Phrases Definitions

3

Does anyone make money around here?

This question means different things depending on who's asking it and when.

1. When customers start asking this, the company is Pre-Revenue.
2. When investors start asking this, it's about to be a Down Round.
3. When the founders start asking this, it's been an Awesome Journey.

1: http://svdictionary.com/words/pre-revenue
2: http://svdictionary.com/words/down-round
3: http://svdictionary.com/words/awesome-journey

Added by employeeNumbaOne employeeNumbaOne almost 8 years ago

    10

    I Could've Built That Fallacy

    The fallacy in which someone believes that they were capable of building something before an already more popular version of a product has come out.

    In many instances this fallacy is contained by engineers working at companies or in academia in an indirect attempt to belittle the success of founders, claiming how trivial it is to build said app. It can also be a feeble attempt to make up for their unrealized internal inferiority complex. In reality they might have been able to code it, but not conceive it's details, key features, and brand identity.

    George suffered from the I could've built that fallacy for weeks after Snapchat received an offer from Facebook for over a billion dollars in talked about acquisition. He built his own version while working at Google, but it only had 5 users. He was happy he didn't quit his day job.

    Added by yungsnuggie yungsnuggie over 8 years ago

    7

    Do the Needful

    Usually coined by Tech workers of East Indian descent, in context means I have to do what I have to do to get the job done or to keep my Boss from firing me.

    "Yes, we have to do the Needful to beta test this new code by Friday"

    Added by Hammer Hammer over 8 years ago

    • charlesjo charlesjo

      Only applies to esteemed organizations though ;)

      1
      Reply
      over 8 years ago
    8

    X for Y

    A way entrepreneurs use to describe their startup to customers and investors so they can quickly grasp how their product works. It is done by comparing your startup to another successful company that likely pioneered its business model.

    My startup is Airbnb for cars = people can borrow your car when you are not using it
    My startup is Uber for food = food will be delivered to you on demand
    My startup is Urban Dictionary for Silicon Valley = svdictionary.com

    Added by zazpowered zazpowered over 8 years ago

      5

      I want advice

      What startup founders will tell VCs when they really want funding but don't want to ask directly because they think they will be shot down right away.

      John: Hey Marc Andreessen. We have this new app that's like Vine except the videos are 10 seconds long because we think that's more optimal. I would like some advice.
      Marc: Do you really want advice or are you just here for funding? I prefer when people are direct.
      John: Sorry we really just wanted funding.
      Marc: No

      Added by pygmyknight pygmyknight over 8 years ago

        5

        In the wild

        Seeing a new technology out in the real world, not just at launches and demos.

        Have you spotted the new Google car in the wild yet?

        Added by spectrumed spectrumed over 8 years ago

          12

          Just go start a company

          Common advice given in Silicon Valley due to the current rockstar status of entrepreneurs and how easy and affordable it has become to start a company. Tools like AWS, Heroku and Rails have made it easy for new developers to put up simple websites and mobile apps to validate their ideas. Online coding education such as Codecademy is getting better and becoming more commonplace. With all that said, not everyone is suited to be entrepreneur, companies need employees and being a successful entrepreneur is not as easy as it may seem based on the number of funding announcements you see on TechCrunch.

          http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/20/the-problem-with-founders/

          Boss: I think you have too much potential to be working here as an early employee. Just go start a company.
          David: I don't really want to. The last idea I attempted was an on-demand cat walking service and it failed so badly I don't want to ever do it again.
          Boss: I'll be honest. That sounds pretty bad... but I still think you should start a company.

          Added by zazpowered zazpowered over 8 years ago

            2

            No Free Lunch

            A theorem which states that tech companies offering not free lunch are making profit off their employees.

            Commonly used by companies such as amazon, Microsoft and Apple to get overpaid staff's salary back

            Founder: I had an alternative stream of revenue idea using no free lunch theorem

            Co-founder: worked for Apple and Amazon, should work for us!

            Added by JonWilkins JonWilkins over 8 years ago

              5

              How Do You Like Them Apples

              A dorky (and almost non-sensical) Bay Area expression often used, when Apple releases a new version of their products, in an attempt to belittle someone else's older model and mock the slow pace in which they've adopted the new product.

              Originally taken out of context from a popular scene of the film, Good Will Hunting, where Matt Damon slaps a post-it note onto a diner window proclaiming his superiority after getting a girl's phone number.

              I just got the iWatch 2 bitches. How do you like them apples?

              Added by yungsnuggie yungsnuggie over 8 years ago

                6

                That's Startup Life

                The default response whenever someone talks about how shitty being an entrepreneur is.

                Kim: I've been working for the past 15 hours, can't afford anything but Taco Bell and investors are telling me they want to circle back in a few months. We all know what that means. This sucks.
                Matthew: That's startup life. What do you expect?

                Added by zazpowered zazpowered over 8 years ago

                  9

                  Adding Wheels To A Moving Car

                  Expecting the design or development team to scope a feature without definition or complete explanation while the product is being built.

                  Them: "How long would it take you to add this feature to the product?"
                  You: "I'm not sure I understand what the product and feature even is, let alone how to estimate it."
                  Them: "Well, just give me a ballpark..."
                  You: "That would be like adding wheels to a moving car."

                  Added by RobotCowboy RobotCowboy over 8 years ago

                    6

                    Does anyone make money around here?

                    Users of venture backed startups and residents of Silicon Valley ask this question frequently. They do not understand how a lot of social apps such as Snapchat and Facebook (before they started to run ads) are able to raise so much money at sky high valuations without generating revenue.

                    For on demand services such as Uber, Instacart and Caviar they do not understand how signup credit, promo codes and referral credit can be offered so frequently.

                    Jim: Let me get this straight. Snapchat is worth $10 billion now and they haven't made any money? Just now I read Uber is offering $100 signup credit, $50 credit for every friend I refer and a one time promo code of $20 off of my first ride. Does anyone make money around here?

                    Tim: You realize Uber has raised $1 billion dollars every month for the past 12 months right?

                    Added by zazpowered zazpowered over 8 years ago

                      5

                      No Free Lunch

                      An expression known all to well to employees at Apple Inc, who are required to pay for their own lunch.

                      Back at Google we'd get free food during all times of day, but here at Apple it comes out of my salary because there's no free lunch.

                      Added by yungsnuggie yungsnuggie over 8 years ago

                        5

                        Buying the logo

                        Investors putting a tiny percentage of a fund into a company so they can claim credit. Credit to Sam Altman

                        Due to the success of Airbnb, some investors are buying the logo so they can put an Airbnb badge on their website.

                        Added by zazpowered zazpowered over 8 years ago

                          3

                          Add Me on Google Plus

                          A commonly used expression used during the first two weeks of the product's release.

                          I just got my invite, add me on Google Plus. This is going to destroy facebook

                          Added by yungsnuggie yungsnuggie over 8 years ago

                            19

                            Making the world a better place

                            Solving a very specific problem that loosely translates into a social benefit.

                            We are making the world a better place through P2P iBeacon messaging platforms.

                            Added by dennis dennis over 8 years ago

                            • charlesjo charlesjo

                              Look at how much time sink we've created for evil people... with Reddit.

                              1
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                              over 8 years ago
                            5

                            Incredible opportunity

                            White lie to claim that an unknown number of users are having sleepless nights dreaming of your idea.

                            This is an incredible opportunity to make a difference in the life horny males by providing them a life sized doll.

                            Added by beenpoor beenpoor over 8 years ago

                              33

                              Awesome Journey

                              Used when a startup has failed. Intend to give a positive spin on what is a gut wrenching moment.

                              While our startup has failed, it has been an awesome journey.

                              Added by beenpoor beenpoor over 8 years ago

                              9

                              Solving Own Problem

                              A bullshit story founders present to lie on how they arrived at their product.

                              We built datemycate app because we wanted to solve our own problem to help our cat find a date. He was very horny all the time and was always flirty with my girlfriend.

                              Added by beenpoor beenpoor over 8 years ago

                                46

                                This changes everything

                                Nothing has changed. Pure marketing

                                See http://svdictionary.com/words/changing-the-world

                                Introducing the iPhone 4. This changes everything.

                                Added by zazpowered zazpowered over 8 years ago

                                • charlesjo charlesjo

                                  Love it. Although, I did love my iPhone 4S. And it still runs like ALL Apple products I have ever owned!

                                  2
                                  Reply
                                  over 8 years ago
                                • thepaleking thepaleking

                                  Doesn't change much to be honest, 99% marketing 1% decent phone

                                  2
                                  Reply
                                  over 8 years ago