Stealth Mode and my Politeness Test

Ever since I’ve been making a public deal out of my no harm, no foul meetings, I’ve been getting a fairly steady flow of interesting ideas and potential funding opportunities coming into the office.  It’s important to try and keep the rule book out of the process so people will feel good about coming by, emailing, or calling.

In “the valley”, there seems to be this fascination with the phrase “stealth mode” when it comes to a start up or, well, anything else people don’t want to talk about. I’m pretty simple and always thought that if you didn’t want to talk about it, you didn’t.  Not much more to it, right? Well, maybe not so simple.

While on the road in California,  I had 3 full blown presentations, with ‘live’ accounts, etc, on software services that are in “stealth mode.”  Ahhh, I get it. Stealth mode must be valley speak for I’m trying to be cool, grant you passage into my secret world of code if only to show you that I alone control your destiny. Well, at least destiny with respect to me seeing your product.  Right.

Yesterday, I had a meeting with a nice fellow that had a great idea in stealth mode. For 15 of the 30 minutes, he went on about the world needing changing when it came to (I’m not making this up) “certain technologies which leave one fulfilled yet empty at the same time.”  I couldn’t decide if this was some variation on sex toys or Chinese food as I never found out.  Stealth mode.  “Marc” just want to prepare me and determine my interest in his idea before he presented it.  He really only wants to tell people the idea if they would be interested. 

As I said, 30 minutes, no harm, no foul, we’re open for business.  Even if you can’t tell me.

 

Comments

[Alex Krupp]

That's hilarious. How far along do you usually like people to be when they come in for these no harm no fouls, i.e. before or after they have angel investment.

[Rick Segal]

Alex,
It really doesn't matter as it is no harm, no foul. I'm happy to talk with anybody about great ideas.

[J. Shirley]

I was just reading this the other day: http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/01/20/ning-rip/

You may find it interesting... "When Stealth mode goes wrong."

[alan herrell - the head lemur]

'certain technologies which leave one fulfilled yet empty at the same time"
Online Dating?
PR Blogs?
Gated Blogging?
Laundry Baskets without Wheels?

[Farhan Lalji]

Do you do no harm no foul meetings over the telephone? Email?

[Rick Segal]

Email, goto meeting, skype, netmeeting (no, really!) in person, etc.

[Mark Evans]

stealth mode is just another buzz-creation vehicle. look at ingenio's release of ether. by positioning this new service as coming out of stealth mode, it got everyone overly excited as if they were discovering something completely new. if you look at the coverage within the blogosphere - ether's target market - it was a smashing success.

[Rick Segal]

Could be, Mark. In time, I suspect, it will be another overworked term that will loose meaning!