5 ms·

Super interesting story, and thanks for sharing. I think you're referring to your time at DraftMix, right? Admittedly that was a really hard connection to find

Super interesting story, and thanks for sharing. I think you're referring to your time at DraftMix, right? Admittedly that was a really hard connection to find online [see below]. That said, quietly using partner/alumni investment as a signal for VCs doesn't quite fit the "Startups are a perfect meritocracy" narrative I'd prefer to believe... [below] Interestingly, searching for "Matt Maroon" (on Google, Crunchbase, AngelList, etc) yields results like [0] that only mention Blue Frog. Same for your blog. Wouldn't care otherwise, but I wanted to know if your story could be true or to dismiss as an internet rant. However there was one interview-like-thing [1] still hanging around the Google Index that connected DraftMix [2] with a "Matthew Maroon" as the CEO [3] [0] http://www.crunchbase.com/person/matt-maroon http://www.crunchbase.com/person/matt-maroon [1] http://en.wikioffuture.org/DraftMix http://en.wikioffuture.org/DraftMix [2] http://www.crunchbase.com/company/draftmix http://www.crunchbase.com/company/draftmix [3] http://www.crunchbase.com/person/matthew-maroon http://www.crunchbase.com/person/matthew-maroon

argonaut 13y ago
For some reason this strikes me as kind of creepy.
- nitrogen 13y ago
  ...and people talk about the death of privacy like it's no big thing. Remember, the real creeps don't post their research on a public forum (unless it's for harassment).
unreal37 13y ago
How does looking at who previously invested as a signal invalidate the idea of a meritocracy? I agree with the other commenter. You spent way too much time spying on Matt Maroon today.
mattmaroon 13y ago
Blue Frog Gaming is the company. Draftmix was our first product, which we went through YC with, but no longer exists.
nl 13y ago
Posting that kind of research is needlessly creepy. People claiming to have gone though YC on HN without a known name will get called out. Hang around HN long enough and you'll know who is who. quietly using partner/alumni investment as a signal for VCs doesn't quite fit the "Startups are a perfect meritocracy" narrative I'd prefer to believe... What led you believe that? I'd guess startup investment is 90% social, 5% metrics and 5% technical. Witness, for example, the YC investment thesis of it being all about the team applying. Team dynamics aren't a meritocracy (except in the most broad sense I guess).

argonaut 13y ago

For some reason this strikes me as kind of creepy.

nitrogen 13y ago
...and people talk about the death of privacy like it's no big thing. Remember, the real creeps don't post their research on a public forum (unless it's for harassment).

unreal37 13y ago

How does looking at who previously invested as a signal invalidate the idea of a meritocracy? I agree with the other commenter. You spent way too much time spying on Matt Maroon today.

mattmaroon 13y ago

Blue Frog Gaming is the company. Draftmix was our first product, which we went through YC with, but no longer exists.

nl 13y ago

Posting that kind of research is needlessly creepy. People claiming to have gone though YC on HN without a known name will get called out. Hang around HN long enough and you'll know who is who. quietly using partner/alumni investment as a signal for VCs doesn't quite fit the "Startups are a perfect meritocracy" narrative I'd prefer to believe... What led you believe that? I'd guess startup investment is 90% social, 5% metrics and 5% technical. Witness, for example, the YC investment thesis of it being all about the team applying. Team dynamics aren't a meritocracy (except in the most broad sense I guess).