James Currier

And so for people who are saying, I'm not the right height, I'm not the right color, I'm not the right gender, I'm not the right nationality, therefore I'm not getting funded, that's mostly bullshit. Because the white guy from New England who went to Princeton and Harvard, who knew everybody in the industry, had everyone say no to him.

And so for people who are saying, I'm not the right height, I'm not the right color, I'm not the right gender, I'm not the right nationality, therefore I'm not getting funded, that's mostly bullshit. Because the white guy from New England who went to Princeton and Harvard, who knew everybody in the industry, had everyone say no to him.

Because it was not a consensus idea, it was not an easily digestible idea, and I had no traction yet.

Because it was not a consensus idea, it was not an easily digestible idea, and I had no traction yet.

No, I just continued. I knew this was coming. I knew I just had to figure it out. And I just needed enough time to figure it out.

No, I just continued. I knew this was coming. I knew I just had to figure it out. And I just needed enough time to figure it out.

I was. I had a girlfriend at the time.

I was. I had a girlfriend at the time.

No, not at all. Not at all. She was fantastic. I stopped sleeping on October 3rd and we raised money on April 9th, I think. On October 3rd, I woke up in a cold sweat realizing I didn't know what I was doing. I was going to have to go off salary that I was leading these 13 or 14 people into the abyss. I hadn't learned nearly enough working at the venture from watching people do this.

No, not at all. Not at all. She was fantastic. I stopped sleeping on October 3rd and we raised money on April 9th, I think. On October 3rd, I woke up in a cold sweat realizing I didn't know what I was doing. I was going to have to go off salary that I was leading these 13 or 14 people into the abyss. I hadn't learned nearly enough working at the venture from watching people do this.

I needed to know much more about product and all that stuff. And so I just bribed it. And my girlfriend, who's now my wife, she couldn't care less about money. She couldn't care less about technology. And so for her, she just cared that I wasn't sleeping. And she was like, well, you're happy not sleeping and being stressed all the time. That's you being happy. Fine.

I needed to know much more about product and all that stuff. And so I just bribed it. And my girlfriend, who's now my wife, she couldn't care less about money. She couldn't care less about technology. And so for her, she just cared that I wasn't sleeping. And she was like, well, you're happy not sleeping and being stressed all the time. That's you being happy. Fine.

There's a difference between viral effects and network effects. Viral effects are to get new free users. Network effects are to have retention, where the network effects create so much value in the product to people that they never want to leave. And no competitor can get them to leave. Two totally different things.

There's a difference between viral effects and network effects. Viral effects are to get new free users. Network effects are to have retention, where the network effects create so much value in the product to people that they never want to leave. And no competitor can get them to leave. Two totally different things.

And there's an article on NFX.com, which everybody should read, called Viral Effects Are Not Network Effects. So what was happening at this time was that we had a massive viral effect, meaning we sent out our latest iteration of the product to 400 people on an email. And within eight days, one million people were trying to hit the website and it crashed the website.

And there's an article on NFX.com, which everybody should read, called Viral Effects Are Not Network Effects. So what was happening at this time was that we had a massive viral effect, meaning we sent out our latest iteration of the product to 400 people on an email. And within eight days, one million people were trying to hit the website and it crashed the website.

Luckily, it was a very clear signal. Had it not been clear, that would have been harder. A clear signal is a zero or a hundred. But if you get like a 43 or 37, that's the worst. Because if it's a zero, you just move on to the next experiment.

Luckily, it was a very clear signal. Had it not been clear, that would have been harder. A clear signal is a zero or a hundred. But if you get like a 43 or 37, that's the worst. Because if it's a zero, you just move on to the next experiment.

The maybes are the hardest. And so luckily it was a big viral effect. We started getting millions of people hitting the website. Basically, we put up a dog test. Which breed of dog are you? Answer these 16 questions, and we will give you this beautiful, cute little dog type with four paragraphs about who you are as a personality. And this went crazy.

The maybes are the hardest. And so luckily it was a big viral effect. We started getting millions of people hitting the website. Basically, we put up a dog test. Which breed of dog are you? Answer these 16 questions, and we will give you this beautiful, cute little dog type with four paragraphs about who you are as a personality. And this went crazy.