Rent-a-founder

It’s Still Alive

I’m reactivating this blog. Initially, it was meant to be a joint effort between Luis and I, to document our path to becoming startup founders. We became those founders much faster than expected so that path wasn’t very long. Also, Luis feels he can’t invest that much time into writing for this blog so he’ll drop out. I will keep it up and it will be more or less my personal, professional blog. Read more...

We Already Launched!

You may wonder why there have been few posts in the last few weeks. Part of it has to do with my amazement how other founders can spend so much time writing thoughtful blog posts while running a startup. When I’m working on something intensely, blogging, tweeting, facebook-status-updating, even the hourly check of the HN front page comes as a distraction. And if I do need a healthy dose of distraction, I’d rather not spend it in front my computer, too. Read more...

Measuring Your Way to Success

The following story will remind some German readers of the great Loriot. As a teenager, I wanted to eat the perfect egg for breakfast. So naturally, I set up an experiment where I would vary the time the egg would cook in the boiling water as well as the heat setting of the stove. It took me about five or six tries to find the perfect procedure. My eggs came out consistently perfect. Read more...

Here is Luis

Update May 12, 2014: I’m taking Luis’s “About” page off this blog. We agreed for me to continue this blog by myself. (I’ve been writing most entries anyway.) No worries, Luis and I are still running Stock Performer together. -Oliver I’m on this adventure too. I spent quite a few years at a big company with a solid job. But after accidentally transforming my photography hobby into a business, I realized how much fun it can be to do your own thing and see it succeed. Read more...

All You Need to Know About Oliver

The following text will be added to the “About us” page: As you can see, I have black hair and brown eyes. I haven’t played much soccer in my life. Nor did I drink much beer. But I’m still German. I am and have been a hacker for about 30 years now. My M.Sc. degree in CompSci got me some fancy job titles such as project manager and product manager. During my quarter-life crisis, I quit my secure, well-paid corporate job to become a full-time musician. Read more...

Welcome to Rent-a-Founder!

With this post, on August 17, 2010, we’re officially launching our blog “Rent-a-Founder”. Luis and I have long been talking about starting a company together. This is an attempt to document that journey and provide any insights gained along the way. The company does not exist yet. Heck, we don’t even have a business idea yet. Hence the name “Rent-a-Founder” which is an invitation to join in on the discussion and maybe even the ride itself. Read more...