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For every founder that feels ignored…

My name is Dana Severson, cofounder of Startups Anonymous, and I have a bone to pick.

For an anonymous site owner, posting on an anonymous series, you may wonder why I’m starting off by identifying myself. This simple answer is, anonymity is just a tool for speaking honestly. In this particular instance, I don’t need it.

We didn’t create Startups Anonymous to jump on the anonymity train. In fact, for those of you keeping track, we had launched before the birds were chirping. We didn’t see anonymity as a vehicle for extracting rumors and gossip. We saw it as a tool to extract realism. We believe that the concept of anonymity is greater than the act of being anonymous. It’s a mindset, a choice, which you can use or not. We use anonymity to bring about honest dialogue to benefit a community.

In this particular case, hiding my identity isn’t required and certainly wouldn’t add value. In every other instance of sharing on my site, I’ve chosen to remain anonymous. In fact, that’s why the site began. I was tired of holding back. I was tired of pretending everything was ok. I needed to open up and get some shit off my mind. The site was completely self-serving, but it just so happened that I wasn’t the only founder suffocating from the “up and to the right” guise that plagues our community.

Last week, Business Insider wrote a piece on the topic of anonymity, which we were a part of. This was a rarity. Not the discussion on the anonymous market, but rather, that we were actually part of the discussion. Nobody seems to give a shit about a company that’s using anonymity as a tool to bring value to a community. Instead, they focus on the apps that are starting to serve as the Associated Press of tech.

I sound upset, because I am. We’re being overlooked, and it’s really starting to irritate me.

I expect as much from Valleywag, but not from the others. To be fair, Pando, our weekly host, was early to recognize the value we brought to the tech community. So were TNW, Inc., and most recently BI.

I’m no fool, I understand the game. Dave Morin rumors are click-y. I get it. They make for a much sexier discussion than an everyday founder who opens up about being scared to take money from investors. But, I ask, which discussion brings you more value?

While everyone discusses whether anonymity apps are sustainable or, if they can bring value to a community beyond indulgence, we sit here with the answer, building value for founders each and every day. We reach out directly to those who ask the questions (cc: you know who you are), yet we’re met with silence.

Maybe they don’t actually want the answer? Maybe they enjoy the fodder or, more specifically, enjoy being part of the rumor mill. After all, I’m sure at some level, it’s refreshing to know that you’re relevant enough to even be discussed. Maybe not, but actions speak louder than words.

Let me state for the record —I have no beef with other anonymous apps. Their approach to market is none of my concern. They’ve built products that are serving a purpose, whether you agree with that purpose or not. There is plenty of validation to suggest that the service is desired.

I’m disappointed in those that have influence in our community — the media and the tech elite.

To them I say: Tell me you don’t like our meager design. Tell me that we’re not worthy of your time. But, please, don’t sit there and question whether there is a value in anonymity, and ignore us when we show you the answer.

At the very least, give us the courtesy of acknowledging our existence.

#StartupsAnonymous

  • Great piece! I totally see value in this site, and quite honestly, it has allowed me to blow my steam a couple of times, and to get some very interesting advice from others who, for what I’ve seen, share the same concerns and problems as we do.

    As you say, this is far more valuable, at least to me as a founder, than to read how amazing Apple is in yet another repetitive piece at TC.

    Reply

    • Dana here. Thank you for your feedback. Nothing makes me happier then to hear you’ve found value here. That’s what makes doing this worthwhile.

      Thanks for being a part of community.

      Reply

  • Well said. I stumbled across this site about 2 weeks ago and fell in love immediately. I’ve posted a few times and have always been met with incredibly helpful advice. The value it has for me is it being a community and the chance to make myself heard in an otherwise lonely profession (I never imagined entrepreneurship would be this lonely). I appreciate all of your work

    Reply

    • That’s fantastic to hear. Thanks for being active in the community.

      Question to anyone who finds value here: What do you think of the expert section? Is that valuable to you? If not, how can it improve?

      Reply

      • Honestly, I don’t care about the expert section. I see how it could potentially drive traffic and validate your site within the startup community, but what I find wonderful about this site is the anonymous advice by my peers!

        Reply

  • Well shit Dana, I’ve become more than mildly addicted to SA, so what’re you saying? 🙂 I’ve asked a few and answered a whole bunch more questions… Like you noted, it’s mostly reality, no snark here. Therefore, the finicky tech press has no interest.

    You know who would be interested though? Traditional press like newspapers, eg big city dailies usually cover all aspects of startup/entrepreneurs in their weekend or “new business” editions. And a lot more people read the papers and discover new online destinations from there…

    Reply

    • Really appreciate you being here and sharing. Truly.

      Thanks for the suggestion. It’s a great thought.

      To be clear, my issue is less with press and more with the tech elite. Those that are choosing to ignore us.

      Reply

      • Who you mean by “tech elite” and what exactly do you want them to do for you? Are you referring to investor attention? If not, why do you need validation by this “elite” group?

        Shouldn’t your main concern be increasing awareness and usage by startup people?

        Reply

  • Found you thanks to Pando and have been coming back daily. It is so refreshing to be able to share business challenges without hearing judgment or uninformed snark about our business.

    We are profitable, tech-enabled, and serve a set of customers who don’t typically get attention from the tech press – but our business challenges are all the same, and it’s really nice to share and read about others.

    Reply

  • As a third time founder I stop by every day to see how my challenges are comparing to others. Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cringe, but most times I’m sitting here nodding along going to many of the scenarios contributed.

    Even with all the mentoring, meet-ups, networking groups that I can access, it’s nice to stop by hear other stories and experiences.

    I think growing a sustainable community of contributors and audience who are sharing honestly (and sometimes humorously) will be a much more compelling story than “we anonymized it so people could sling mud or contribute to the rumor mill”.

    Reply

  • Great site. I can see how the anonymity gets in the way of giving it the social engagement push it needs. I’d choose full anonymity all day but people who drive social engagement I guess are show-offs at heart, so for them anonymity gives no payoff for their time.

    FWIW I’ve just changed the comments box of my own website, so all comments are posted anonymously, but the business model is very different from yours.

    Reply

  • Hi Dana,

    I too am a big believer in anonymity I am in it for the focus on the discussion, as in, it’s more important what is said, than who says it. I do find very few people on BI serious about any serious discussion about anything, and posting anonymously there is more of an exercise in writing than expecting anyone intelligent to actually respond to anything you might post. Most posts are hit-n-run, so I wouldn’t be too upset about BI, their editors rarely if ever even engage in the posts.

    As to startups, I came up to the Bay Area a couple of years ago and after 2 years of working for a couple of startups, and trying to find intelligent startups, instead, I found startup after startup of know-it-all-we-hate-people-older-than-30 invincibles, most who obsess about code-is-everything, and dismissive of people over 30 with experience–especially if you haven’t coded in emerging languages that the business world still hasn’t even heard of. Most of IT outside the bay area do not care if you don’t know Python or Ruby. They don’t even care. Real businesses want people that solve problems, not people that obsess about their favorite programming language or shiny API.

    The emphasis for startups seems to be on the office as social hangout, instead of actually building something that will make money. The open office is horrible as well, shoving everybody into tables. The noise and distraction are toxic to most people, especially system admins. See those headphones? That’s your first clue it isn’t working. How in the fuck are you supposed to concentrate with so much fucking distraction. It is the most annoying thing about startups, and the irony that most are building mobile apps but frown on working remote, where you can actually get work done instead of wasting time in the office and the commute. “We’re building a mobile app, but hey we need you sitting in this chair 24x7x365 putting up with our pubescent nonsense.”

    So here’s my pitch:

    I expect that you “Mr Startup” are going to pay me what I’m worth, and not waste my time with 4-6+ hour-long interviews where I get to talk on occasion, but must instead listen to hour after hour about your post-college club and your vision, and market value and what you’re trying to build, and get dragged down into obtuse intelligence tests. Tell me why you wanted me here, and why you think I can help you build what you want to build. I came from a real job, doing real devops work, and took time off to come see you, and hear why you want me. I didn’t come for coding tests, and logic puzzles where we drop eggs or count ping pong balls in a bus. I didn’t come here to give you free consulting either, ask me about my life and my experience, and how I can help you. After all, you told the recruiter you liked me, and must have had some reason why you thought I’d be a good fit. That’s why I took time off from my real job, to come and hear why you want me.

    Truth is, I really don’t care what you’re trying to build, but I will be happy to help you build it if you pay me what I’m worth. I will be 100% engaged in your success, but I’ll need to check you at the door if you can’t even offer me a reasonable, market-level compensation package. I also expect you to be serious about hiring me if you call me in for an interview–I’m not coming in to consult for free on how you should do things, or sign up for college or team activities, and I don’t care about the free food and ping pong tables..

    Also, tell me, why would you start up a business in the most expensive city on earth, and drum roll, why is it that startups are migrating to San Francisco, into the Financial District, the most expensive part of the most expensive city? It doesn’t make sense. Tell me where your business plan shows this as even being smart.

    Sorry for rambling, but startups piss me off because of the arrogance of most off them. I’ve told recruiters to stop sending me DevOps reqs for startups, they can burn in hell. I’m going after non-bay-area companies now, where I can bring devops into companies that will appreciate experience, and don’t need strictly Ruby or Python, to the exclusion of all else. Oh, and thanks for a place to rant. 🙂

    Reply
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