What the Navy Taught Me About Perspective
I joined the Navy at 18 and got deployed to Desert Shield right out of boot camp....
I Evaluated Dozens of Blockchain Startups in 2018
What I learned doing technical due diligence on blockchain startups seeking funding. The technology works - for exactly one use case....
The Day Netscape Changed Everything
Netscape's IPO established the template for modern startup culture: growth over profit, massive early valuations, and boom-bust rhythms....
Why ICQ Died: Lessons From the First Instant Messenger
ICQ invented instant messaging and reached 100 million users. Then it died through corporate neglect, software bloat, and missed mobile transition....
The NFT Crash Was Predictable
NFTs crashed 95% from their 2021 peak. This was predictable from the start....
The Myth of Overnight Success
Every startup success story is a lie by omission. The media compresses years of grinding, pivots, and near-death experiences into a simple narrative....
Shareware: The $25 Honor System That Built An Industry
Andrew Fluegelman shipped PC-Talk in 1982 and asked users to mail $25 if they liked it. Doom, WinZip, and id Software grew from the same honor system....
Founder Ego Kills Startups Faster Than Bad Code
Founder ego sinks more startups than market fit or capital. Twelve patterns I see across due-diligence calls, with the questions that surface them in 20 minutes....
Programming Before Google: When You Read Manuals
Programming in the pre-internet era meant libraries, magazines, and BBSs....
Technical Debt Isn't Debt - It's Rot
Debt implies payback. You won't. It compounds faster than interest. Every startup that says 'we'll clean it up after we raise' never does....
How 'Piracy' Actually Helped Technology Move Forward
Software piracy in the 80s and 90s built the networks, protocols, and communities that became legitimate tech infrastructure....
My First Computer
1977 was the year everything started. The Apple II, TRS-80, and Commodore PET created personal computing....
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