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A comment on Building an app does not make you a startup. Parent comment

Re:Building an app does not make you a startup by tptacek on Thursday August 16, 2012 @12:06PM (#4391967)
Like hacker/cracker, or open-source/free-software, or any of a myriad of other classic message board topics, "startup/small-biz" is a pointless rathole argument. It's easily avoidable by reading articles with an open mind and trying to grasp what the author means. In this case, the author's take on "startup" versus "small business" is fairly anodyne: he's not disparaging small app shops, and in fact is leveling a popular critique of VC startups.

The bigger issue with this post is the extremely clumsy segue from talking about the mobile software market to talking about his own business. There's nothing wrong with promoting your business in a blog post --- why else write one? --- but the transition here sure was jarring.

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Re:Building an app does not make you a startup by pytrin on Thursday August 16, 2012 @12:48PM (#4392240)
I wrote the article to discuss two things - first, my personal issue with VCs backed apps that could've been great small businesses instead, and second, to answer the point made by the article I reference at the beginning, which cites long and closed development cycle as the cause to the failure of many mobile apps.

Maybe I didn't make the transition between the two as good as it could've been, I'm not a professional writer. Thanks for the positive feedback though :)

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Re:Building an app does not make you a startup by jeremyarussell on Thursday August 16, 2012 @12:15PM (#4392035)
why else write one? -- To provide helpful informative information and/or a neatly compiled opinion that has hopefully been well thought out, going into detail as to why things are or why the author thinks this. Even to rant about things.

Promoting a business doesn't really belong in an article that starts out philosophical. (hence the jarring sensation.)

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Re:Building an app does not make you a startup by larrys on Thursday August 16, 2012 @12:23PM (#4392087)
Parent: "There's nothing wrong with promoting your business in a blog post --- why else write one?"

You: "why else write one? -- To provide helpful informative information"

And to promote yourself of course. Which is good for business. Even if that is not your intention.

While many people prefer to comment anonymously on HN anecdotally I'm not aware of many bloggers that blog that way. (Even Fake Steve Jobs came out of the closet eventually).

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Re:Building an app does not make you a startup by jeremyarussell on Thursday August 16, 2012 @12:49PM (#4392254)
There's nothing wrong with promoting yourself, just makes more sense to keep philosophy in a separate blog than your advertising. I was just answering the why else portion.

Edit: Grammar

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