31:03Alfred Lin with Justin Kan
From Y Combinator · Published Jul 23, 2015 · Watch on YouTube
TL;DR
Alfred Lin recounts his journey from Link Exchange (sold too early) through VentureFog, TellMe, and Zappos, emphasizing that building a company with a strong culture as a daily habit, solving a personal pain, and remaining undercapitalized forced profitable discipline.
Key insights
- Link Exchange grew via network effects: showing a banner on your site earned placement elsewhere, and each new member increased the network’s value.
- The decision to sell Link Exchange was driven by “mercenary” employees who prioritized monetization, making the company less fun; Alfred believes they sold too early.
- Having too much money (as at TellMe) can be a bad thing because it removes discipline and encourages wasteful experimentation.
Want the full analysis - every claim cited to the second it was said?
This page only shows a teaser. Sign up to chat with the complete, cited breakdown of "Alfred Lin with Justin Kan".