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Ali Partovi
Neo
@apartovi
@Neo CEO. Sway.co chair. Cofounder: Code.org, iLike, LinkExchange. Degenerate risk taker. ❤️ Dad of Soli Jude Reza & Lola
San Francisco, CA
Born November 6
Joined April 2008
Posts
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    As the world celebrated Steve Jobs’s life last week, I recalled a lesson he taught me. My one meeting with Steve didn’t end well. It’s one of my most painful memories, and a warning to startup CEOs about the danger of taking hype too far. Here’s the story. (1/n)
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    I once killed a $125 million deal by being “too honest.” There are many ways to lose deals, lest you think last week’s story was my only painful blunder. This one hinged on a fateful encounter with Jerry Yang and involved Paul Graham (@paulg). Here’s what happened.... (1/n)
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    If you've wondered why Google Maps doesn't offer "most scenic walking route" (a top user request), apparently it's because they want to help fix income inequality by sending you through low-income neighborhoods.
    TIL the reason Google Maps doesn’t have a “most scenic” walking route option is is force people to walk through low-income communities
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    Unlike VCs predicting doom, I’m bullish for early-stage startups. This downturn differs from 2000 & 2008 (see why below). If you’re an early-stage CEO, don’t panic. Don’t obsess about extending runway. Obsess about making something people want, and hire superstars to help. 1/n
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    Replying to @apartovi @hadip and 2 others
    Steve Jobs was an amazing pitch man. His storytelling brought the future to life. He taught me to be paranoid of the fine line between hype and lying: it can be as subtle as one word. If you cross that line, it can destroy you. I’m grateful to him for this lesson. /end
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    Replying to @apartovi @hadip and @natbro
    Never overplay your hand when negotiating a major deal -- especially not against a stronger player. There are ways to be a strong negotiator without lying. /22
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    The world’s largest record label once threatened to destroy my startup over one video. This high-stakes showdown involved music mogul Jimmy Iovine of @UMG and rock star Bono of @U2. It taught me a lot about facing fear in business. Here’s the painful story. (1/n)
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    Replying to @kaseyklimes
    Lol -- While you're at it, why not also randomize Google Search results in the name of equality? 😂
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    Imagine joining your childhood friend's startup, then being pressured to forfeit your share after years of work while your friend and the VCs got $2 BILLION. I admire you Prem for returning to the company you built and exposing one of the most shameful deals in tech history. 🫡
    I’ve joined Cognition to continue to work on the future of software engineering. I was employee #2 at Windsurf and have worked on AI+code for years. There’s never been a more exciting time and place for it than now at Cognition. I had a place at Google DeepMind as part of the
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    My daughter and I spoke to the SF Board of Supervisors about why the city should bring back Algebra in middle school. I let 6yo Lola Partovi decide for herself whether to come and what to say. What she said blew me away. x.com/apartovi/statu…
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    I'm at SF City Hall today with Lola Partovi to submit our public comments in support of bringing back Algebra in middle school. x.com/sfguardians/st…
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    OpenAI just taught a new generation of startup founders a painful lesson. Having built my last startup during the era of platform disruption dominated by Facebook & iPhone, I feel for the first-time founders who are now realizing why "moats" matter.
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    Replying to @apartovi @hadip and @natbro
    I’ve shared this story privately with many of the CEOs and students I mentor through @Neo. (@RoxanneBras referenced it in a recent blog about fundraising: inc.com/roxanne-petrae…) /23
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    Replying to @apartovi @hadip and @natbro
    At one point, on a later call, Steve told me point-blank, “you’re a liar and I don’t trust anything you say.” This wasn’t necessary. I’d already learned my lesson. The hard truth is, I can’t blame him: trust can be ruined with a single word, and it’s not easy to rebuild. /20
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    Replying to @LEBassett
    I'll take a "stab" at it... Could it be theft -- a forklift? Could the forks be... in the road? Where could they be, fork-rying out loud! Tine will tell, I guess.