Author: Mike P. Lewis

Allegory of the Cave

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I was reading Nick Flynn’s new book The Ticking Is The Bomb and he recites in the Allegory of the Cave which came from a Plato dream.  

In this dream prisoners, locked-up in a cave since childhood, are chained in such a way that they cannot look away from the wall they are facing.  Even their heads are fixed, somehow, in that one direction.  Behind the prisoners, some still children, is a walkway, sightly elevated, and along this walkway the jailers, or their assistants, carry various objects back and forth.  Beyond the walkway a fire burns, continuously, a large fire, and this fire casts light onto the objects, which then cast shadows on the wall for the prisoners to contemplate.  The object might be something benign, a bunch of carrots, say, but as a shadow the carrots can appear frightful – each could be a knife.  Or an apple could be a rock that could crush a man’s hands. Or his son’s testicles. Or a jar of milk could be a jar of acid, if all one sees, all one is allowed to see, are shadows.  And the jailers grunt and snort, sounds that echo off the walls and so seem, to the prisoners, to come from the shadows themselves.  And don’t forget the fire, which makes another sound, and which heats their backs, perhaps too much, and fills the cave with smoke, making it hard to breathe.  It must seem a little like hell, with its silent goons carrying menacing shapes, with your head strapped into place, though this allegory comes from a time well before we perfected our modern-day concept of hell.

I have found this to be quite true in startups as well.  If all you see are TechCrunch articles or tweets of possible competitors, you can’t help but imagine the worst.  All you can do is try to get out of the cave and into your customers offices and work on actually solving problems and adding value.  The rest are only shadows.

Foursquare vs. Facebook Places

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I am a huge Foursquare users. I registered the day that it launched at SXSW, I’m mayor of sixteen places and have checked in over 450 days. Whenever i go to a place, i immediately think of checking in. I’ve also tried out all of the competitors, such as Loopt and Gowalla. While those are ok, Foursquare was the best for me.

So, when Facebook launcehd “Places” i was curious to give it a shot. And after just a few days, I think it’s going to be a viable competitor and will keep many mainstream users from ever using Foursquare. Here’s why:

There are three reasons why people use Foursquare:

  1. Socially. To tell their friends where they are so they can join them.
  2. As a game. To become “mayor” of a place and to check in more than other people
  3. MyWare. To log where in the world you’ve been

The first reason – to connect with your friends – is the most powerful and is the reason most people use a service like this. The main issue with Foursquare is that not many of their friends are on it, so this didn’t happen for most. It only worked this way for power users and early adopters who have other power users and early adopters as friends (people like me). This is where FB Places shine. The first day of using it, i had more friends on it than on Foursquare and it was immediately more useful for me. I could actually see where many of my friends were. Foursquare never did this well.

The second reason – to play as a game and to become a mayor – doesn’t work for FB Places. There is no game in Facebook. It’s just to connect. I can see rewards happening in the future the same way that some restaurants or shops post messages on their FB pages for free coffee or cupcakes. I actually do miss this on FB. I found myself not checking into a place this weekend for a second time because i asked myself, “what’s the point?” I knew it would annoy my friends and i was leaving soon anyway. I checked on Foursquare but not FB.

The third reason will never happen on Facebook but will on Foursquare. You can see my stats page here. It’s great to see and view all the places i’ve been. Will most users like this? Not at all. I’m a rare breed in my love of tracking myself.

To sum up, i really think FB Places is going to crush it. Despite Friday being the biggest day in Foursquare history and their claim that the rising tide will raise all ships, I think that unless Foursquare can continue to out innovate Facebook, I think FB will leave Foursquare behind in the dust. Once again, Facebook proves taht although it’s large and has an amazingly large userbase, they aren’t afraid to make big changes and innovate. This is why they are the internet king right now. Did anyone think that Yahoo! if they couldn’t buy Foursquare would actually build something. Yeah right.

August Movie Roundup

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Scott Pilgrim (9 out of 10)
This is one of the more clever and entertaining movies of the summer. Sure, it’s one big video game, but it’s still visually stimulating and super funny. The comedy never stops in this one.   Kudos to director Edgar Wright’s ability to capture the entire comic book series (6 books) in 112 minutes.

There are six fights, one after another, which makes this one of the few movies with more than one major climax. Each fight could have been the big finale to any other movie: one involves a Bollywood-style dance number, one is a musical duel, and one is the big “Final Boss” that doesn’t end how you think.

The atmosphere in this film is huge. There’s both a Seinfeld and Nintendo references that i thoroughly enjoyed. The music has Beck, Metric and Broken Social Scene, along with old school 8-bit video game noises. Everything in this movie is over-the-top and excessively nerdy. From the music and sound to the look and feel of just the first thirty seconds of the film, you know exactly what you’re getting into.

Inception (8.5 out of 10)
Posted all my thoughts on this here and here

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (8.5 of 10) and Girl Who Plays With Fire (9 out of 10)
I saw both of these this summer. Take Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. i think Begins is a better cohesive movie, end-to-end, but Dark Knight is a great sequel with broader scope and more action. And, i think It works as a great movie only because it’s a sequel. Similarly, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a better individual movie. It’s tight and complete but The Girl Who Plays With Fire is a fantastic sequel. It takes the foundation of Tattoo and really blows it out.

Considering the first movie is mostly about one person and the second is all about another, it’s amazing how well these are connected, yet also how different they are. One is a methodical while other is frantic. One is focused with only 2 characters really, while the other all over the place with over 10. Regardless, both are fantastic and worth seeing.

The Other Guys (8 out of 10)
It’s great to have Will Ferrell back. I was worried he was going down the Eddie Murphy path where his movies got worse as he got older. But The Other Guys was one of his best. If you think of all the Will Ferrell movies and the ones where he gives the best performance, i’d rank Anchorman first, Talledega Nights second and this film third (and i do think Blades of Glory is underrated). Here he’s amazing as a homely cop but even funnier when he turns into his alter ego, Gator. I’d put this up against any of his other films.

Salt (6 our of 10)
This movie was just not at all interesting to me. Angelina’s character didn’t really talk the entire time. [**Spoiler Alert**] For the entire movie, you can’t tell you if she’s on Russia’s side or US’s. Thus, you have no idea what her character really thinks of really feels. You’re just watching her maybe kill people (maybe just maim), and based on those actions you’re led to believe she’s Russian. Of course, by the end of the movie, you realize that you’ve just been manipulated by fancy editing and lack of information. Pretty lame if you ask me. I’m just mad that the director wanted to make a movie like that.

Of course, the most interesting thing about the movie is the director, Phillip Noyce. It’s the same guy who was big in the studio system decades ago, doing Patriot Games, Clear & Present Danger and others. Then he moved back to Australia and did small indie flicks like Rabbit Proof Fence and The Quiet American. When he did, he employed a woman to stay in Hollywood and just read scripts. Specifically spy scripts. This is because he’s obsessed with spies. Growing up, his dad was a spy for Australia, and as a kid he used to go through town and follow people inconspicuously. So, this type of movie was the only thing that would bring him back to the studios. And after 5 years his woman found one. This is it. You can learn more in this KCRW podcast.

While that’s cool and all, i still wish it was a better movie.

Dinner With Shmucks (5 out of 10)
One of the more disappointing comedies of the summer. Steve Carrell is more annoying than funny and the plot is just rough. Say you meet a guy who is ruining your life – he tells your girlfriend about an old girlfriend, tells her to get lost, and then destroys your house by throwing wine bottles at all walls and tables. Now imagine this guy says he’s left his keys at your house, would you make a bed for him on your couch or would you drive him home? It wouldn’t be a movie if he just goes home but it’s a bad movie because he stays – because nobody would behave like the people in this movie. Don’t ever see this film

Gearbox is Rolling

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The future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed.   – William Gibson

I did see the future this summer – just in bits and pieces.  Let me explain….

As many of you know, i had an amazing experience at Techstars this summer. Not only did we evolve our company Kapost in a new and better direction, but we got to meet and interact with some incredible mentors and entrepreneurs.

There’s a company i worked right next to this summer called Gearbox.  This is two guys who are hard core robotics nerds – and i mean that in the best way.  They have the only desk i’ve ever seen at a startup that has soldering irons and wrenches.

When they first arrived to Techstars, it was clear that they didn’t really know the best direction to take their company.  They weren’t alone, lots of us had unclear paths.  But they had a passion for robots, gaming and mobile devices and were looking for how best to apply this. As the months passed, they decided on a direction that was well aligned with this passion – which resulted in the Orbbott or the “Gearbox Ball.”

What is it? This is a robotic ball that is controlled by your iPhone or Android device.  Not only is controlled but there are apps on your phone that you can use with the ball.  Apps like Sumo (where you play against another ball) or Golf or, my favorite, “follow me” app. This is an application where you put the phone in your pocket and the Ball just follows you around the room.  It speeds up when you’re far away and backs up if you approach it.  I don’t know why, but i love this idea.  It’s the best version of a robotic dog or cat i’ve heard of.

You can see a video below of them demo’ing their ball.  It’s a great idea. They’ve invented a whole category of toys called “Smart Toys” and i think i’ve just seen the future.  Thankfully, i was lucky enough to see it emerge from the very beginning.

Some Inception Notes

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Discovered two cool things about Inception this week

First, there is some analysis done about when Leo wears his wedding ring. If you pay attention to when he has it on (clue: only in dreams), you can figure out the final scene in the movie.  That link is here

Second, this video below shows how the main score of the movie has a subliminal tune embedded in it.  Which pretty much blew my mind.  Thanks to Gawker for that.

Inception Thoughts

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I saw Inception this week. I’m assuming most of you know that this is a movie written and directed by Chris Nolan. Nolan is the same guy who wrote and directed Memento, The Prestige (with Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale), Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. So, he can both mind screw you (Memento and Prestige) and wow you with effects and spectacle (Batman movies).

I though the film great and here’s why. It was truly original. Sure, there have been dream movies before. But in a world where most of the films are sequels and remakes, this movie was a plot that nobody had come close to. Mental espionage is not a common genre. You could argue this was the classic heist movie where one last job is all they need to accomplish but when you’re not stealing anything but instead placing a thought inside someone’s head – it’s a bit different. So i guess the context was the original bit. I loved the introduction of the plot and explanation of the concept. Similar to how the best part of Batman Begins is when we see how Batman came to be and who is responsible, the best part of Inception is learning how this dream hijacking occurs and who is required within it. Even as hit the third act of the movie, you’re learning the details of being inside dreams.

Also similar to Batman Begins and Dark Knight, the end of the movie is disappointing compared to the beginning and middle. Thousands of people shooting and missing the good guys while they lay people out with one punch is not a clever way to end a movie that relies on thoughtfulness and intricate details. Memento probably has the best ending of a movie of the past 10 years and thus i hold Nolan to a higher standard here. He’s gotten lazy with Batman.

The women in the movie were also great. Ellen Page was a great student and has never looked more girl-like, especially when you place her next to Marion Cotillard (the woman from La Vie en Rose). The scene where the two are next to each other is like a class in the difference between what a girl is compared to a woman. Marion Cotillard was also a phenomenal femme fatal. One last woman that drags the man down, literally.

I could see this film winning a slew of Oscars, but because the idea and execution was the show not the characters, the awards are for Writing, Director and potentially Picture not for actor or actress

Some other notes:

  • Great to see Tom Berenger in there. Haven’t seen him in quite a while. Loved it
  • Note from JT: when cillian murphy opens the safe and there’s a paper windmill in there isn’t that a symbol for green since his father seemed to be an oil tycoon?  Interesting nuance.
  • I’m not the biggest Joseph Gordon-Levitt especially since he overacted his SNL show but i thought he pulled it off.  I would have preferred James Franco who was originally cast for that role
  • I think they could have done without the entire third level (snow level) madness.  It was just too much and the movie still would have been sweet if it was a more tame level or just make level 2 more detailed.

Book: City of Thieves

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After reading Toby’s suggestion, i picked up the novel City of Thieves by David Benioff. Let me tell you, this book is really great – one of the best books i’ve read in a long time. I bought for $4 used on Amazon – do yourself a favor and get it.

The story starts with a screenwriter (the guy who wrote 25th Hour) talking to his grandfather about WWII. It’s his grandfather’s story that takes us to Leningrad in 1942 when he was 17. He gives us the core story but then leaves the interview session telling Benioff, “you’re the writer, make it up.” And he comes up with a fantastic tale

It’s not that long but is still a great story of friends, war, snipers, girls, and a box of eggs. Read it

Further Analysis of Back to the Future

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Some great points are made by the Cracked gang about the beloved Back to the Future.  Points such as

  1. Did Marty trigger the civil rights movement?
  2. Isn’t it weird that George’s and Loraine’s son looks just like the guy Loraine tried to sleep with in high school?
  3. How did Biff go from rapist to butler?

All that and more in the video below:

Open Letter To Bill Simmons – Lebron Can’t Play Soccer

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Bill –

Love the column and the podcast – read/listen religiously.

I used to play soccer in college. I’m just stating so you can see i have some credibility to what i’m about to say.

I had to write because one thing is driving me crazy. You and others keep claiming that Lebron James and other NBA stars like Dwight Howard would be amazing on the soccer field. See your recent podcast with Chris Collinsworth (here). These players are incredible athletes but this is just not the case, and anyone who has played soccer would know that if you see a 6′ 8″ guy playing against you, you would be psyched. There is no way, no matter how athletically talented they are, that would be good players. This is due to 2 main reasons: (1) foot size and (2) quickness.

To shoot or hit a long ball well, you need to hit the soccer ball with your instep, which is the top of your foot. People with big feet are notoriously bad at kicking a ball far and accurately. It’s possible, but if you’re huge (over 6’5″) it would be super tough. Quickness is another issue. Being fast on your first 3 steps is so crucial to a soccer player. You see it all the time at the top of the box, where a player is trying to get just a little bit of space to get a shot off. The bigger you are, the less quick you are. Think of Lebron trying to guard the quickest point guards all day. It wouldn’t go that well.

For both of these reasons, if you’re super small and really quick you can be the best player in the world. See Messi and Maradona (both 5’5″-ish). If you’re gigantic, you probably won’t be.

BUT, i do agree with your general idea that if the best players in America played soccer, we’d dominate. In fact, in 2006 i made up the US starting 11 if we had our pick of the best players and they were super fast, strong and quick dudes (Barry Sanders would have been ideal). That post is here

Anyway, please don’t say anymore how good of a soccer player Lebron would be. It drives me nuts.

Thanks and keep on kicking ass –

Mike Lewis