Geek Mythology: What Tech Startups Say vs. What They Actually Do


logo

RECORDSETTER
Rhetoric: “Our mission is to raise the bar of human achievement.”
Product/service: User-generated world records such as the most hats worn while riding a bicycle, fastest “poking” of 10 Facebook friends, and longest Skype call.

 

logo

 

SNAPCHAT
Rhetoric: “Change the way people communicate for the better.”
Product/service: App that sends photos that disappear after a few seconds (useful for sexting).

 

 

logo

 

EVEREST
Rhetoric: “How can we turn everyone into a da Vinci?”
Product/service: Calendar app with social-sharing functions.

 

 

logo

 

DROPCAM
Rhetoric: “Creating cutting-edge technologies that are revolutionizing the way people view the world.”
Product/service: Nanny-cams that stream on a smartphone.

 

 

logo

 

POGOSEAT
Rhetoric: “Changing the world, one upgrade at a time!”
Product/service: App that lets you get better seats at a sporting event.

 

 

logo

 

PATH
Rhetoric: “The beginning of history is defined by mankind’s first attempt to record life.”
Product/service: Social network for mobile devices; also sells fancy emoji, such as a red panda drinking coffee.

 

 

logo

 

ZAARLY
Rhetoric: “Changing how the economy works.”
Product/service: App that helps you find local goods and services such as Bundt cake, terrarium-making kits, and dance lessons.

 

logo

 

SQUARE
Rhetoric: “We want to build products that make people feel like they have superpowers.”
Product/service: Enables mobile payments.

 

 

logo

 

EXEC
Rhetoric: Lets “anyone go and do whatever they’re good at.”
Product/service: App that lets you book house cleaners via smartphone (basically Uber for maids).

GREAT JOURNALISM, SLOW FUNDRAISING

Our team has been on fire lately—publishing sweeping, one-of-a-kind investigations, ambitious, groundbreaking projects, and even releasing “the holy shit documentary of the year.” And that’s on top of protecting free and fair elections and standing up to bullies and BS when others in the media don’t.

Yet, we just came up pretty short on our first big fundraising campaign since Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting joined forces.

So, two things:

1) If you value the journalism we do but haven’t pitched in over the last few months, please consider doing so now—we urgently need a lot of help to make up for lost ground.

2) If you’re not ready to donate but you’re interested enough in our work to be reading this, please consider signing up for our free Mother Jones Daily newsletter to get to know us and our reporting better. Maybe once you do, you’ll see it’s something worth supporting.

payment methods

GREAT JOURNALISM, SLOW FUNDRAISING

Our team has been on fire lately—publishing sweeping, one-of-a-kind investigations, ambitious, groundbreaking projects, and even releasing “the holy shit documentary of the year.” And that’s on top of protecting free and fair elections and standing up to bullies and BS when others in the media don’t.

Yet, we just came up pretty short on our first big fundraising campaign since Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting joined forces.

So, two things:

1) If you value the journalism we do but haven’t pitched in over the last few months, please consider doing so now—we urgently need a lot of help to make up for lost ground.

2) If you’re not ready to donate but you’re interested enough in our work to be reading this, please consider signing up for our free Mother Jones Daily newsletter to get to know us and our reporting better. Maybe once you do, you’ll see it’s something worth supporting.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate