BuySellAds.com write-up in the Boston Herald

BSA received a nice write-up in the Boston Herald yesterday (link below).  This is the first time we have received coverage from traditional media, so it was a nice milestone for us.  The ad business isn’t a sexy one, and it’s hard to get coverage.  The angle they took on the story was our size:

“Lean is the word these days for start-ups, and it doesn’t get much more lean than a total footprint of exactly one cubicle.”

I like this angle - what we’re able to do with so few people is what makes me proud about BSA.  But maybe next time they will let me chose the photo :)

Here’s the full article on the Boston Herald.

My company’s secret sauce: getting turned down

I’m begging you, please tell me my company/idea/me/whatever sucks.  I don’t want your money, I dont want you to tell me you like the company/idea/me/whatever, I need you to tell me it’s stupid, that it will never work, and that you’re not interested.  That’s what I need, please give it to me.

I remember when I was starting BSA, 100% idea stage.  I would pitch the idea to people all the time.  (That’s the first lesson - always pitch your idea to everyone who will listen and don’t be one of those idiots who asks people to sign an NDA before you tell them what you’re going to do.)  I can’t tell you how many people told me my idea for BuySellAds.com was stupid (believe it or not, people still tell me this today).  It turns out, this is the fuel to my fire - getting turned down.

In the mini-startup microcosm part of the world I live in, some people ask me for advice about starting a business or about how I got BSA started.  I never know what to say.  This is my first company and I barely have time to think about this stuff, and my company is far from successful.  If you have an idea and you’re passionate about something just go do it and see what happens.

Well, today I have figured it out what to say, and this is my best advice: get turned down early and often.  Find people who will tell you your idea is stupid and that it will never work.  Be a renegade, go against their conventional wisdom and prove them wrong.  If people telling you your company/idea/you/whatever sucks isn’t enough to motivate you, then get a normal job - there’s nothing wrong with that.

I’ve had many smart and successful people tell me that my idea sucks and that it will never work.  Not in those exact words, but it’s clearly implied.  We still have a long way to go at BSA, but I look forward to the day when I can look back and flip them all the bird :)

this was a while ago, but here’s my interview on Mixergy.com

"We invent software, not problems. Real problems will find you; you don’t need to invite fake ones to dinner."

Jason Fried

"Customer service is easy, all you have to do is care."

Me

At last, the release

We finally got the new BSA release out today.  This was one of the most challenging releases we have done since we launched the complete re-write on April 14th, 2009 (I’ll never forget that date).  It was one of those releases where no matter how much we tested there was always something.  The great part is that it’s live now, and the release went fairly smooth.  Most of what people will see at BSA as a result of this release are UI improvements here and there.  But, there’s a mountain of other stuff that is “released”, but not yet public that we will be unveiling over the coming weeks.  We are leaving most of the newness in a “closed beta” state until we can get some production level testing done, dress it up a bit more, and plan more formal announcements and blogs posts about it.  Can’t wait.

"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true."

Leon J. Suenes