Sean Oliver

Growth vs. Security: Facebook vs. Microsoft?

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:51:47 -0800

Growth vs. Security: Facebook vs. Microsoft?:

Interesting quote from Reuters today… No further comment of course. :)

“At the end of the day, if you have a small amount of money that you are in a position to lose a chunk of it and you want to speculate on Facebook, go ahead,” he added. “But don’t use money that you really need to save to do it. I would put it in Microsoft, which is dirt cheap right now.” - Scott Schermerhorn, Granite Investment Advisors

"We don’t build services to make money; we make money to build better services."

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:26:46 -0800

“We don’t build services to make money; we make money to build better services.”

- Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s S-1 Letter

Totally inspirational read that lays out a super motivating way to think about business, that reminds me of Jeff Bezos’ approach in a lot of ways.

On the road again. (Taken with Instagram at sound transit light...

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:49:21 -0800

On the road again. (Taken with Instagram at sound transit light rail)

"The company, if built correctly, will be more important than any single product it can create."

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:29:36 -0800

“The company, if built correctly, will be more important than any single product it can create.”

- Fred Wilson - AVC (via kirklove)

Why Seattle is Awesome

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:48:47 -0800

Why Seattle is Awesome:

I present this brilliant and hilarious photo tour of why Seattle is great with no further comment other than thanks to Andy for sharing!

Here's to Another Great Year

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:13:00 -0800

It’d be a bit of an understatement for me to say that I’m looking forward to what 2012 has in store, mostly because I’ve had such an amazing 2011. I know I’ve said this about years past—and I tend to be a pretty overenthusiastic person in general—but as I look back on 2011, it’s really easy to say that it has objectively been the best year of my life thus far.

Too many great things came out of this year to point to all of them easily, but here are my top five:

I married the most amazing woman I’ve ever met—and incidentally, the best friend I’ve ever had—surrounded by all of my closest friends from all stages of my life, on the most incredibly beautiful day in Seattle. This could easily be all five and still make my feelings about this year true.
I rediscovered my childhood passion for starting my own company and immediately began working on a really exciting new project with my fantastic wife.
I went from basically zero to having a better than working knowledge of modern web development—Rails, MongoDB, and Javascript deserve special mention—to use in product development for the aforementioned project.
I made it through 40 weeks of Mandarin classes and can now comfortably say that I have a very, very, very basic understanding of extremely common Chinese words and sentences.
I learned how to play the guitar.

I’m especially excited about this list because these aren’t just a bunch of good things that have happened to me—although those are also great. Each of the items on this list is an example of a time when I’ve been actively responsible—and in the case of #1, unbelievably lucky and blessed—for pushing myself toward being the person I desire to be.

I know next year is going to be great, because I spent this year laying the groundwork for even bigger things to come. And as I look back on this year, I feel nothing but thankful for all the opportunities I’ve been given to get me to where I am and to set me up for where I’m going.

I don’t plan on making any resolutions for 2012. I stopped setting them a while ago. When I did make resolutions, they had a tendency to become excuses for me to be disappointed in myself over the I didn’t do rather getting happy about the things I did and excited for what’s yet to come. Imagine if I’d followed up the list I provided above with another list of all the things I wish I’d done this year but didn’t: Exercise more, eat healthier, read more books, etc.

These are tactics, and when looking back on a whole year living, it’s easier and far more productive to think about the big picture: Do you have friends and family who you love and who love you back? Are you doing something that fulfills you? Do you feel as energetic about life as you did last year? I bid goodbye to 2011 feeling so grateful that I can answer a big yes to all of these questions and knowing that the road ahead is bright.

Here’s to a great 2011 and an even better 2012.

fred-wilson: a picture tells a thousand...

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:08:52 -0800

fred-wilson:

a picture tells a thousand words

felixsalmon:

(via Same Old Song | Media Piracy | The American Assembly)

Quinn’s Gastropub. #iphonesia #signs #ig #instagram...

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:24:23 -0800

Quinn’s Gastropub. #iphonesia #signs #ig #instagram #iphoneography #restaurants #gastropubs #seattle #nofilter #jj_forum #night (Taken with Instagram at Quinn’s)

Above Seattle. #clouds #skyporn #sky #iphoneography #iphonesia...

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:53:27 -0800

Above Seattle. #clouds #skyporn #sky #iphoneography #iphonesia #sun #jj_forum #flying #planes #seattle (Taken with Instagram at In The Air)

LAX to SEA (via PHX in middle) #flying #instagram #ig #iphonesia...

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 19:00:04 -0800

LAX to SEA (via PHX in middle) #flying #instagram #ig #iphonesia #iphoneography #jj_forum #travel #clouds #sea #lax #phx #la #phoenix #seattle #planes #airports (Taken with Instagram at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA))

#skyporn #iphonesia #planes #intheair #desert #phoenix #jj_forum...

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:33:08 -0800

#skyporn #iphonesia #planes #intheair #desert #phoenix #jj_forum (Taken with Instagram at In The Air)

LAX to PHX #airports #iphonesia #lax #phx #planes (Taken with...

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:03:25 -0800

LAX to PHX #airports #iphonesia #lax #phx #planes (Taken with Instagram at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX))

#LA #Skyline (Taken with instagram)

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:01:03 -0800

#LA #Skyline (Taken with instagram)

Taken with Instagram at Local 360

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 11:25:00 -0800

Taken with Instagram at Local 360

So it is! Happy Thanksgiving everybody! (Taken with Instagram at...

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:36:34 -0800

So it is! Happy Thanksgiving everybody! (Taken with Instagram at Cristalla)

parislemon: dbreunig: AT&T’s website covers all the...

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:29:32 -0800

parislemon:

dbreunig:

AT&T’s website covers all the bases.

This is just so. fucking. brilliant.

FACING EAST!! (Taken with Instagram at Facing East)

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:01:30 -0800

FACING EAST!! (Taken with Instagram at Facing East)

parislemon: digithoughts: Apple vs Samsung Pictures...

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:10:30 -0800

parislemon:

digithoughts:

Apple vs Samsung

Pictures from minimally minimal via Daring Fireball

Put another way:

Good (iPhone 3GS) — Better (iPhone 4) — Best (iPhone 4S).

Vs.

You should get this one, it has a nicer screen than this one. But wait, it’s slower. Maybe get this other one. But this one has a keyboard. But I hate keyboards. So get this one, it runs Windows Phone. But maybe I should go Android. Oh, so get this one. Well, but I sort of like the clamshell. Then this is the one you want. But I hate the color. Okay, then this one. Well, I also kind of like this one, but it’s running an older version of Android. So then this is the one you want. The screen is too damn big. Okay, just close your eyes and pick one goddamnit.

Choice sounds great until you have to choose.

"Are you in sitting on the couch drinking tea kind of labor or screaming, blood all over the walls..."

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:07:02 -0800

“Are you in sitting on the couch drinking tea kind of labor or screaming, blood all over the walls kind of labor? Because I need to talk to you.”

- Michael Arrington, hilarious.

Kinect Fruit Ninja and iPad Fruit Ninja (Taken with Instagram at...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:45:58 -0800

Kinect Fruit Ninja and iPad Fruit Ninja (Taken with Instagram at Cristalla)