This Startup is being Recorded

E3 - The Animal Death TOU Amendment and #LiberateBugsby

November 17, 2021 Valerie Garrison Season 1 Episode 3
This Startup is being Recorded
E3 - The Animal Death TOU Amendment and #LiberateBugsby
Show Notes Transcript

Agenda:

  • Executive Standup 
  • Screaming Room training
  • Discussion on new benefits to offer

Takeaways:

  • Eric and Matt to review archeology/topography/illuminated, interactable manuscript of the code base to see how it affects the product roadmap
  • Calathea to follow up with Lindsay about visiting from Bhutan to do a Screaming Room training - ensure Lindsay’s training aligns with when Jen is released from the hospital
  • Matt to ask Tech Team to start storing Tax ID information, hopefully can backfill data that was written on wall and posted on Facebook
  • Kate and Calathea to follow-up on the #LiberateBugsby campaign and practicality of freeing the Meta Market mascot
Ben:

welcome to this startup is being recorded. This recording is improvised fiction. Similarities between it and the real world are entirely intentional. Now enjoy the recording.

Kate:

Uh, yep. And the recording is on. Um, so let me just quickly recap who we are and where we're at for John. John. Couldn't be here today, as you can probably tell. He just sent me a text a few minutes ago, uh, and you know, any future employees or people who might want to watch this and listen to this. So we are Metta market. We are a couch marketplace startup. We're in conference room B today, and we are helping, you know, improve the world of trade by giving everyone a more comfortable seat at the table, starting with couches. And yeah, today, this is just our executive stand up. Um, I have a couple of other agenda items too, that I'll I'll pop in with, but yeah. Oh, let's do quick introduction. So I'll just start today. I'm Kate Banchett chief of staff to John. Uh, John just got back from vacation, but. Here, but also not on vacation, but yeah. So that's me

Calathea:

and and I am the creative soul of Metta market.

Kate:

You went about speed. Yeah.

Eric:

Yes. Yeah.

Calathea:

I mean, bugs is flesh of my flesh. So either we go together, we are the

Kate:

creative soul. Yeah, sure.

Eric:

Uh, Eric joy Carter had a product for a minute market, uh, do not have other components to my soul.

Matt:

Um, hi, I'm matt.yachts. Uh, that's also my domain name and I am the new freshly credentialed CTO, uh, here at Metro market. I've got my keys to the server room keys to the. Uh, keys to, uh, the Al of our cloud products and, um, really starting to get a map together. So feeling good.

Kate:

Nice. Two weeks in you feel way more confident than any of the past CTOs at this point. So,

Matt:

oh, uh, I'll make a note of that. That's a little ominous.

Kate:

Oh no, no, you're the best. Anyway. Um, Stand up. Let's just try to keep this short, because like I said, I have a couple of other agenda items. Uh, but yeah, I guess I'll start. Um, obviously everyone knows about the accident that happened a couple of days ago, uh, with the couch in New York. So, um, we just went back to our lawyers, had a little bit of a refresh of our terms of service. They told us, we do need to notify all the users about this, and we need to specifically point out that any animal injury or death is absolutely not our liability, even if we're delivering the couch.

Matt:

Okay. Yeah. Sorry. If I missed it, did we get an after action on this incident? So there was an animal death.

Kate:

Yeah. I mean the animal didn't die immediately. Um, but it did. Several hours later when, which is what I guess the report the veterinarian said when they found it in that window. So, yeah,

Eric:

that was particularly, um, I think we got a lot of extra flat, cause it was a bald Eagle, to be honest.

Kate:

Yeah. Which people aren't even supposed to have exotic animals like that in their apartment. Yeah, you're right. And

Eric:

so, thank goodness, because I think that was an important loophole for the legal proceedings. I think nobody wanted to take this to court,

Calathea:

right? Yeah. And I will also just say that we went through that bald Eagles, Instagram account and found several photos of that fault ego, very happy on a couch. So, you know, I think that we can spin it, that this is how the Baldy. Wanted to go.

Kate:

Hmm, interesting. Interesting. Yeah. I mean, just as long, no more pictures. Right? Cause I don't think people knew that wings bent that way and that's just not, we can't have that attached to our brand.

Matt:

Yeah, I, um, I just wanted to give a quick update on that. Um, we were able to get the image recognition stuff in place so that people will stop using that bald Eagle photo as their profile photo on the service. Um, good. Yeah, we, we briefly hit, uh, a majority there, uh, where most people were. Yeah. It's um, yeah. It wasn't great. It wasn't a good time on the app or on the website, but, uh, we got that rain didn't now, so, okay.

Kate:

Yeah. And obviously, you know, rip to Bubba shrimp, everyone will miss him, but yeah, I think, okay. That was, you know, the most important update I have.

Calathea:

I do want to just point out that we haven't brought down the state bugs be from the Arctic fund. Um, so Bubba shrimps owners, are he being off? Uh, like almost like, you know, St. Pieces of Bubba shrimp, like feathers and bones and stuff like that, but have actually very graciously offered to donate 50% of the proceeds to the state bugs be from the Arctic fund.

Matt:

Wow.

Kate:

It was extremely generous.

Calathea:

Yeah. I was also very surprised, um, about that, but, uh, to quote, uh, there E-bay listing of use pieces. Uh, Mehta market can die in a fire for all we care, but we don't have anything against little bugs. Be little bugs. Be is, are bud CRE bugs, beat liberate bugs. Bugs B must be free of his Mehta market chains.

Kate:

Hmm. I mean, I, okay. I mean, the money's great, but I, this liberate bugs be thing that's not getting big as it,

Calathea:

uh, it is the most trending bugs be hashtag. I'll I'll bring that up. I can bring that up in my standup. If you want,

Kate:

maybe you just go, you just go ahead. We're already on the

Calathea:

topic. Yeah, of course. So, uh, yeah, so the, uh, particularly liberate bugs B is the trending most trending hashtag on pretty much every single platform. It's also a Tik TOK dance. Uh, very adorable, very difficult to do. He tried, he tried many times before I really perfected. Uh, so we are really just thinking about the well-being of bugs, SPI and, um, bugs, because, you know, we have saved bugs from the Arctic, uh, which is great. We have not officially announced that. So we do have to eventually figure out when we're going to release the next chapter of the bugs bee story. Uh, but, but I do have to say that bugs be in our carrier has. Eaten by a whale trapped in the Arctic forced to wander around for 70 days in the desert, uh, because a mythical healthy's one APM to learn the secret of couches, you know, just there's been a lot of trials. And I do wonder if it is time as it happens. I grew up with some indoor outdoor cats. And there's a moment where you have to open the gate and see if the cat's going to come back to the house. And I just wonder if this is the time for bugs speed. Do we have to metaphorically open the gate and see if he also wants to be part of this creative relationship with us,

Kate:

but bugs me is like fictional character that you made.

Calathea:

See speech like that is why we have a free Bugsby campaign right now.

Kate:

Okay. I that's just the fact he just,

Eric:

oh, well, hold on. What percentage of the free bugs be hashtag posts are coming from employees versus the general public.

Calathea:

So, I mean, most of it's general public, but there is, we did do an internal poll in the office and about 72% of our employees think that we should also liberate bugs be,

Kate:

um, how, how, how would that even work? He just a bunch of pixels on the screen. I mean, he's flesh of your flesh, obviously, but that's even harder to rip.

Calathea:

I'm okay. I'm I'm just, I can understand that you're feeling really impassioned right now, but you are one step away from an HR report. Okay. I would like you blurs around Bugsby of things like calling him pixels. That's just really, it's really offensive, especially for somebody, our mascot, who honestly, his being tortured in the Arctic. More funds into our company and any pouch we sold last month.

Kate:

I know, I know. And that's why I don't want to give him up. Okay. He is looking at the books, the number one product that we sell, and he's not even a product.

Calathea:

I now understand why you aren't able to really hold down a relationship because the thing is, is when you love. You have to let them go. And I'm sorry to be the one who gives hard truths, but maybe in order to make sure Bugsby flesh of my flesh continues to grow. I have to push that little baby bird out of the

Eric:

nest. Can we not use bird metaphors for another couple of weeks?

Matt:

Yeah, it's um, it's too soon just from a social media perspective and anyway, the chatting

Eric:

sentence. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can I, can I, uh, give a quick update? Um, yeah. Um, uh, we just completed, uh, our latest round of AB tests, where we posted perspective, uh, couch listings in the next eight potential markets. Uh, we don't actually have couch sales in those markets. We're just using it to, to generate a measure of interest. Um, we have a tie for first. Um, so we were going to. Run another test to see which of those two top markets we think is the best to, uh, to invest in. Uh it's

Kate:

what's the tie

Eric:

between. Yeah, well, so it's between it's between, uh, Washington DC, um, which, which I think everybody predicted, um, but also Juneau Alaska, uh, which we did was a surprise. Um, yeah. Yeah.

Kate:

I feel like Alaskans might have very special needs for county. Well, so

Eric:

yeah, we did some user research. We did some interviews and it actually turns out the DC market might be harder to, to manage. Uh, there were a lot of really, um, really kind of strange requests from the DC clientele, um, about like hiding microphones in the couch, you know, um, you know, having the couch be foldable, uh, so that it could be hidden from. Other people in an office. Uh, really only thing we had to, we had to tackle in Alaska was that we needed to increase our weatherproofing by 10 degrees Celsius, um, measure, which I think is, is reasonable from, from talking to somebody, some of your team, Kate.

Kate:

Yeah. I mean, that should be totally fine. Like I haven't had heating in my apartment for months and the couch that we bought approved a student grade. Um, that's not important, but hiding microphones, they might find our trackers. Right, right.

Matt:

Yeah. That's true.

Eric:

So I'm composing, we I'm proposing, we, uh, we defer DC, uh, and instead, uh, go to Alaska, go to Alaska. So that'll update, I think your distribution center planning for, for next quarter.

Matt:

Wow.

Kate:

Fortunately, we had considered the idea of having distribution centers. Which will I think help with the Alaska thing. So, okay. I'll note that down.

Matt:

I, um, I do just want to make sure checking back in on our, uh, 30, 60, 90, and closing on our series a funding. Um, if we add a new market before we've clinched that series a funding, we need to also be number one for couches in that market. So, so I think. You know, to the extent that we can, we need to focus on our, for existing markets and really dominating in those markets on our metrics. Okay.

Eric:

Yeah. No, that's, that's, that's a good comment. Can we, maybe we can just send Bugsby to Alaska as like a

Matt:

he's already in the Arctic, right. So right.

Calathea:

I just, I just want to, I don't mean to bring up our previous conversation. I feel like Cape is, yeah. You know, very obviously very mad, um, about bugs bees, potential liberation for some reason, but I just want to remind each other that, uh, if we are to free bug speed, it would be a choice that bugs be makes to go to Alaska.

Kate:

Okay, great. Well then, We let the thing that doesn't exist and doesn't have a brain make a choice. That sounds great.

Matt:

Wow. Um, do you, do you need a break or maybe

Track 3:

screaming

Eric:

room? You want to check the screening

Kate:

room out? The premium room is closed and I'll update you on that. But I am, I am just going to go get a sparkling waters. I'll be back.

Eric:

Okay. Okay.

Matt:

Wow. I didn't know. She didn't have heat. That's going to be a real problem in coming with.

Calathea:

You would think that that would make her sympathize with what bugs me is real you've been going through.

Matt:

Oh, right. I, I wanted to ask you about that. So, I mean, we met our funding goal to save bugs, be from the Arctic. Yeah. You know, like a couple of weeks ago. So, uh, what is the holdup? This is like, uh, we don't know what to do next or is bugs like pushing back on this?

Kate:

Did someone take the last LaCroix?

Eric:

Yeah.

Kate:

Fine. I'll be back. Yeah.

Matt:

Um, yeah, it might've been me. Uh, I got the last lemon cello.

Eric:

I don't know. I thought I did.

Matt:

Oh, that's weird. Cause when I opened the mini fridge, there was only one lemon cello in there.

Eric:

Me too. Huh? Huh?

Matt:

Hm. Oh, sorry. Califia you were, you were saying

Calathea:

no, no, that's totally fine. Um, We're going to release Bugsby from the Arctic, but honestly this whole bold, equal thing happened, you know? And, uh, we just found that it really helped our marketing to also be in a time of duress. You know, like we could really easily say that, yes, we've made mistakes. Honestly, we're dealing with the heart and soul of our company being in the Arctic, you know, so we just found it better for marketing purposes. Um, and honestly like we did that as a fundraising campaign, but bugs is fine in the Arctic. He is currently riding a narwhal and, and just getting to see, you know, the sea ice up there and seeing the. Climate change firsthand. It's really like allowed him to grow and prosper in a really new way. I just think we are finding so many fun avenues of, you know, Arctic creatures that he can interact with and Arctic cultures he's learning. And, you know, I just, just such a fruitful place. I, I'm almost sad to leave it.

Matt:

Wow. Oh, welcome back, Kate.

Kate:

Thanks. I just got. It's just easiest. Um, I, I heard you talking about Bugsby. I think maybe, maybe Matt can give his standup update.

Matt:

Oh yeah. Sure. Okay. Um, well, after, uh, last week's trip to Des Moines, where we finally got those assets into the cloud, um, sorry. My notes about that were a little fuzzy. And I, I don't seem to have access to the video notes for that meeting. So forgive me if I leave anything out. Um, but, uh, since then, uh, got most of the passwords to our cloud storage access to the server racks. And, um, we currently have split all of our it and development teams into a cross-functional, uh, groups of three to four, and we are performing a extensive code archeology. Um, it's very much like a, if you've seen the end of Raiders of the lost Ark, where there's a warehouse full of like unknown crates, full of potentially, you know, hazardous, uh, or psycho hazards or, you know, nuclear waste level materials. And that's how we're treating all of our code base in our deployed servers and services right now. And, uh, we've currently got a freeze on new features and bugs. While everyone, um, really just tries to, you know, show off the coolest thing they could find. Uh, and it's, it's been really great. We've discovered a lot of features that we didn't realize had been half built, uh, or, you know, some, in some cases, 90% built. Um, there were several things that, uh, are in, in, in production running and it turns out we're also, um, you know, uh, 80. 45% built. Um, so we're getting a handle on those and, um, yeah, I think, I think we're starting to get a real sense of, uh, what the lay of the land looks like and using that information, we'll be able to decide where best to spend our time next.

Kate:

Okay. So just theoretical question. If we were to just strip our product down to the features that are a hundred percent built, you know, just.

Eric:

No, no features ever a hundred percent done.

Matt:

That's true. Thank you, Eric. That is true. Yeah. But I think I get what you're getting at Kate. Yeah. Yeah. Do you mean like the things that based on the feature set, we expect what we can and what we can tell from our telemetry, what pieces of the app work? Uh, 100% feature complete and to expectation.

Kate:

Yeah. Yeah. Like if maybe we should just go with that set of.

Matt:

Um, I don't think we should. I don't, I don't mean to sound negative. Um, there wouldn't be much of an app.

Eric:

Yeah. I mean, well, like we said before, it's a culture of experimentation here. There are numerous features that are partially built, partially tested, partially reviewed.

Matt:

Yeah. And some, uh, for example, some, some core ones like, uh, when someone creates an account, uh, we have a lengthy signup process that draws a lot of information together. Uh, it, it turns out that, um, some of that information is stored in. So, uh, so we collect it and, um, you know, we send it back to the backend and, um, it just kind of smacks into the database, like gets a coyote, hitting a painting. Um, yeah. So, um, so you know, some, some useful stuff there, um, like, uh, you know, tax information for our customer. For some customers for, yeah. For the ones that claim tax exemption, uh, we haven't been collecting taxes on some of those orders and, um, yeah, that's a, that's going to be a problem when we need to file quarterly.

Kate:

Yeah. Yeah. That's like next week. It's next? Wait. Oh yeah.

Matt:

I didn't realize that was coming up so soon.

Kate:

I'm doing this for three quarters though. Where did the tax information before.

Eric:

Well, it's not all gone, so I it's possible. We just didn't realize it was missing. You know, we we've, we've been filing tax information for, you know, you know, the thing was 180 clients last quarter. Right. But if I'm hearing you correctly, Matt, and that might be just a fraction of what we should have been.

Matt:

I mean, it, it really depends, you know, the tax code stuff. I try not to learn much of it if I can, uh, use the external. Did I take care of that because those laws are always changing, but, uh, it could be, I mean, here's some ideas and you can shout. Yes. If any of these are true. Um, did we only recently begin allowing, uh non-profits and other tax exempt organizations to work with us? No,

Kate:

no. We've been doing that

Matt:

since the beginning. Okay. Yeah. Then we really should have that information there. Um, have we, uh, Discovered a database that someone failed to tell me about, or maybe created, uh, and had reports on the and database. Let me, uh, open that, broaden that a little bit. So spreadsheet, uh, Microsoft access database, uh, could be a long list of numbers stored in a ti calculator. Does anybody

Eric:

know? You're good? Go ahead.

Kate:

Yeah, I was going to say we did paint over the number of. And the old office of, uh, Richard.

Matt:

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Richard, um, I assume handled some kinds of, uh, accounting. Yeah,

Kate:

yeah, yeah. He, he was CPA turned front end dev. So he kind of did both for us, which was great. Um, but maybe we can unpaint the wall somehow.

Matt:

Let's see. If I, if I click back through some of the Instagram account for land party, Fridays, um, right.

Kate:

It's old office photos.

Matt:

Yeah. Okay. Well, a few weeks ago. Oh wait, when did this repainting happen? I'm scrolling a long way back.

Kate:

Yeah, it was like three months ago. Oh, I just found something on our Facebook. Oh yeah. Okay. Yeah, we definitely publicly. On our Facebook page, a lot of that tax information.

Matt:

Let me assume that in. Oh my, yeah. Okay. Yeah, those are tax ID numbers. It looks like federal and state and, um,

Kate:

was like social security numbers as well.

Matt:

Oh, some of those, yeah, that's interesting. We actually don't need to collect that, you know, good returns to the, uh, the private information we don't need to have. But this, this will help us recover. I think a lot of that, that client information and, uh, I'll make it a priority as soon as we're, um, I don't want to say done, but as soon as this archeological project has kind of reached a climax, then, um, we'll make that one of our next priorities is actually saving that tax ID information.

Eric:

Uh, when can I, when can we, uh, talk through roadmap impact? So it sounds like there's a lot there. So I want to get my. Working on some adjustments, if we need to take care of some tech debt or other security

Matt:

concerns. That's a good question, Eric. Um, yeah, I can invite you down. Uh, whenever you're free to take a look at our work in progress, uh, model it's, it's kind of a, it's kind of a mix of like a topographical map combined with, uh, an illuminated manuscript. Um, there are lots of, uh, interactive elements that are triggered by a time of day. And, uh, depending on the angle that you're looking at, um, it's a, it's a real kind of fractal piece of understanding that has to be seen to be understood.

Eric:

Fair enough. Uh, where you would cartographer previous life or something that bring up elevation all the time.

Matt:

Um, oh, did I? I, um, Yeah. Did that come up last week? I don't know. Really. Um,

Kate:

w we really don't. I'm trying to dig into that though. Yeah. I just, we only have a few minutes left, but I do want to give everyone an update on the screaming room. Um, yeah. As you will know, it's closed right now. Um, Jen is still in the hospital, um, and we have decided we need official training. So Thea. You are the ones the most screaming from experience? Do you know any certified trainers?

Calathea:

Oh yeah, of course. I'm happy. I'm happy to, uh, get my scream coach in, uh, in do some training. Uh, she will need her travel expenses play paid. Uh, she lives in Sheila on futon futon. You know, the country with though. Uh, index for happiness on the global happiness indicator.

Matt:

Did not know that about Butan?

Kate:

No, I didn't either. Um, okay.

Eric:

If you don't have zoom, no, no, no, no, no video.

Calathea:

I mean they could, but the problem is, is like really to understand screaming. You have to like screaming is not only the sound, but the actual vibrations that the sound banks through your body. And so it's really hard for that to come through also like zoom often throttles screaming and like ha ha you know, and it, and so it's just like, even if the original sound it's really hard to train that. Luckily, she is great. Um, she is, you know, honestly, like the best of the best. I think she could not only train us all, but create all of the documentation ritual, spells, you know, cleansing necessities that

Kate:

we would need. Yeah. Maybe just documentation would be. Yeah. Um,

Matt:

I just wanted, uh, I didn't know this. I looked up the happiness index thing. Um, Bhutan has also banned zoom and all forms of teleconferencing because they don't want to threaten their spot on the happiness index. It sounds like a great place.

Calathea:

This is why, you know, retard is wonderful and, and this is why, uh, Lindsey is my screaming coach's name. That's why Lindsay is there. Uh, you know, she. Really wanting to go to a place in which like every moment is around other people who are supporting her happiness. Sure,

Kate:

sure. Well, we need her ASAP. Um, but it used to be at least five to seven days, uh, because I really want Jen to be back to go through the training. Otherwise I'm afraid the vibrations that she discovered may affect her again. Uh, and. Can't have our health insurance maxed out again. Okay.

Calathea:

Of course Lindsay can work with Jen one-on-one it will take me a couple of days to contact her, honestly, uh, because she's a complete snail mail, you know, So, yeah, I'll take a couple of days for me to reach out to her anyway. So I'm certainly she can be there when Jen hits back from the hospital. Uh, I did, I think I just mentioned that she does need to be completely around things that make her happy. So we will just need to like dedicate a room for her presence here and brew Leidy, careful about who enters and what enters that room.

Kate:

Okay. Well, we're, we're kind of low in offices, but, um, I could probably give mine up for a day. I mean, how long has the training a day? Right.

Calathea:

So, I mean, if we want to basic training, we're going to have to dedicate at least 48 hours, uh, completely to this. And that's just going to be like the basic, yeah.

Matt:

Wow, cool.

Kate:

Okay. I'll buy more cuts. I assume everyone will sleep in the yoga

Calathea:

room together. Oh, there will be no sleep.

Eric:

For the whole company.

Matt:

I don't know if you, uh, if, if I told you all about my trip to Des Moines, but I went, uh, about 48 hours with no sleep and that's that's new joke. Yeah.

Calathea:

Yeah. I mean, I can see if she can, you know, knock it down to 24 hours. Uh, but you know, I think we are going to be lessening the training and safety. If we only have that 24 hours.

Kate:

Oh, God, I really need people to be safe there, so, okay baby, we can just commit a weekend, pay people over time. You've never been salaried. That'll be easy to do. Um, okay. I was going to also have us talk about new benefit ideas, but I just don't think we have time for that.

Matt:

This sounds like a new benefit to me. Yeah,

Eric:

there you go.

Kate:

There you go. Look on the bright side, right? Not hurting yourself well in the screening room is a benefit.

Calathea:

Yeah. Great. Um, and just the general energy we all are going to experience and the difference that's going to make, just having Lindsey, even in our space is honestly such a big

Kate:

benefit. I love that we need some positive energy. I feel like this has been a tough week. Um, speaking of which. The, uh, let's just, let's just sidebar the bugs be thing until after lunch. Is that okay?

Calathea:

Of course we can sidebar somebody's freedom until you get some substance.

Kate:

Great. Great. And I'm going to go buy some more lemon cello LaCroix's and um,

Matt:

oh, uh, I took the Liberty of sending you, um, an article from the times the Wirecutter has their list of, uh, fall and winter gadgets. And there are some great, uh, space heaters in there. I think you think about them.

Kate:

That's so nice. No, no, no, no. I don't need a space heater. I mean, honestly, the more roommates you have, the more, the space kind of heats itself. Worked out great for me. Um, oh, okay. Yeah. Okay. Any last things before we wrap up?

Matt:

No, I don't think so.

Kate:

I'm good. Great. Okay. I'm going to get some Royce. I'll see you guys later.

Matt:

Thanks Kate. Thanks.

Eric:

So y'all

Track 3:

okay.

Ben:

This meeting has ended. To subscribe to this startup is being recorded. Go to the podcast player of your choice and tap a button that likely says subscribe. More content is on Twitter at startup recorded, or shoot us an email with ideas, feedback, or your personal startup horror story. At hello@startuprecorded.com. Kate is played by Valerie Garrison. Valerie is a health tech product manager and regularly plays with the improv troupe letters to chicken online. You can find her on Twitter at the vulgaris. Eric has played by Barry. Right. Barry is a product manager at Spotify and a co-founder of high-wire improv. Find him by his name on LinkedIn, where he holds regular office hours or@highwireimprov.com. Matt is played by Martin Maguire. Marty is a senior web engineer and improviser in New York city. You can find Marty's comedy code and cats on his website at M M G dot R E. Califia is played by Robin Stegman. Robin is a digital campaign manager for ocean Conservancy and is a comedian mostly found at Highwire improv. You can find her on all the social medias. And she does mean all at our steaky. Thank you for listening.