Imagespot: Tony Hsieh

Image by smemon87 via FlickrOf all the tech companies out there, the one that most fascinates me is GroupOn. It speaks to me. Its emphasis on people action, and its emphasis on words - cute emails - are really something. Of all the tech companies out there, the one that I find most inspiring in terms of what I would want to do with my microfinance startup, GroupOn stands out. You focus on a few basic human actions, and you go for it. You splurge.

I also like how fast they have grown. They were not here at all. And suddenly they are everywhere.

This blog post explains where I think group dynamics stand on the tech map: front and center.

My Web Diagram

GroupOn is the web maturing to land in the human domain, in the flesh.

Live Nation And GroupOn: That Offline Component
18 Months Ago GroupOn Did Not Exist
GroupOn's Legacy: Cute Email?

Image via WikipediaGroupOn, Zappos, And The Non Tech Components
GroupOn Did Not Launch At South By South West
GroupOn Did The Right Thing

New York Times: Why Is This Man Smiling?: In his book, Mr. Hsieh implies that the company’s investors forced him to make the Amazon deal

I have not read Tony's book, and this is the first time I am seeing somewhere he is hinting the sale was forced upon him, but I guessed that on my own a long time ago, and I strongly disapproved of it.

Zappos deserved an IPO. Zappos deserved an airline. The forced sale was an act of racism. Don't act surprised. I have made that statement before.

No, it was not about money. Those VCs would have made more money if Zappos had gone IPO.

Richard Branson
GroupOn, Zappos, And The Non Tech Components
Zappos

Imagespot

Monday, May 30, 2011

What Fascinates Me About GroupOn

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Tony Tsieh Could Have Been Richard Branson

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