’s a start. Great feedback from one potential power provider.

"I could talk for ages about how awesome and valuable the beta process was. We learned so much during..."

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:00:37 -0400

“I could talk for ages about how awesome and valuable the beta process was. We learned so much during the first year when invitations were going out slowly and we were talking to the users of the site about what they wanted every single day. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat — start with something that works, get people in it, and build it together.”

- Ravelry from Tim Bray’s blog Ongoing

I love the way the founder Casey Forbes talks about his Knitting and Crocheting community site, Ravelry. I want our beta process to be just the way he describes his.

"The driving force in the life of a child, starting much earlier than it used to be, is to be cool,..."

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:46:59 -0400

“The driving force in the life of a child, starting much earlier than it used to be, is to be cool, to fit in. The best schools are able to make learning cool, so the cool kids are the ones who get As. That’s an art.”

- Alex Grodd (via Wired)

(via bryc3)

Dean’s take: New Trier managed to do this for our kids, to a great extent. Earlier, Kino did much the same thing for our daughter. Grateful to both.

wearenomads: Ninna Nightingale - Wipe your. Dean’s take:...

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:34:00 -0400

wearenomads:

Ninna Nightingale - Wipe your.

Dean’s take: it’s not the KJV, but the directness of the language is curiously refreshing.

Writing down your life story

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:25:00 -0400

bijan:

We spent Thursday and Friday in New York City.

Yesterday, we arrived at my parents in Long Island. Last night after the kids went to bed, my dad told us some amazing things about his childhood that I had never heard before.

My brother and I have learned a lot about my parents lives over the years but I know there are gaps missing from the stories. And there are certainly photos missing. The old photos we have aren’t tagged or organized at all and we don’t have any videos naturally.

I told my parents that they should write down their life story. Start at the beginning. They have led fascinating lives. One little tidbit: They both came from different countries to the United States in the 60’s. My mom is from Korea. My dad is from Iran. They met after medical school during their residency in New York. My mom was supposed to be arranged but she met my dad.

These days many of us are sharing our lives on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, blogs and flickr. It’s an attempt to write down and share our life story. From the seemingly mundane to the other end of the spectrum.

I hope my kids can one day check out my shared life to get another window into my life story.

And hopefully they will do the same for the next generation.

Dean’s take: So far, that’s two East Coast VCs (the other being Fred Wilson) who have indicated an interest in their family history on their blogs. This bodes well for our potential Genlighten Techstars presentation.

"Startups make all kinds of excuses for delaying their launch. Most are equivalent to the ones people..."

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:07:00 -0400

“

Startups make all kinds of excuses for delaying their launch. Most are equivalent to the ones people use for procrastinating in everyday life. There’s something that needs to happen first. Maybe. But if the software were 100% finished and ready to launch at the push of a button, would they still be waiting?

One reason to launch quickly is that it forces you to actually finish some quantum of work. Nothing is truly finished till it’s released; you can see that from the rush of work that’s always involved in releasing anything, no matter how finished you thought it was. The other reason you need to launch is that it’s only by bouncing your idea off users that you fully understand it.

”

- Paul Graham, 18 Mistakes That Kill Startups, via Hiten

I’m really starting to run out of excuses for delaying our launch…

"The whole entrepreneurial thing is that you kind of jump off a cliff and assemble your airplane on..."

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:12:28 -0400

“The whole entrepreneurial thing is that you kind of jump off a cliff and assemble your airplane on the way down. And financing, by the way, is a thermal draft, right? You’re a little further away, but the ground’s still coming at you if you can’t establish an airplane.”

- Reid Hoffman, as quoted by Jeff Bussgang in his new book, The VC Playbook (via fred-wilson)

The ground’s definitely coming at us. But it won’t take much revenue to keep us safely in the air.

"Making things is a circle. You start the arc with an idea about the world: an observation or hunch...."

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:15:34 -0400

“Making things is a circle. You start the arc with an idea about the world: an observation or hunch. Then you sprint around the track, getting to a prototype—a breadboard, a rough draft, a run-through—as fast as you can. Your goal isn’t to finish the thing. It’s to expose it, no matter how rough or ragged, to the real world. You do that, and you learn: Which of your ideas were right? Which were wrong? What surprised you? What did other people think? Then you plow those findings back into an improved prototype. Around the circle again. Run!”

- New Liberal Arts in Simple HTML (via heyitsnoah)

Coming soon: Genlighten’s rough and ragged private beta. Then, “around the circle again.”