Virool goes Viral

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Virool is a startup that helps your video go viral and this week the company, itself, has gone viral.  They went a ‘lil cray-cray on their company launch party this past weekend......it happens.  I mean I'm sure all of us have thrown a party complete with syringe jello shots and go-go dancers right?

I spent 5 years getting an engineering degree at UC San Diego and at the end of my senior year, after that very last final, on my very last day, I went....well.....cray-cray. Afterall, being on the Atkins Diet (freshman 15 is a bitch) while trying to prove the laws inside geophysics did not exactly spell H-A-P-P-Y.

After doing a bit of backtracking, I find a similar correlation with the “Bros of Virool”. Albeit, this one has a lot more weighted on egos. Let’s start off by keeping a few things in mind: this CEO is still a kid (early 20s) with dashing good looks and a killer resume. Alex Debelov may not get a gold star for the go-go dancers or jello shots or fountain of chocolate ecstasy but you can’t deny the guy probably earned that party.

While in college he co-founded The Kairos Society, the world’s largest student entrepreneurship organization with 1500 members from 25 universities including Harvard, Stanford, and UPENN. This type of organization has the capacity to book high-profile speakers like Bill Gates and Bill Clinton at their annual summit.

Not impressive enough? Debelov was also touted along side Zuckerberg as one of 10 College Whiz Kids.

Let’s get down to brass tax here. Virool boasted a seed stage of funding at $6M+ (a round that many would consider a Series A), with a dream team of backers including heavy hitters DFJ and Menlo Ventures. If that’s not enough, the company also has a former Yahoo CTO, a Zappos backer, and the notoriety of the Y Combinator program behind it. Anyone who can carry all that on their back and ask for more should be able to throw an outlandish party in celebration of what only 10% of startups can achieve: success.

Then again Virool is all about making things go viral and I’m pretty sure this party did just that. Perhaps we’re all giving them exactly what they were hoping for.

Funding Craze: The Monthly Subscription Service

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It's all the rage and can get you funding in as little as 8 months (nicely done Frank and Oak).

Monthly Subscriptions: Whatever market you’re funneling into, feed them on a monthly basis and at their doorstep. From panties to snacks, condoms to clothes, the monthly subscription service is taking over retail.

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A PERSONAL FIT
Who wouldn’t like receiving a fashion-forward goody box every month with the latest button up design or trendy color scheme. This brilliant idea has taken off with millions of people receiving shipments on a monthly basis and only being charged for what they keep.

Frank and Oak pounced onto the scene in February 2012 and eight months later had $5M in the bank for expansion. A personalized shopper for men, Frank & Oak has beaten the competition by being the designer, the retailer, and the manufacturer, allowing for a better price for better quality.

For ladies, Stitch Fix is my ultimate favorite. My monthly dose of fashion is tailored based on my size, style, and price point.

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THE NECESSITIES
NatureBox - Funded just 11 months after launching, this startup delivers healthy, tasty snacks every month. They knew it’d take more than granola bars and kale chips to get us interested so they partnered with Feeding America to deliver one meal for every box sold to feed hungry children in America. Take a look at some of the past shipments - http://naturebox.com/foods - I’m starting to drool!

Dollar Shave Club - It’s fairly elementary - one new razor, $1 each month. What stands out more than the knee-slapping “Why didn’t I think of that” response is the promotional video that got the attention of over 100,000 on social media and top tier VCs including Andreesen, Kleiner, and Venrock.

[Manpacks - Expanding on razormania is Manpacks. Underwear, socks, razors, condoms, every 3 months.]

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NO, JUST....NO
The reason startups succeed is two-fold: (1) they solve a problem; (2) they gain significant market share. I’m sure the following startups solve a common problem but I don’t see a significant portion of the market wanting this "solution" on a monthly basis.

Meundies - A new pair of panites, monthly.
Panties are a $15 billion market. The reason.......variety. Do you think we asked Victoria’s Secret to create leopard print or lace? Of course not. We don’t know what we want until we see it and I certainly don't see it on this website. I was extremely disappointed in their selection and choice to launch this idea without having a laundry list of options. They should have, instead, offered their idea as a service to all our favorite panty-pushers.

Juniper - Have a lovely period.
It’s not possible but thanks for trying.
Juniper sends ladies a discreet box filled with tampons, chocolate, and teas every 28 days for $28 a month. This has a small, if any, chance of succeeding because for $28 a month I can get all that plus vicodin and wine. Personally, I’d rather have 3 days off work and a massage.

Dollar Rubber Club - Monthly condom delivery.
Why? They say "because it’s embarrassing to buy them at the store.” I thought it was a right of passage, a way to brag and gloat about your next days ahead. The big FAIL here is well said by Ryan Lawler at Techcrunch, “No one really ever knows how much they’re going to get laid in a month.” This is by far the stupidest monthly subscription service of them all.

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So next time you’re out doing errands think to yourself, “Can this be shipped as a monthly subscription?” If the answer is YES then you might find yourself pitching to investors.

6 Personalities of Facebook

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When it comes to Facebook we each have a unique experience. No single person has the same corral of friends, the same amount of quirkiness, drama, elation, or shock. Every newsfeed is different.

MINE IS EXCEPTIONAL!

I’ve been able to categorize most of the posts I see into 6 personalities that appear every week in my newsfeed.

“Please Talk To Me!”
The self-esteem deprived soul who sits online throughout the day hoping to interact with someone from their friend’s list. They respond within seconds so everyone who comments can see their comment first. They’re always available on IM hoping to get chatted up by a “friend”. Sometimes, out of pure desperation, they TEXT you instead of commenting in order to really make the point, “Wow I just saw your post.”
Please, please will someone be their friend already!

“Hot Picture from 2008”
We all know what this eludes to.  “I’ve just scrolled through all of your albums to get to your pictures from 5 years ago. I’m gonna hit “like” because I want you to know that I was just stalking your page. Hopefully now you’ll like me even more.”

I’ve gone out with you before. You took me to the Cheesecake Factory, ordered fancy drinks, dinner, and dessert. Then you asked to go dutch, which gave me all the validation I needed to de-friend you but only after I posted who you are and what you did in my newsfeed.

“Debbie-Downer”
Don’t you just love scrolling through your newsfeed to find:

“All of you haters can just HATE mmm-kay. Especially that skank that spilled her drink on me tonight. I hope she gets ruffied.”

Sweet mother of buddha what is crawling up your ass and growing horns?! Maybe you just got dumped. Perhaps you’re on your period. But hey….HEY!...the rest of us are going through life just fine so take a Percaset.

“Best EVER!”
They’re annoying as hell. They’re happier than Rainbow Brite. In one day you can find multiple contradictions to what is “the best EVER”. Pictures of their pets, videos of their kids, countdowns to their vacations….everything is, “like, the best EVER.”

But if you’re like me you can’t help but love reading their posts. Instant smiles….every time. If I had the chance I’d put “Debbie Downer” and “Best EVER” in the octagon and watch them fight to the death.

“I love food. LOOK here’s my food”
The most irritating of all Facebook posts goes to the food whores.

Look, man, I’ve been there too. That venison looks amazing, smells amazing, and that first bite…DAMN GINA! But there is NO WAY we will care as much as you do. Your phone camera will not do it justice. Trust me when I say it looks more like cold leftovers - we're not jealous.

“Over-Poster”
This grows exponentially annoying when meshed with the self-esteem deprived soul.  No matter what time I post, they “like” it. No matter how offensive, they “like” it. I could post that my dog died and they’d “like” it.

Yo, buddy, I get it. You read my posts. You follow my life religiously. But we are not going to be closer friends because of it. In fact, you kinda creep me out so I don’t think I’ll ever be inviting you to happy hour.

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The irony is we all acknowledge that we can be any type of persona online but then choose to be ourselves which is far more hilarious, controversial, and dramatic than if we tried otherwise. I don't know about you but I'm sure gonna thank my friends of various personalities who keep me entertained, aggravated, and smiling all day, everyday.