Great first show, love that they kicked off discussion around naming and branding. It's usually one of the first issues to come to surface amongst founders, and one of the most misunderstood areas of importance in my belief.
I also think it's worth noting that the bar for consumer sites / services is set pretty high now. So while server and infrastructure costs are decreasing, one should probably put some of those costs savings into developing a great brand (very important in B2C). After all, infrastructure costs decrease with competition — marketing and branding increase. It's pretty surprising what a well-executed brand can do for you, I consider it low hanging fruit with the right person managing it; however, when mismanaged it can turn into a your own barrier.
Use Google Adwords to A/B test your company/product name. Throw up 6-12 names on adwords, have them lead to blank pages, find out what names convert the best.
Both Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose are doing angel investing.
I'd suggest a really good lawyer who would look at the deal with an adversarial perspective before taking money from either of them. Just my two cents.
While sometimes I overdo the bitching and moaning (especially after a few beers) I think I'm offering solid advice in this case. Though I guess I'm being a little unfair to Tim Ferris - I've only met him in bars, he may have some integrity. He just seems like a tool.
I actually rather enjoy your comments about the Digg fiasco. I've never gotten the impression that Kevin was a great business man. And, I'd avoid taking business advice from him most days of the week, although his celebrity might be handy. I'd definitely take advice from you re: business arrangements with Kevin any day of the week, however.
Tim... I agree. Very tool like. I actually liked Tim's book. He's a rampant self promoter, and turns a lot of people off. But, he did have some interesting ideas, which I liked a lot, however. Having him as a angel or board member... I don't know. I'd have to think about that one a lot.
I've never had a negative impression of him. He is confident and forces you to think in a different direction. I also know the "4 hour" week is an exaggeration. Pay close attention and he does a lot of work related stuff (including writing a book) that consumes time. Nonetheless, he is providing a road map for things most of us have thought were unobtainable.
I prefer reading/scanning to listening, too. If I'm listening and doing something else, the moment the something else gets a bit complicated, I tune out what I'm listening to, and find I've missed half of it. If I sit down and really listen, I can't do much else... I'm just not much of a multitasker that way, I find paying serious attention to audio to be incompatible with working.
I also think it's worth noting that the bar for consumer sites / services is set pretty high now. So while server and infrastructure costs are decreasing, one should probably put some of those costs savings into developing a great brand (very important in B2C). After all, infrastructure costs decrease with competition — marketing and branding increase. It's pretty surprising what a well-executed brand can do for you, I consider it low hanging fruit with the right person managing it; however, when mismanaged it can turn into a your own barrier.