How Not to Launch a Startup
UPDATE: Looks like they fixed the page. Now go and try out their service and blog until your heart’s content! It does look like a great service on the surface. I will definitely be trying it out.
This week, TechCrunch’s TechCrunch40 conference is going on here in San Francisco and a number of new startups are launching their services. I started to sign up for one of them: Mint. Mint is an online money management application that looks well designed, simple, and easy to use. As I was signing up though, I noticed a particular checkbox with an agreement that I had never seen before: “I agree not to blog about or post screenshots of Mint.”
I am hoping this is just an overlooked feature that was for private testing before launch. I can’t think of any other reason they would have this. But, now I can’t sign up until they remove it. Neither will any of the other bloggers who may have been their best source of buzz! Hopefully they will fix this soon.
Sounds extra paranoid.. but it also sounds like it only applies to screenshots maybe. Though, even still… that’s odd.
Phillip Kerman
18 Sep 07 at 9:42 am
Hi Daniel. Just wanted to let you know that the sign-up page you got to was the one for private testers. We weren’t live yet, and the rules of TechCrunch 40 forbade advance coverage, so you’re right on the money when you said that it was meant for private testing.
We just went live and we’ve promptly removed that little check box!
Cap
18 Sep 07 at 10:45 am
Thanks for information. I have updated the post. This looks like a great service, definitely gives me a reason to move away from Microsoft Money 2002, which I have been using for years.
Daniel Dura
18 Sep 07 at 11:13 am