misanthropic nonsense

You’re probably here for the wrong reason.

I never understood the need for software startups to publicly disclose every step of their growth; particularly their revenue numbers.

Small companies do this all the time. Companies that end their year with a few thousand dollars of revenue do this. It’s all in the spirit of “being open”.

Bah.

The only people interested in such things are other founders; usually those who just recently started their companies and are looking for some inspiration.

You’re standing on a six-inch tall wooden crate preaching to those who, with a bit of persistence and some work ethic, will eventually figure out how to build a wooden crate of their own.

At best, it’s silly fodder for your blog. But usually, it’s nothing more than a form of self-congratulatory masturbation.

It’s the same as when companies building their first offices obsess over photos of other offices; it’s corporate porn.

Speaking as a founder of a company that’s been growing for the past five years, I can tell you that after a certain point, the companies that you “look up to”, are those that no longer disclose their revenues publicly – probably because they matured beyond this nonsensical need.

That’s when things become interesting.

Incidentally, I’m being a complete hypocrite here, but am nevertheless pleased that I was able to stick the words “porn” and “masturbation” into a post that has nothing to do with either.