James Currier

But it's very tough. And there are many, many nights where you're just not sleeping and you're totally suffering and you have to remind yourself, I chose this. And my wife would remind me and I would remind me. And it was still very, very hard that, look, I chose this. I chose this. I chose it because it's very painful.

But it's very tough. And there are many, many nights where you're just not sleeping and you're totally suffering and you have to remind yourself, I chose this. And my wife would remind me and I would remind me. And it was still very, very hard that, look, I chose this. I chose this. I chose it because it's very painful.

The basic idea was that the internet was going to be about us and our friends, not about Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, because all the other media technologies were for one to many. Radio, one broadcast, 100,000 listeners. Television, same thing. Magazine, same thing. The internet was the first media technology that was many to many. And so I realized it's going to be about us.

The basic idea was that the internet was going to be about us and our friends, not about Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, because all the other media technologies were for one to many. Radio, one broadcast, 100,000 listeners. Television, same thing. Magazine, same thing. The internet was the first media technology that was many to many. And so I realized it's going to be about us.

We're going to consume media about us.

We're going to consume media about us.

That was like 98, 99, yeah.

That was like 98, 99, yeah.

No, I had been at a venture firm, so I had seen how you fund these things. And I had seen many people take this leap and live this life. And I had interviewed hundreds and hundreds of founders who were living this life. So for me, I was already acclimated to the cold water.

No, I had been at a venture firm, so I had seen how you fund these things. And I had seen many people take this leap and live this life. And I had interviewed hundreds and hundreds of founders who were living this life. So for me, I was already acclimated to the cold water.

We were 80% lucky and 20% good. The 80% luck was that we raised our Series A round one week before the crash. I'm actually, excuse me. during the crash. The crash started on a Monday. We got the money on a Friday afternoon that same week. The venture capitalist actually sent the check. And so we were very, very lucky.

We were 80% lucky and 20% good. The 80% luck was that we raised our Series A round one week before the crash. I'm actually, excuse me. during the crash. The crash started on a Monday. We got the money on a Friday afternoon that same week. The venture capitalist actually sent the check. And so we were very, very lucky.

And so by the time we could even gear up to spend any of the money, it was very clear what had already happened. So we didn't overspend. So we were able to extend long enough to survive. But the 20% where we were good was that we iterated really quickly. We were one of the first companies to do A-B testing. And we took ourselves off salary for about six months leading up to the financing.

And so by the time we could even gear up to spend any of the money, it was very clear what had already happened. So we didn't overspend. So we were able to extend long enough to survive. But the 20% where we were good was that we iterated really quickly. We were one of the first companies to do A-B testing. And we took ourselves off salary for about six months leading up to the financing.

So we had 13 people and I think seven of us were on salary and six of us were off. And we were working 12 hours a day and iterating and iterating and testing and trying and breaking old paradigms and throwing out old stuff until finally something hit enough. The other part that we were good at was I talked to 43 venture capitalists before we got funded. Remember, these are all my friends.

So we had 13 people and I think seven of us were on salary and six of us were off. And we were working 12 hours a day and iterating and iterating and testing and trying and breaking old paradigms and throwing out old stuff until finally something hit enough. The other part that we were good at was I talked to 43 venture capitalists before we got funded. Remember, these are all my friends.

These are people I had known for years working in the industry, and they all said no to me.

These are people I had known for years working in the industry, and they all said no to me.

That's right. And I think for people who have succeeded at school and for people who've succeeded in large corporations or succeeded in government or succeeded in the military, it's hard to imagine how many at-bats you need to get one hit, how many ideas you need to have before you have one good idea. And it's just a benchmarking exercise.

That's right. And I think for people who have succeeded at school and for people who've succeeded in large corporations or succeeded in government or succeeded in the military, it's hard to imagine how many at-bats you need to get one hit, how many ideas you need to have before you have one good idea. And it's just a benchmarking exercise.