Hi, HNers. I've been sitting on this link for about 4 years now. This post on Sitepoint is from shortly after Andrew Mason first pitched The Point, which later became Groupon, to investors in Chicago.
On a day when folks are discussing the end of his time at Groupon...this link shows where it first began and the hopefulness and optimism that comes with a new project!
Man, I miss reporting sometimes. Optimizing onboarding processes and answering support requests from Brazil are fun and all, but sharing new stuff with people is a real thrill.
Both had a 'tipping point'/threshold mechanism, and IIRC some of ThePoint's early example scenarios were attempting to influence local businesses with the promise of coordinated patronage (or boycott). So distantly related, I think.
ThePoint had a certain Hippie-Dippy earnest utopian vibe, while Groupon seemed to go 180" in the other direction, with mercenary/cynical sales/PR/accounting tactics.
I've wondered if the stark contrast between the lack of uptake when ThePoint offered people the chance to "save the world!", and the exploding interest when Groupon offered "save half off!", helped rationalize the later anything-goes-to-make-a-buck ethos of Groupon.
Sorry don't want to be skeptic but just curious to know how are you so sure that it's Andrew Mason for sure. It could be somebody else stating he started Groupon.
HN accounts are not verified in anyways.
I don't know if I am blinded by my environs or by the 7 years since this, but how did the idea of selling his idea and then building it ever sound good?
Chances are he was good at selling things that didn't exist (some people are very talented at this) + he was lucky to find the right kind of person as an investor.
Excellent and enlightening share. Sadly, this seems to be the norm throughout the upper echelons of the western system of democratocapitalismywayorthehighway. Ahh, humans.
Very impressive getting meetings and getting commitments of funding with just the idea of Groupon and a goal of developing it in 6 months. A guy like that was bound to succeed, and despite stepping down - or, getting fired - that is what he did, he succeeded.
On a day when folks are discussing the end of his time at Groupon...this link shows where it first began and the hopefulness and optimism that comes with a new project!