Submission + - Brendan Eichs advice to the next generation (livejournal.com)
Pivot writes: [...] at the time, mostly we felt the need to move very quickly, not to make money but because we knew Microsoft was coming after us. Microsoft low-balled Netscape in late '94, and the Jims (Clark and Barksdale) told them to pound sand. After that, we felt the monster truck riding up on our little Yugo's rear bumper, month by month.[...]
As far as us not selling out: live and learn. I'm not sure I'll ever have the opportunity to apply this knowledge, but here it is for you kids who may end up in a rocket-like startup.
Either get your unfair share, or get your technical goods, or both (in your dreams) — but don't just work hard to try to invent something new in a hurry, to improve the nascent Web. You might not have the good grace I've had with Mozilla and Firefox to make up for it.
As far as us not selling out: live and learn. I'm not sure I'll ever have the opportunity to apply this knowledge, but here it is for you kids who may end up in a rocket-like startup.
Either get your unfair share, or get your technical goods, or both (in your dreams) — but don't just work hard to try to invent something new in a hurry, to improve the nascent Web. You might not have the good grace I've had with Mozilla and Firefox to make up for it.
