There has been some controversy about the TripFab tone and the language we use. We have been told recently that we should get a PR firm to handle our communications, and that we’ve offended potential “travel partners” like: Expedia, Hotels.com, Amedeus and all those other “travel noise companies,” as I like to call them.
So I would like to set the record straight. The TripFab team has beliefs that we uphold – and we are certainly not a company that stands in the middle.
Continue reading →
So my coworkers and everyone else keep asking me why our blog has really no travel related posts – and is full of all business-related things.
Yes, TripFab is a travel start-up. We are planning to release a really awesome travel product.
So I am going to tell my coworkers and everyone else reading exactly why I am posting everything I’m posting, publicly. It’s pretty simple.
TripFab has priorities. And right now, getting travelers to use our application –which isn’t even finished yet–isn’t the top one on the list. So why on earth would we want to write blog posts targeted toward travelers right now?
Wouldn’t it be much more efficient if we could write blog posts targeted towards our priorities higher on the list first? Well, thats exactly what we are doing.
TripFab basically has 3 big goals right now. And those three are prioritized in this exact order:
• Close more funding
• Inventory
• Travelers
So we are trying to close more funding, right? What better way to show the world (or in this case, anyone who reads our blog) what TripFab is about, who we are, what we believe in, and –more importantly– how qualified we are?
And let me tell you something. So far, we’ve had 5 VC’s email us. Yes, thats right – we’ve had 5 VC firms email us.
So when goal #1 is finished, expect our blog to change. Until then – we will keep talking about startups, about being an entrepreneur and about everything in between.
How’s that for transparency?
So my fellow real entrepreneurs – good luck in raising capital, we are right there with you. If this blog helps even just 1 person, I did my job.
Follow me on twitter: mike_larosa
There’s one last thing that entrepreneurs need, too. Your support. Starting a company is a lonely thing, and there are usually people in your life who think you’re crazy for doing it. Sometimes an entrepreneur just needs to know you actually believe in them to keep their morale up during the tough times. – Michael Arrington
Oh, please. Yes, starting a company can be lonely. Of course there are tough times. And maybe people think you’re crazy for doing it? I wouldn’t know – I just don’t give a shit about what those people are like. I don’t have any of those types close to me in my life – by choice.
Seriously, if you need an investor’s support and someone to coddle you – you really need to get off the bitch train and find another occupation.
If you can’t handle being lonely, the ups and downs, what you’re going to do when your co-founder blows out, how you’re going to cut your payroll in half – because you know that in order to save a body you need to cut off an arm – why don’t you go and be a hair dresser instead?
Mike Arrington – I think your smart, and I respect you for lots of things, but if you were my investor I would much rather you tell me how much my product sucks, remind me how the odds are against me and we will probably fail, and tell me I am a terrible leader – but that maybe one day I can be better. Don’t coddle me. Beat me down and motivate me to prove you wrong.
I think that’s what every good entrepreneur wants. We have a chip on our shoulder with something to prove. People have been telling me I’m going to fail my whole life – and it’s just adding fuel to my fire. And especially if my investor tells me this – I know I need to work harder.
So, in conclusion…suck it up and keep working. Your product sucks, you’re a terrible leader and you’re probably going to fail. Prove me wrong.
With tough love,
Michael La Rosa
Follow me on twitter: @mike_larosa
On a previous blog post, I bashed Blackbox for trying to turn entrepreneurship into a science – which, as I stated, is probably the most retarded thing I have ever heard in my life. Now they came up with a study on why startups fail (because of premature scaling).
Like I have been debating with the haters on twitter, there is enough data as well as scientific aspects to building a company, but it will never be a science. And I think they just came out with some kick-ass data. I have attached the graph from Visual.ly at the bottom – so take a look. I have to give credit when it’s due. Continue reading →
So I just wasted 10 minutes of my life reading this post on Techcrunch titled “How to sell your company”. Nothing of great value here.
Everyone thinks an acquisition is having a huge company knocking on you’re door begging to buy you – but that is rarely how it works. I thought I might share my playbook on how to really sell your company. No bullshit, no beating around the bush, I am going to tell you exactly what to do to sell your company. Continue reading →
I just read on TechCrunch about a site called “Blackbox” that claims to help startup founders avoid the “Deadpool” of startups that didn’t survive, on the other hand I have also found “Startup Genome”, a research project that is trying to turn entrepreneurship into a science by cracking an “innovation code”.
And all I feel is offended. It’s the biggest bunch of bullshit I have ever heard in my entire life. I don’t care who is collecting data, I don’t care how smart you are, I don’t care what college you are going to – or what college degree you have – I think you are an asshole if you can possibly think you can turn entrepreneurship into a science.
I am from New York, and in 2008 I made the move to go ahead and start a software company in another country. I have had offices in Argentina and Costa Rica, 100′s of employees, investment funding, an acquisition, and I am on to my second start up. So I guess you can say, I have had some success.
So while everyone in the Valley, Boston, or NY is scrambling and fighting over talent, I am here in Central America with a payroll 1/4 of what it would cost in the Valley with just as good if not BETTER more hungry developers and employees.
The easiest way to become a millionaire is to start off a billionaire and go into the airline business.” – Richard Branson
In 30 years of air travel, the airline industry has lost money for 23 years of those three decades. Airlines just can’t seem to make money, and I just can’t understand why the hell not? I am no airline expert, but I am an entrepreneur – and I think it’s just plain stupid that airlines can’t make money. And I think I know why.
This is our first post, so we are going to tell you what we are all about and what we are going to do.
First, I want to tell you a few things about our company. Here at TripFab we are a top-notch first class company. Everything we do, everything we have, and everyone that works here is top notch. Our customers are treated with top-notch service, we only build a top notch software, and we only have the best top notch people – and nothing short of it.
So we have some rules and values here that I think you guys should know about. We would like to let everyone know what we stand for and believe in.
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Nikolas Hall: I am a contrarian having told over 15 OTA's in the last 12 months that...
TripFab: Evan,
Thanks for the comment.
1.) The consumer is absolutely number ...
Evan: Mike:
Two things:
1) I think what Timothy was saying is that the...
TripFab: Timothy,
I think offering a competitively priced product that matches...
Timothy O'Neil-Dunne: Michael,
Sadly I think you miss the point with the consumer. She/H...
