I don’t think anyone out there quite understands everything about United Lemur’s launch, Puzzllotto, and Fundware. I readily admit that this is entirely my fault. I took an already insane release schedule and scooped half of it out to dedicate our time to Obama ‘08. I felt this was more important than my own launch, and the unrehearsed stutter and sparse slides were the predictable result of that.
It might help to go back to the beginning, when I left Tapulous. What you have to understand is that I’m an engineer by trade, but a CEO by circumstance. The reason, for example, “Tap Tap Revenge,” is “my” game is not that I shat it out fully formed, but that I managed (and largely recruited) the team that worked on it, and specifically saved it from the chopping block because I knew it was most likely to be on stage with Steve Jobs. If I hadn’t been there, Tapulous would be best known for their shitty Hot-or-Not ripoff.
Look at the original “Tap Tap Revolution” that Nate True — who will back me up on this — wrote for Jailbreak. Then look at the current “Tap Tap Revenge.” Every difference represents an additional investment of time and money into a shippable product. Had the game flopped, as the head engineer, it’s my ass. Indeed, my reputation as a maker of amazing software is the capital that allowed me to make those choices.
Making a game like TTR or Puzzllotto requires being able to recruit and lead a team of people who are necessarily better at what they do than I am. You might mistake my grating self-amazement as ego, but effective leadership requires the very absence of ego. How else can you recognize someone better than you and grant them the autonomy needed to work most effectively?
The economic reward is I’m able to scale my vision beyond my own means. I never could have produced the titles I’ve produced lately without people like Guy English, Kevin Avila, David Lanham, and Douglas Quin. Then I wouldn’t be able to help other people become amazing, like Chris Clark, Louie Mantia, Tristan O’Tierney, and Kyle Macomber.
It’s fine for people to say that people have been launching companies on ramen noodles for years, but when you have so many people depending on you to pay their bills, that’s a hard line to take. Projects like the ones we have planned take significantly longer and cost significantly more because they advance the state of the art.
This led me to ponder the idea of funding. Having seen me lose my baby to the majority shareholders, people wondered publicly how I could even consider taking funding, even if it was from the people on the planet I respected most. I considered the half-informed but well-reasoned arguments of Buzz Andersen, as well as the mean-spirited, intentionally spiteful arguments of Valleywag.
The eventual solution was known collectively as Mary Ann. First, I came up with the idea for Puzzllotto and got David on board. (Louie was still employed by Tapulous, and therefore legally untenable.) The genius of Puzzllotto was not immediately apparent, because the promotion wasn’t ready in time for our media event. It turns out writing legal precedent is hard.
The problem with games like Myst and Zork is that it’s too easy to cheat. As soon as you get stymied, you do a Google search and ruin it for yourself. The idea behind Puzzllotto is to offer a cash jackpot to the first person to solve the puzzle. This way, people will be loathe to share their insights and the world can have, at least for a little while, a truly challenging puzzle game.
Sounds simple, but it turns out the line between a legitimate contest of skill and a lottery is not as well defined as you would like. Simply put, there is no precedent for this kind of promotion. It took retaining the best promotions attorneys on the planet and a lot of engineering work to craft a promotion that would neither bankrupt me nor land me in jail.
If you’re not a between-the-lines type of person, developing this application has been incredibly expensive. This generates a certain reflexive defensiveness, which is exactly why patents were invented, but I find patents genuinely offensive. Now that I’d come up with a way to potentially fund my company without giving up equity, I had to come up with a way to protect my methods from being copied.
This is the point at which you really have to know me to understand how I reached my conclusion. Rather than patent my work, I would give it away. Much as my hero Sir Tim Berners-Lee gave away the World Wide Web to the people via the W3C, I would give my work to the community via Fundware.info. This way, I could influence how it’s used and try and keep it from being abused.
To understand Fundware, you have to understand the proposition of value. We measure value in dollars, and Puzzllotto will cost you five. Whether a person buys our app relies on whether they consider the app worth whatever it is they have to do to get five bucks. Generally, all an app has to offer is its utility. The company behind the app doesn’t enter into it.
The difference with Fundware is we’re saying that once in a company’s life it would behoove the public to make an exception. Rather than judging their initial public offering on its own merits, one should consider the app a sample of things to come. You’re not just judging how good the app is, but how good apps from a company like this could be. Moreover, you’re considering whether you think having a company like this on the platform is worthy of your support.
Maybe you look at the art and sound and challenge and think this app is easily worth more than five measly dollars. Fantastic! On the other hand, maybe you think Puzzllotto is crap, hate lemurs, and live in Vermont, where free lunch is not just illusory — it’s prohibited by law. In this case, none of that matters. You’re not going to buy it either way.
For most people, the app is in a gray area. Maybe it’s worth paying for, but it’s not as good as some other apps for the same price. For these people, I ask to consider the several good things your purchase will support. Maybe that will push you over the edge and convince you to get the app sooner than later. Investment, after all, is not about money — it’s about time. We could make a million dollars eventually, but in order to fund our next project, we need it up front.
In order to demonstrate what we mean by Fundware, and to demonstrate that Fundware is an idea with merit, we’re going to be our own first customers. We’re going to use Fundware to fund a company that will sponsor projects like Fundware, demonstrating the idea and testing its effectiveness at once. If the cynics are right and this is a stupid idea, you can all enjoy laughing at me and lose nothing.
The proposition to developers is benefiting from own experience and investment, help with designing a product — and a company — that people will want to buy. The added promotion of a Fundware.info launch can’t hurt either. If it works, a developer will do as well as an angel round, without having to promise explosive growth.
The proposition to consumers is that people with a reputation for quality will vet the companies and products trying to break into their platforms. Fundware.info is as much a place for consumers as it is for developers. It’s like hiring by recommendation, a practice I employ to great effect. The resulting increase in quality will be good for consumers and developers alike.
To an engineer, an invention that is genuinely difficult to implement is the most satisfying use of one’s time. If that invention can benefit others, it can grow bigger than its creator, becoming truly revolutionary. Maybe you don’t believe that, but for me and my company, I’d rather fail trying to make the world better than succeed by myself.
Addenda 
danimal
Mike,
Even though you seemed nervous and claim you had sparse slides you got the point across to me. I’d be excited to work with your crew on United Lemur. Throw Fundware into the mix and you’ve got me seriously interested. I look forward to more information as it’s available.
Dan
Mike,
Even though you seemed nervous and claim you had sparse slides you got the point across to me. I’d be excited to work with your crew on United Lemur. Throw Fundware into the mix and you’ve got me seriously interested. I look forward to more information as it’s available.
Dan
Tristan O’Tierney
Well said, and I’m glad you thoughtfully explained fundware, and how it ties together with Puzzllotto (which I felt was the least explained part of the company launch).
Well said, and I’m glad you thoughtfully explained fundware, and how it ties together with Puzzllotto (which I felt was the least explained part of the company launch).
Random Lemur
I wish I had seen the video or that it would be available somewhere, because I don’t understand what Fundware is, sorry :-)
However, you can bet I will buy Puzzllotto, because my gut feeling is you are doing the right thing.
I wish I had seen the video or that it would be available somewhere, because I don’t understand what Fundware is, sorry :-)
However, you can bet I will buy Puzzllotto, because my gut feeling is you are doing the right thing.
Mike Lee
So you know how you’re going to buy Puzzllotto in part because you support what we’re trying to do as a new company? That’s Fundware.
So you know how you’re going to buy Puzzllotto in part because you support what we’re trying to do as a new company? That’s Fundware.
Lloyd Y. Asato
I will buy anything you are involved with - that is my faith in your ideas and mission. I have become a fan, I trust that awesomeness will follow. Is this Fundware?
Do I as a consumer invest directly (rather than invest through the purchase of product) into companies as part of Fundware? If so, is there some sort of equity sharing? Or is the investment to keep you coding and Mary fed so that awesomeness will continue to spew? An adopt-a-coder on an installment plan (that’s an idea - maybe you could set-up a type of needs registry)?
Lloyd
I will buy anything you are involved with - that is my faith in your ideas and mission. I have become a fan, I trust that awesomeness will follow. Is this Fundware?
Do I as a consumer invest directly (rather than invest through the purchase of product) into companies as part of Fundware? If so, is there some sort of equity sharing? Or is the investment to keep you coding and Mary fed so that awesomeness will continue to spew? An adopt-a-coder on an installment plan (that’s an idea - maybe you could set-up a type of needs registry)?
Lloyd
Andre
I saw this on slashdot, and before reading the story, i already knew thats what you were talking about on this blog before.
I think its a Good Idea.
I saw this on slashdot, and before reading the story, i already knew thats what you were talking about on this blog before.
I think its a Good Idea.
Random Lemur
I have to say, this is the greatest captcha ever. Might not keep away the spammers, but it will probably keep the typical trolls who don’t even bother to read the article from commenting. Oh, and I don’t know if your project will work, but I’m certain it was started in the right spirit.
I won’t be able to buy your game (not in the US), but if I were, I might, and that’s saying a lot.
I have to say, this is the greatest captcha ever. Might not keep away the spammers, but it will probably keep the typical trolls who don’t even bother to read the article from commenting. Oh, and I don’t know if your project will work, but I’m certain it was started in the right spirit.
I won’t be able to buy your game (not in the US), but if I were, I might, and that’s saying a lot.
Random Lolmer
By your baby you mean Friendbook right, because you surely can’t mean Tap Tap Revenge. But seriously, I would be much more satisfied after reading your posts if you didn’t try to throw these bits in there. You don’t work there anymore because some things just didn’t work out, get over it. Whining works well when you are a baby, but not when you are trying to gain respect. It is sad to see someone with such great intentions get lost in a world of ego and distortion. We’re all excited to see what you come up with next, something you can truly call “yours.”
By your baby you mean Friendbook right, because you surely can’t mean Tap Tap Revenge. But seriously, I would be much more satisfied after reading your posts if you didn’t try to throw these bits in there. You don’t work there anymore because some things just didn’t work out, get over it. Whining works well when you are a baby, but not when you are trying to gain respect. It is sad to see someone with such great intentions get lost in a world of ego and distortion. We’re all excited to see what you come up with next, something you can truly call “yours.”
Mike Lee
Actually I meant the company, but thanks for putting words in my mouth and insulting me for them.
Actually I meant the company, but thanks for putting words in my mouth and insulting me for them.
Random Lolmer
If you meant the company, say the company. You explicitly choose words like “my” and “I” to give yourself meaning. You do this in every single blog post I have read, and have yet to provide adequate rational for any logical person not to believe you have some sort of extreme narcissistic disorder. This doesn’t mean you don’t make great products or have some positive impact on groups of people and animals in the world; it is just sad that your good intentions will eventually get outweighed by your godlike attitude.
If you meant the company, say the company. You explicitly choose words like “my” and “I” to give yourself meaning. You do this in every single blog post I have read, and have yet to provide adequate rational for any logical person not to believe you have some sort of extreme narcissistic disorder. This doesn’t mean you don’t make great products or have some positive impact on groups of people and animals in the world; it is just sad that your good intentions will eventually get outweighed by your godlike attitude.
Random Lolmer
Meh, that was unprovoked and unnecessary... I’m grumpy today I guess.
Meh, that was unprovoked and unnecessary... I’m grumpy today I guess.
Mike Lee
Nah, you’re right. I’ve been letting myself get baited into increasingly angry rants by trolls trying to deny me credit for my contributions. The result looks really arrogant out of context. Time to talk about something else!
Nah, you’re right. I’ve been letting myself get baited into increasingly angry rants by trolls trying to deny me credit for my contributions. The result looks really arrogant out of context. Time to talk about something else!
Specific Lemur
Fundware simply doesn’t make sense. You say that fundware is essentially there to help launch a company, but the problem is that this sounds like basically investing without any return. You may consider the return a better application in the future, but ultimately, this is a very ultristic act you are expecting so you can build something for users to buy *again*
It’s like saying “okay give me five bucks so you can give me more money later”. Wait what? And apparently if I don’t then I’m considered one of the people you think less of (which to you apparently live in vermont).
It’s interesting you point out value. “To understand Fundware, you need to understand Value”, okay I can do that. Then in the next paragraph you start out by saying that there’s a difference in how Fundware works. So I need to understand the concept of value to understand that Fundware doesn’t give me any. Duely noted.
Ego is to understand the importance of yourself. To be self-important, which is crucial for leadership, to understand why you lead and that your choices matter. It’s interesting that you state that effective leadership is the very absence of ego, considering the platform you praise so highly is because of a leader who appears to be the very anti-thesis of your argument.
Fundware simply doesn’t make sense. You say that fundware is essentially there to help launch a company, but the problem is that this sounds like basically investing without any return. You may consider the return a better application in the future, but ultimately, this is a very ultristic act you are expecting so you can build something for users to buy *again*
It’s like saying “okay give me five bucks so you can give me more money later”. Wait what? And apparently if I don’t then I’m considered one of the people you think less of (which to you apparently live in vermont).
It’s interesting you point out value. “To understand Fundware, you need to understand Value”, okay I can do that. Then in the next paragraph you start out by saying that there’s a difference in how Fundware works. So I need to understand the concept of value to understand that Fundware doesn’t give me any. Duely noted.
Ego is to understand the importance of yourself. To be self-important, which is crucial for leadership, to understand why you lead and that your choices matter. It’s interesting that you state that effective leadership is the very absence of ego, considering the platform you praise so highly is because of a leader who appears to be the very anti-thesis of your argument.
Mike Lee
It’s a simple formula: Good application + Good business model. If you’re the kind of person who votes with your wallet, it makes sense. If you’re not, it doesn’t. It doesn’t make you a bad person. It just means you live in Vermont.
It’s a simple formula: Good application + Good business model. If you’re the kind of person who votes with your wallet, it makes sense. If you’re not, it doesn’t. It doesn’t make you a bad person. It just means you live in Vermont.
I’m kidding, of course. You guys are the ones with the laws, so don’t make like I’ve got something against you or your money.
Leadership is the absence of ego because you simply can’t be the best at everything. You need to be able to recognize skill in others, which requires humility.
I don’t think Steve Jobs is arrogant. I think he’s busy, and it’s annoying being told what you should or should not be doing by people who simply don’t spend the time working on the problems you’ve dedicated your life to.
If the world media and mobs of hysterical customers sat around telling you how to do your job, you’d probably come across as arrogant. Part of getting over yourself is realizing that people are going to hate you no matter what, but that it doesn’t matter as long as you do your work.
Much as my hero Sir Tim Berners-Lee gave away the World Wide Web to the people via the W3C, I would give my work to the community via Fundware.info.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Everything illuminated
