December 15, 2021 • 29 mins
Agenda:
- Emergency! Email from Facebook/Meta’s legal counsel! Will explain more in meeting!
Takeaways:
- No one disturb Creative team for the next week, no matter what noises you hear from behind the privacy curtain.
- Eric to send everyone the video of John getting stuck in a couch, just for fun
- Kate to work with Phil to pull Bugsby out into it’s own legal entity
- Email back Facebook! Drink some alcohol!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ben (00:07):
welcome to this startup is being recorded.
This recording is improvisedfiction.
Similarities between it and thereal world are entirely
intentional.
Now enjoy the recording.
Kate (00:22):
Yeah, the recording.
Okay.
Uh, thanks everyone for comingto this semi emergency meeting.
Um, I guess, okay.
Actually let me just do theregular recording stuff.
So, uh, John obviously couldn'tmake it because I just called
this meeting 10 minutes ago.
Um, and he isn't here.
Uh, but essentially we need totalk through the email we got
(00:47):
from Facebook's legal counsel.
Um, but.
Anyway.
Anyway, I'm getting ahead ofmyself.
I'm uh, I'm Kate chief of staffto John.
Um, everyone else go
Thea (01:00):
chief creatives are
Kate (01:02):
great.
Eric (01:03):
Uh, yep.
Eric joy Carter, chief productofficer.
Matt (01:06):
Uh, matt.yachts.
That's also my website and I amthe CTO here at Metro market.
And
Kate (01:13):
um, yep.
So
Matt (01:14):
name, savor that name.
Kate (01:16):
Uh, we are a capture marketplace startup.
We are changing the face oftrade, like everyone, a more
comfortable seat at the table.
And today we got an email fromFacebook's legal counsel, as we
all know, they changed theirname a couple of months ago to
Metta, uh, which, you know,Bald.
It was quiet.
So we thought everything's fine.
(01:37):
But now they have reached outwith a request to either
purchase the domain or try tofind some way to negotiate our
name or to Sue us.
Yeah, we get to
Matt (01:50):
Yeah.
Well, can I just say, I thinkthis is a time to celebrate, uh,
because.
The terms of this are largely inour court.
And I would just like to thinkif they, if they watch these,
uh, lawyers you're worth everydime, uh, because this, this is
(02:11):
what we've been waiting forfolks.
Okay.
We've got the impossible goal ofseries a to get that funding.
We're supposed to be the top topcouch marketplace, a metric, no
one, no one measures in each ofour four markets.
Uh,
Eric (02:26):
Okay.
Matt (02:27):
And Hey, you know, I just, I just want to open this this
time.
It's time to celebrate.
Eric (02:31):
uh, wait, wait, what, what skin.
Matt (02:36):
I mean, it's not, it's not open yet.
We have to agree if we're goingto celebrate together.
Eric (02:41):
Well, this is open, but I will
Thea (02:43):
Yeah.
I mean the creative team alwayshas a bottle of tequila to
celebrate, you know, bigsuccesses.
Matt (02:49):
Yeah, somebody gifted me this one.
Cause they really like Bugsby assoon as it's like, I just gotta
be on it.
And I S I told them that that'snot what bugs me is, but like,
it was a nice thought,
Thea (02:58):
it's a good gesture.
Matt (02:59):
uh,
Thea (03:00):
is on a cleanse right now, but
Eric (03:02):
oh,
Matt (03:03):
Aw.
Eric (03:04):
You're skipping some steps though.
I feel like I don't understandwhere you're going, how you're
getting to this, solving ourmetric problem.
Kate (03:10):
Yeah.
Matt (03:10):
Uh, well, it's very simple.
We, we already have a trademarkfor the use of the term meta
market in the space of onlinecouch marketplaces.
And that's filed that exists.
The trademark office knows it.
You can look it up.
So for all their bluster, theyactually can't move into this
(03:31):
space.
So they are either going to haveto stop having couches in
Facebook market.
In which case, boom, our topcompetitor knocked off of the
couch, marketplace metrics justlike that, or they're going make
a deal.
And that deal is that they'regoing to send all of their
(03:51):
couch, traffic to us in exchangefor the name we need.
We own, we don't even needexclusivity for that long.
It'll be a blink for them and wejust have to get it long enough
for the investors to, buy it andbuy it.
Thea (04:08):
I have to say that I am also very excited.
Um, as you all know, creationsof new names is my wheelhouse.
That's originally what John camehere for, you know, The birthing
of new creativity is a veryexciting time for me.
So I'm, I'm excited.
Um, you know, I already likebroadened my leach guy to like
(04:30):
really get down into thisprocess of like creating a new
name that a fume is ready tostart
Matt (04:37):
leech leech guy.
Is that like a, a metaphor orsome kind of an antiquated term?
Thea (04:42):
Uh, no medical eaches.
Um, I, you know, yes.
Okay.
It's part of my creativeprocess.
You know, you have to like givenew blood into, you know, into
the piece.
And so, you know, it's very.
Uh, unmedical to just like cutyourself and bleed on
Matt (05:01):
Oh, yeah.
Thea (05:02):
helps, like act like helps be part of that process in a
really safe, natural way.
So anyway, enough about thecreative team, but in my own
personal process, I'm justsaying that we are ready right
now.
Kate (05:19):
I mean, there are so many things that we're not ready for
it, you know, like our name ison so much.
It's on the, on the offices,it's on our, our packaging
materials.
It's on the website on all ofour technology.
It's like,
Eric (05:36):
W we've already been pushed down to page seven on
Google results, uh, in the pasttwo months, since, since they
announced the name change.
Matt (05:45):
for meta.
Yeah,
Eric (05:46):
yeah, so I feel like we need to make a decision one way
or the other.
It's really already starting toimpact some of our other
metrics.
So.
Thea (05:53):
Eric.
I think that's just anotherpoint that like we need to for
search engine optimization, comeup with a new word, a new
feeling, something.
Matt (06:01):
this is pretty cut and dry.
Like I hope we're all on thesame page.
Like weekly.
S say yes to Facebook with thestipulation that they pay us a
great deal of money.
And, uh, they give us all oftheir couch, marketplace traffic
for the next, you know, uh,months.
And, uh, and yeah, we get topick a new name.
We get to rebrand all the stuffwith Metta market on it is just
(06:22):
stuff and it's stuff that'sgoing to become worth something
someday, because it's going tobe the name that we used for.
Thea (06:28):
Yes.
Oh, didn't even think about thevintage appeal.
I mean, that is so great.
We can get our intern to takeall of our merch and start and
get up.
So it looks historic
Matt (06:40):
District.
Thea (06:40):
we can, then we can sell it on eBay.
I mean, is a opportunity for us.
Eric (06:47):
uh, I dunno.
I feel like I'm feeling Mattcoffee.
I'm I'm, I'm glad you'reexcited, but you're acting like.
Mark Zuckerberg character in thesocial network when he got the
cease and desist letter, like hedidn't take it seriously and,
and look what happened.
And
Matt (07:06):
He's the head of a social network that controls the lives
of billions on earth.
Eric (07:12):
but he lost a friend
Kate (07:15):
That's what you're worried about.
Matt (07:16):
I would hate to see that happen to any of us, but I feel
like we're at least close tobeing on the same page.
Right, Kate.
Well, what are your thoughts on.
Kate (07:26):
I just, I just, wait, I remember picking the name Metro
market, you know, When John and,and I had met for the first time
and he told me that's what thename was.
I mean, he could have thought ofit ahead of time, but I like to
think that was the origin of thename.
And I was part of it.
(07:47):
And I feel like if we change ourname, it just won't be like, I
helped
Matt (07:56):
Well think about it this way.
Okay.
Um, if we change our name, w Iwant to go ahead and say, when
we change our name, that will bethe first step into becoming the
new.
Big market changing.
I mean, we have a goal, right?
As a company we want to, we wantto change trade
Kate (08:18):
be in for.
Matt (08:20):
and we're going to do that with this name change.
We're essentially taking the Lthe larval, the pupil name of
Metta market, and we are thebutterfly that's going to come
out of that cocoon with seriesa.
With full backing of investorswith the ability to open up in a
(08:41):
dozen markets in a year, it'sgoing to be completely wild.
Thea (08:45):
This is the right time too.
I mean, we've been around, uh,you know, if you count from the
initial idea for 5.2 years, and
Kate (08:56):
What we've been, how are you?
Calculating 5.2
Thea (09:01):
I mean, if you're counting the first point that John talked
about couches,
Kate (09:13):
Okay.
So you think the beginning ofMetta mark is when he ended his,
his sort of abstinence ofcouches
Thea (09:23):
Yeah, got the first time after his long period of not
actually sitting on furniture totry to figure out the next, the
next, you know,
Kate (09:33):
idea.
Yeah.
Thea (09:35):
It was like when he first allowed himself to sit on a
couch, but I mean, that's thebirth of Metta market,
Matt (09:41):
Did I ever tell you guys the story of when John stopped
sitting on frame?
Kate (09:47):
no,
Matt (09:48):
Oh, I don't, I don't know if you knew him
Kate (09:50):
didn't know you were there.
Matt (09:51):
Oh yeah, we were, we had been part of, uh, some video
startup that he had acquired.
Um, it was frankly based on likethe, um, the popularity of, um,
I just seen and, and otherpeople who were like live
logging themselves all the timeand, uh, you know, it's, it's
almost similar to how we dohere.
(10:13):
Um, you know, John wanted a livestream was running all the.
But, uh, he, uh, he had a reallybig meeting and then had a bad
day, uh, and was kind of goingon a rant about, um, a
competitor that.
And, uh, and during that time,the couch that he was sitting on
collapsed, uh, under his weight,it was, you know, like a street
(10:35):
find and it was not, hadn't beenreally looked over, uh, and, uh,
in, uh, swallowed him up.
He couldn't get out for likefive minutes and, uh, the
audience at home of course waslosing it.
And, uh, man
Kate (10:50):
That's
Matt (10:50):
probably shouldn't have shared that story, but it's
yeah.
Thea (10:53):
I remember that though.
I mean, that was, that was a bigteal.
I included it in my burlesquereview of popular means that
Matt (11:01):
Oh, wow.
Yeah, he was, he had the hellout of him for that, for
Eric (11:05):
got a link, got a link.
I got link, got a link to thevideo out late later,
Matt (11:11):
yeah.
Yeah.
It's for later it's relater and,uh, John, John, if you're
catching this, sorry, but like,I don't know.
It's just, it's true.
It's something.
Kate (11:19):
I mean, this explains so much like Eric, why we have that
strict no street couch policy inour terms of use and the couch
selling experience.
Eric (11:30):
And we have, you know, the extra Springs and all the
couches we have, uh, broughtthrough the warehouse.
I mean, I never reallyunderstood, but now it's see,
this is the thing is everythingabout Metta market is so
personal and, you know, I justwant to be careful.
We're getting a lot, we'regetting a lot
Matt (11:47):
I mean, we're getting, we're getting everything.
Eric (11:50):
I just want to be careful what we're giving up.
Kate (11:54):
But, okay, so let's say that we do this.
Yes.
I agree.
We'd be higher than Facebookslash Meadows traffic, but we
still have a couple othercompetitors.
How are we going to is this canbe
Matt (12:05):
Oh, it's.
Kate (12:06):
to help that
Matt (12:07):
It's no problem.
I mean, Facebook marketplace isnumber one and if they are
pumping that traffic in ourdirection, even for a very brief
period of time, the number twoand number three, have nothing
close to that.
And we're already close to thetop in most of our markets.
So yeah, it's, it's a power lawthing.
We just swap them completely.
Thea (12:27):
It's like a king maker move, you know, where you
basically, you know, go partnerwith somebody else so that you
both can win, you know, whoeveryour second competitor is.
And oftentimes a kingmakermoves, you know, it comes from
monopoly.
It's usually your chance atwinning dies.
And in some ways, Metta marketis theoretical death that we
(12:51):
must have to join together andachieve greatness.
Kate (12:55):
Oh, no, we're not going to have a funeral.
Are we Thea?
Thea (12:59):
No, no, it's not, it's not really the, the vibe I'm going
for with this rebrand.
You know, it's more like aPhoenix rebirth.
I mean, I was thinking like, Uh,the as TAC end of year ceremony,
that happens every once, every52 years, where they shut out
(13:21):
all of the fire in lights andthey entire area, uh, you know,
for a day.
And then.
At the top of their altar, theydo a human sacrifice and start
the fire in the chest, uh, fromthe still beating heart.
And then use that to light allthe fires.
You know, like that's kind ofthe vibe that I see this kind of
(13:46):
rebrand, Dez.
Eric (13:50):
well, what it is is, is Bugsby going to be the Phoenix,
like what happens to Bugsby
Thea (14:00):
That's a great question.
Matt (14:01):
mean, I think bugs is be fine, right?
Bugsby is, has his own name andlook, and he's only tied to men
market because we have exclusiverights to.
Eric (14:12):
Oh, that's true.
Okay.
We have a trademark as well.
Thea (14:15):
independent every single day.
So,
Kate (14:19):
okay.
I don't believe that.
Thea (14:20):
be respected at his own entity, you know, as something
separate from Metamora.
Kate (14:29):
I mean, honestly, if we're going to have to pull in the
lawyers to like deal with thistrademark transfer, like we
might as well just pull bugs outinto his own legal entity at
this point.
Matt (14:40):
Wow.
I'm surprised to hear you saythat.
Thea (14:42):
Yeah.
Kate (14:44):
Well, I mean, honestly, Our trademark lawyer is one of
my favorite people.
So if I'm going to have to spendsome time with him, I could
spend a little extra, you know,
Matt (14:58):
okay.
I mean, it's, it's just thatlast time we brought this up,
there was a lot of concernabout, I mean, for one thing
that, that bugs me is, uh, acartoon creation that is.
Manifested by human beings,making art and is not actually
like bugs me.
Doesn't exist anywhere in thereal world.
(15:20):
And doesn't have anydecision-making capability.
Kate (15:25):
you know, how about to save this discussion?
Matt, I will forward you thecouple of email threads that
the, and I have had going backand forth, slack conversations,
the loom videos.
Um, I have a couple of meetingrecordings.
Um, unfortunately the evening inthe bar, I don't think we can
really share in any way, unlesswere you recording that?
Thea (15:45):
Uh, yes, I do have the buyer security camera.
I get that wherever I go, justto protect my image.
Sometimes I like to review tapesand just make sure that all of
my interactions are representingmy core brand.
Kate (15:59):
okay.
Well, Matt point is, I'll sendthose to you.
Um, it is very clear that thethings you have stated are not
incorrect, but that feelsconfident she birthed.
Cartoon from her flesh.
So
Eric (16:17):
um, just got a text from, from John it's.
It's just, uh, of a parking lot.
Um, and.
Kate (16:28):
I know what that means.
Eric (16:29):
I, yeah.
Yeah.
I didn't, I didn't think aboutthis before, but are we sure
that Romero hasn't beencompromised?
Like, are we sure that this is areal offer?
Like what if we opened up ourAPI APIs?
What if we opened up our API toFacebook, we initiate this deal.
We're like, send us the trafficand
Matt (16:48):
Romero you mean human?
The, the guy that was plantedinside Facebook market.
Eric (16:55):
Yeah.
Thea (16:56):
I, I think I've had a couple of interactions with
Romero.
It's not impossible.
Right.
But seems like at least from ourinteractions that he completely
unaware of who he was spying forin the first place.
Matt (17:15):
well, and these, like, we all saw the Facebook email that
came from meters lawyers.
Uh, Ramiro can have access tothat kind of decision making
power.
I mean, they were just sent intowork in the marketplace.
Thea (17:31):
Listen, I, Eric, I've totally get your stress about
this because you know, Victordid hire the best of the best
and, you know, we have beenfooled before.
I mean, this.
The blow back on.
Some of this has been prettydevastating.
So, I mean, I think everythingis possible with Romero.
(17:53):
I
Eric (17:53):
I, I wouldn't be so worried if, if, if it wasn't
John who had sent the picture,if, if, if it would just my
idea, if it was just my idea, Iwould, I would, I would put it
away.
I would put it in a box and Iwould be excited about this
deal, but John's instincts.
Matt (18:08):
I mean, what do we think this guy can really do?
If let's say that after he wentdark inside the marketplace,
where he was supposed to bespying on us about how couches
are doing, he.
It took an upward path.
Right?
He got, he got some promotions.
I started working his way up theladder, but he's, he's been in
(18:30):
the dark this whole time.
Like no contact, no, no nothing.
So do we really think he would,he would make a sideways jump
from tech, into legal.
Kate (18:40):
wait, what does he look like?
Thea (18:44):
Um, yeah, he has like sh kind of like curly black hair.
has like a little bit of amustache going on.
He might've changed his facialhair.
Matt (18:55):
right.
Thea (18:56):
piercing brown eyes.
I kind of just like, see intoyour core essence, you know, um,
Kate (19:04):
Is he kind of tall, broad shoulders size, eight feet, uh,
kind of medium.
Thea (19:12):
Yeah, I would say that he, um, that, that exactly describes
him.
Kate (19:20):
he, he goes by row now.
He's uh, he's one of myroommates.
Thea (19:26):
Whoa,
Eric (19:28):
Oh,
Kate (19:29):
realized this, I've heard him talk a little bit about V
this, this interesting person Vwho helped him get his job.
And I mean, I knew he worked at,um, some sort of big tech
company, but he's like superhush hush about it, but, um,
Eric (19:44):
Oh my
Matt (19:44):
Oh, that's a
Kate (19:45):
he got, yeah.
Eric (19:48):
a relief.
No, it's not a relief.
Thea (19:49):
You don't understand that the kind of killers Victor
employed for this task.
I
Kate (19:55):
Killer.
Eric (19:57):
Yeah.
Kate (19:59):
It's duck safe.
What does he kill?
Eric (20:04):
I don't, I don't know what's going on, but I thought,
I thought you were just orderinga couch from us every week, Kate
to test,
Kate (20:13):
Well, I mean, I don't have to order it.
I take it home.
Eric (20:17):
I know, that's why I that's.
I thought that's why I thoughtit was a test, but somebody's
been ordering a couch to youraddress every week for the last
16 weeks.
Kate (20:27):
Oh my God.
Matt (20:29):
well that that's not necessarily Romero.
It could be anyone or it couldbe.
You remember the bug where wemade every couch purchases,
subscription made us a ton ofmoney, but it lost us a lot of
face.
Kate (20:41):
Yeah, that was
Matt (20:42):
So this, this could be any of your roommates.
Eric (20:45):
There
Kate (20:46):
don't think it is.
No, I don't.
Thea (20:48):
Kate, how many, how many roommates do you have?
Kate (20:51):
Four to seven.
Matt (20:54):
Yeah,
Kate (20:56):
I
Matt (20:56):
D is duct counted in there.
Kate (20:59):
no duck shares a room with me.
And I only count people who havetheir own rooms.
I just, I just feel like I RO isso nice and so helpful.
Matt (21:11):
this is, this is a great, so now.
Kate, this is easy you, or, Imean, if we need to go up the
chain, John can just talk to Roeand find out what's going on.
And if there is something thatthey're up to ask them to stand
down, cause we're all cool withFacebook marketplace.
And as soon as this deal goesthrough, Does anyone know, like,
(21:34):
does Romero have like a, codephrase that we could use?
Thea (21:39):
I was just actually about to say that Victor gave this to
me before he disappeared.
Um, he told me if anything wentwrong to say a Rugola.
Matt (21:53):
Okay.
Kate (21:55):
what will that do?
Matt (21:56):
common.
Yeah.
Eric (21:57):
yeah.
Thea (22:00):
I I think it's a standdown phrase.
Um, I've, I've never gotten, Imean, you know, it's only by
happenstance that I knew Romeroour plant in Facebook.
You know, I just
Eric (22:13):
Yeah.
Thea (22:14):
walking by Victor's desk that day, um, and saw his face.
So, you know, I don't, I don'tknow the kind of training they
received.
I would just try to say arubella to him.
Eric (22:32):
can we, can we text it to them?
Okay.
Can, okay.
Can you text him a rugala?
Matt (22:36):
was that a, is that a good
Eric (22:37):
that work that
Matt (22:38):
almost, I feel like we want to see his reaction.
Like if, cause if it's, if it'snot.
Eric (22:43):
That's true.
Thea (22:44):
you
Kate (22:45):
I can just, yeah, let me FaceTime him.
I'll be right back.
I'll read.
Matt (22:48):
Okay.
Eric (22:51):
Oh man.
Matt (22:51):
This is complicated.
You know, I,
Eric (22:53):
Yeah.
I'm sorry.
Uh, I just, this is this, itfelt too good to be true.
And I'm, I just want to be sure.
Okay.
Matt (23:02):
I mean, this is why I try not to engage in corporate
espionage.
You know, you never know whenthe stuff is going to blow back.
Eric (23:10):
it's surprisingly hard
Matt (23:11):
Yeah, well, you just, you need to make sure that the
people who are doing theespionage are loyal, you know,
they need to be bought in.
And that's why it needs to bepeople at the highest levels.
You know, no offense, but like aguy you found in a McDonald's
parking lot.
That's,
Thea (23:27):
Okay.
Matt (23:27):
he's.
Thea (23:29):
All right, Matt, listen, if you had met Victor, if you
had been around in his presence,you would understand why we gave
him this much power.
I mean, he amazing.
He was, he was part of thiscompany so much part of the life
blood of this company.
Matt (23:47):
but why then?
Why did he go, you know, thiscompany?
Eric (23:52):
Hey,
Thea (23:54):
So many things would be different.
Okay.
I could find him.
Eric (23:58):
screaming in this room.
Kate (23:59):
right.
Um,
Matt (24:01):
Kate what's up.
Kate (24:03):
Good news.
Um, apparently.
I made an a rugala salad thefirst week that, uh, row moved
in and he interpreted that as areason to stand down.
Um, and he's been basicallydoing nothing at his job for the
last 14 weeks.
Um, and so has
Matt (24:21):
Nice.
Kate (24:22):
not impacted this at all.
Um, and shockingly not beingfired, but all is good for us.
Matt (24:30):
Yeah.
I mean, Facebook's a bigorganization.
Oh yeah.
Good.
Thea (24:36):
the offer is real.
Then can we go back tocelebrating?
Kate (24:41):
I mean, he doesn't know because he hasn't checked his
email in two months, but I thinkthis means the offer is real.
Matt (24:51):
Does anybody have a bottle opener?
I don't, I don't keep one atwork and I don't remember any of
the tricks for getting the corkout other than like, he's like
sliced the thing that seemsreally dated.
Kate (25:03):
You could probably ask Cindy the office assistant.
She has a lot of things in herFanny pack
Matt (25:10):
Oh, yeah.
Okay.
Kate (25:12):
anyway.
Okay.
So we're all on board.
We should go forward with this.
Matt (25:17):
Yeah, I'm I'm ready.
And, uh, you know, obviouslywhatever the new branding is,
think marketing, like y'all areon it.
Uh, I fully support you,whatever.
Thea (25:29):
Great.
I just want to announce toeverybody that we will be paused
on all other projects for thenext week.
As we really
Matt (25:35):
Oh, yeah.
Thea (25:36):
deep into the creation process.
Uh, I'm very excited to see
Matt (25:41):
Yeah.
Thea (25:42):
out of it.
Matt (25:42):
And we can.
We can, I know we've got a lotof holiday promotions coming up.
We can just reuse last year'sgraphics and, uh, we'll make
sure that like all of the promosin the app, uh, the, you know,
the assets we've already madethem.
We, you know, we put in thetime, so we'll just use that.
Thea (25:59):
Uh, we might not be able to use, um, last year's
campaign.
It was very time specific.
Kate (26:11):
oh yeah.
Have you looked at thosegraphics yet?
Matt (26:15):
no, no, I wasn't with the company yet.
What?
Uh,
Kate (26:19):
Yeah.
I mean,
Matt (26:20):
me check in the.
Kate (26:21):
at this point it's 10 days til Christmas.
We are extremely late gettingthese holiday graphics out.
Anyway.
Maybe we just throw some red andgreen.
What do you think?
Eric (26:33):
We can, we can, we can change the site, uh, color.
So we got, we've got a
Matt (26:36):
oh yeah, these are not
Eric (26:37):
yeah, no, I forgot.
Totally, totally out of bounds.
Matt (26:40):
That's not the correct way to refer to the Corona virus.
Eric (26:43):
it is not, um,
Kate (26:45):
It was earlier times.
Thea (26:47):
I'm sorry.
I was still deep in morning forAlan Rickman at the time.
Matt (26:51):
I am well, that's understood.
Eric (26:53):
Yeah.
Uh, yeah, and we'll, uh, adjustour roadmaps.
We'll get, uh, some people onfiguring out all the places we
need to change the names.
Uh, we'll remove all of theMetta market, uh, based puns
throughout the checkout workflowand come up with new ones after
Califia you and your team.
Uh, let us know what's going on.
Thea (27:13):
Okay.
I think I've been very clearabout my stance on the puns
throughout.
So I think,
Eric (27:18):
As if I
Thea (27:20):
I
Kate (27:20):
Okay.
Thea (27:22):
you know what, I'll leave it for your boundless
creativity,
Eric (27:24):
thank you
Thea (27:25):
you know, we might choose a name that doesn't have the
same rhyming scheme.
Eric (27:30):
I look forward to the challenge.
Kate (27:33):
okay.
And this means we can also sellmeat market.com.
Matt (27:41):
yeah,
Eric (27:42):
Ah,
Kate (27:43):
misspelling it.
And
Matt (27:44):
right.
Oh yeah, no, I don't.
I've been seeing these emails.
People are constantly trying tosteal that domain from us and,
uh, like sending phishing scamsto try and get it out from under
our registrar.
Uh,
Kate (27:56):
Yes.
Matt (27:57):
Now we can finally entertain all of those offers
because some people were readyto pay.
Kate (28:03):
I know.
It's shocking what meat marketmeans to different people.
Matt (28:08):
It's not that yeah.
Makes sense.
Kate (28:10):
Yeah.
Okay.
I think we're good.
Um, we'll just, you know, stayin touch.
This is a really fast movingthing.
I know we're ready for theholidays.
get it done
Thea (28:20):
Great.
Um,
Eric (28:21):
good.
Thea (28:22):
am going to go and just, we're going to put some privacy
curtains over the, all of themarketing team offices, uh, for
the next week.
And please don't come in nomatter what noises you hear.
Kate (28:40):
deal.
I think that's enough.
A good enough way to end our.
Ben (28:47):
This meeting has ended.
To subscribe to this startup isbeing recorded.
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At hello@startuprecorded.com.
Kate is played by ValerieGarrison.
(29:08):
Valerie is a health tech productmanager and regularly plays with
the improv troupe letters tochicken online.
You can find her on Twitter atthe vulgaris.
Eric has played by Barry.
Right.
Barry is a product manager atSpotify and a co-founder of
high-wire improv.
Find him by his name onLinkedIn, where he holds regular
office hoursor@highwireimprov.com.
Matt is played by MartinMaguire.
(29:29):
Marty is a senior web engineerand improviser in New York city.
You can find Marty's comedy codeand cats on his website at M M G
dot R E.
Califia is played by RobinStegman.
Robin is a digital campaignmanager for ocean Conservancy
and is a comedian mostly foundat Highwire improv.
You can find her on all thesocial medias.
And she does mean all at oursteaky.
(29:52):
Thank you for listening.
welcome to this startup is being recorded.
This recording is improvisedfiction.
Similarities between it and thereal world are entirely
intentional.
Now enjoy the recording.
Kate (00:22):
Yeah, the recording.
Okay.
Uh, thanks everyone for comingto this semi emergency meeting.
Um, I guess, okay.
Actually let me just do theregular recording stuff.
So, uh, John obviously couldn'tmake it because I just called
this meeting 10 minutes ago.
Um, and he isn't here.
Uh, but essentially we need totalk through the email we got
(00:47):
from Facebook's legal counsel.
Um, but.
Anyway.
Anyway, I'm getting ahead ofmyself.
I'm uh, I'm Kate chief of staffto John.
Um, everyone else go
Thea (01:00):
chief creatives are
Kate (01:02):
great.
Eric (01:03):
Uh, yep.
Eric joy Carter, chief productofficer.
Matt (01:06):
Uh, matt.yachts.
That's also my website and I amthe CTO here at Metro market.
And
Kate (01:13):
um, yep.
So
Matt (01:14):
name, savor that name.
Kate (01:16):
Uh, we are a capture marketplace startup.
We are changing the face oftrade, like everyone, a more
comfortable seat at the table.
And today we got an email fromFacebook's legal counsel, as we
all know, they changed theirname a couple of months ago to
Metta, uh, which, you know,Bald.
It was quiet.
So we thought everything's fine.
(01:37):
But now they have reached outwith a request to either
purchase the domain or try tofind some way to negotiate our
name or to Sue us.
Yeah, we get to
Matt (01:50):
Yeah.
Well, can I just say, I thinkthis is a time to celebrate, uh,
because.
The terms of this are largely inour court.
And I would just like to thinkif they, if they watch these,
uh, lawyers you're worth everydime, uh, because this, this is
(02:11):
what we've been waiting forfolks.
Okay.
We've got the impossible goal ofseries a to get that funding.
We're supposed to be the top topcouch marketplace, a metric, no
one, no one measures in each ofour four markets.
Uh,
Eric (02:26):
Okay.
Matt (02:27):
And Hey, you know, I just, I just want to open this this
time.
It's time to celebrate.
Eric (02:31):
uh, wait, wait, what, what skin.
Matt (02:36):
I mean, it's not, it's not open yet.
We have to agree if we're goingto celebrate together.
Eric (02:41):
Well, this is open, but I will
Thea (02:43):
Yeah.
I mean the creative team alwayshas a bottle of tequila to
celebrate, you know, bigsuccesses.
Matt (02:49):
Yeah, somebody gifted me this one.
Cause they really like Bugsby assoon as it's like, I just gotta
be on it.
And I S I told them that that'snot what bugs me is, but like,
it was a nice thought,
Thea (02:58):
it's a good gesture.
Matt (02:59):
uh,
Thea (03:00):
is on a cleanse right now, but
Eric (03:02):
oh,
Matt (03:03):
Aw.
Eric (03:04):
You're skipping some steps though.
I feel like I don't understandwhere you're going, how you're
getting to this, solving ourmetric problem.
Kate (03:10):
Yeah.
Matt (03:10):
Uh, well, it's very simple.
We, we already have a trademarkfor the use of the term meta
market in the space of onlinecouch marketplaces.
And that's filed that exists.
The trademark office knows it.
You can look it up.
So for all their bluster, theyactually can't move into this
(03:31):
space.
So they are either going to haveto stop having couches in
Facebook market.
In which case, boom, our topcompetitor knocked off of the
couch, marketplace metrics justlike that, or they're going make
a deal.
And that deal is that they'regoing to send all of their
(03:51):
couch, traffic to us in exchangefor the name we need.
We own, we don't even needexclusivity for that long.
It'll be a blink for them and wejust have to get it long enough
for the investors to, buy it andbuy it.
Thea (04:08):
I have to say that I am also very excited.
Um, as you all know, creationsof new names is my wheelhouse.
That's originally what John camehere for, you know, The birthing
of new creativity is a veryexciting time for me.
So I'm, I'm excited.
Um, you know, I already likebroadened my leach guy to like
(04:30):
really get down into thisprocess of like creating a new
name that a fume is ready tostart
Matt (04:37):
leech leech guy.
Is that like a, a metaphor orsome kind of an antiquated term?
Thea (04:42):
Uh, no medical eaches.
Um, I, you know, yes.
Okay.
It's part of my creativeprocess.
You know, you have to like givenew blood into, you know, into
the piece.
And so, you know, it's very.
Uh, unmedical to just like cutyourself and bleed on
Matt (05:01):
Oh, yeah.
Thea (05:02):
helps, like act like helps be part of that process in a
really safe, natural way.
So anyway, enough about thecreative team, but in my own
personal process, I'm justsaying that we are ready right
now.
Kate (05:19):
I mean, there are so many things that we're not ready for
it, you know, like our name ison so much.
It's on the, on the offices,it's on our, our packaging
materials.
It's on the website on all ofour technology.
It's like,
Eric (05:36):
W we've already been pushed down to page seven on
Google results, uh, in the pasttwo months, since, since they
announced the name change.
Matt (05:45):
for meta.
Yeah,
Eric (05:46):
yeah, so I feel like we need to make a decision one way
or the other.
It's really already starting toimpact some of our other
metrics.
So.
Thea (05:53):
Eric.
I think that's just anotherpoint that like we need to for
search engine optimization, comeup with a new word, a new
feeling, something.
Matt (06:01):
this is pretty cut and dry.
Like I hope we're all on thesame page.
Like weekly.
S say yes to Facebook with thestipulation that they pay us a
great deal of money.
And, uh, they give us all oftheir couch, marketplace traffic
for the next, you know, uh,months.
And, uh, and yeah, we get topick a new name.
We get to rebrand all the stuffwith Metta market on it is just
(06:22):
stuff and it's stuff that'sgoing to become worth something
someday, because it's going tobe the name that we used for.
Thea (06:28):
Yes.
Oh, didn't even think about thevintage appeal.
I mean, that is so great.
We can get our intern to takeall of our merch and start and
get up.
So it looks historic
Matt (06:40):
District.
Thea (06:40):
we can, then we can sell it on eBay.
I mean, is a opportunity for us.
Eric (06:47):
uh, I dunno.
I feel like I'm feeling Mattcoffee.
I'm I'm, I'm glad you'reexcited, but you're acting like.
Mark Zuckerberg character in thesocial network when he got the
cease and desist letter, like hedidn't take it seriously and,
and look what happened.
And
Matt (07:06):
He's the head of a social network that controls the lives
of billions on earth.
Eric (07:12):
but he lost a friend
Kate (07:15):
That's what you're worried about.
Matt (07:16):
I would hate to see that happen to any of us, but I feel
like we're at least close tobeing on the same page.
Right, Kate.
Well, what are your thoughts on.
Kate (07:26):
I just, I just, wait, I remember picking the name Metro
market, you know, When John and,and I had met for the first time
and he told me that's what thename was.
I mean, he could have thought ofit ahead of time, but I like to
think that was the origin of thename.
And I was part of it.
(07:47):
And I feel like if we change ourname, it just won't be like, I
helped
Matt (07:56):
Well think about it this way.
Okay.
Um, if we change our name, w Iwant to go ahead and say, when
we change our name, that will bethe first step into becoming the
new.
Big market changing.
I mean, we have a goal, right?
As a company we want to, we wantto change trade
Kate (08:18):
be in for.
Matt (08:20):
and we're going to do that with this name change.
We're essentially taking the Lthe larval, the pupil name of
Metta market, and we are thebutterfly that's going to come
out of that cocoon with seriesa.
With full backing of investorswith the ability to open up in a
(08:41):
dozen markets in a year, it'sgoing to be completely wild.
Thea (08:45):
This is the right time too.
I mean, we've been around, uh,you know, if you count from the
initial idea for 5.2 years, and
Kate (08:56):
What we've been, how are you?
Calculating 5.2
Thea (09:01):
I mean, if you're counting the first point that John talked
about couches,
Kate (09:13):
Okay.
So you think the beginning ofMetta mark is when he ended his,
his sort of abstinence ofcouches
Thea (09:23):
Yeah, got the first time after his long period of not
actually sitting on furniture totry to figure out the next, the
next, you know,
Kate (09:33):
idea.
Yeah.
Thea (09:35):
It was like when he first allowed himself to sit on a
couch, but I mean, that's thebirth of Metta market,
Matt (09:41):
Did I ever tell you guys the story of when John stopped
sitting on frame?
Kate (09:47):
no,
Matt (09:48):
Oh, I don't, I don't know if you knew him
Kate (09:50):
didn't know you were there.
Matt (09:51):
Oh yeah, we were, we had been part of, uh, some video
startup that he had acquired.
Um, it was frankly based on likethe, um, the popularity of, um,
I just seen and, and otherpeople who were like live
logging themselves all the timeand, uh, you know, it's, it's
almost similar to how we dohere.
(10:13):
Um, you know, John wanted a livestream was running all the.
But, uh, he, uh, he had a reallybig meeting and then had a bad
day, uh, and was kind of goingon a rant about, um, a
competitor that.
And, uh, and during that time,the couch that he was sitting on
collapsed, uh, under his weight,it was, you know, like a street
(10:35):
find and it was not, hadn't beenreally looked over, uh, and, uh,
in, uh, swallowed him up.
He couldn't get out for likefive minutes and, uh, the
audience at home of course waslosing it.
And, uh, man
Kate (10:50):
That's
Matt (10:50):
probably shouldn't have shared that story, but it's
yeah.
Thea (10:53):
I remember that though.
I mean, that was, that was a bigteal.
I included it in my burlesquereview of popular means that
Matt (11:01):
Oh, wow.
Yeah, he was, he had the hellout of him for that, for
Eric (11:05):
got a link, got a link.
I got link, got a link to thevideo out late later,
Matt (11:11):
yeah.
Yeah.
It's for later it's relater and,uh, John, John, if you're
catching this, sorry, but like,I don't know.
It's just, it's true.
It's something.
Kate (11:19):
I mean, this explains so much like Eric, why we have that
strict no street couch policy inour terms of use and the couch
selling experience.
Eric (11:30):
And we have, you know, the extra Springs and all the
couches we have, uh, broughtthrough the warehouse.
I mean, I never reallyunderstood, but now it's see,
this is the thing is everythingabout Metta market is so
personal and, you know, I justwant to be careful.
We're getting a lot, we'regetting a lot
Matt (11:47):
I mean, we're getting, we're getting everything.
Eric (11:50):
I just want to be careful what we're giving up.
Kate (11:54):
But, okay, so let's say that we do this.
Yes.
I agree.
We'd be higher than Facebookslash Meadows traffic, but we
still have a couple othercompetitors.
How are we going to is this canbe
Matt (12:05):
Oh, it's.
Kate (12:06):
to help that
Matt (12:07):
It's no problem.
I mean, Facebook marketplace isnumber one and if they are
pumping that traffic in ourdirection, even for a very brief
period of time, the number twoand number three, have nothing
close to that.
And we're already close to thetop in most of our markets.
So yeah, it's, it's a power lawthing.
We just swap them completely.
Thea (12:27):
It's like a king maker move, you know, where you
basically, you know, go partnerwith somebody else so that you
both can win, you know, whoeveryour second competitor is.
And oftentimes a kingmakermoves, you know, it comes from
monopoly.
It's usually your chance atwinning dies.
And in some ways, Metta marketis theoretical death that we
(12:51):
must have to join together andachieve greatness.
Kate (12:55):
Oh, no, we're not going to have a funeral.
Are we Thea?
Thea (12:59):
No, no, it's not, it's not really the, the vibe I'm going
for with this rebrand.
You know, it's more like aPhoenix rebirth.
I mean, I was thinking like, Uh,the as TAC end of year ceremony,
that happens every once, every52 years, where they shut out
(13:21):
all of the fire in lights andthey entire area, uh, you know,
for a day.
And then.
At the top of their altar, theydo a human sacrifice and start
the fire in the chest, uh, fromthe still beating heart.
And then use that to light allthe fires.
You know, like that's kind ofthe vibe that I see this kind of
(13:46):
rebrand, Dez.
Eric (13:50):
well, what it is is, is Bugsby going to be the Phoenix,
like what happens to Bugsby
Thea (14:00):
That's a great question.
Matt (14:01):
mean, I think bugs is be fine, right?
Bugsby is, has his own name andlook, and he's only tied to men
market because we have exclusiverights to.
Eric (14:12):
Oh, that's true.
Okay.
We have a trademark as well.
Thea (14:15):
independent every single day.
So,
Kate (14:19):
okay.
I don't believe that.
Thea (14:20):
be respected at his own entity, you know, as something
separate from Metamora.
Kate (14:29):
I mean, honestly, if we're going to have to pull in the
lawyers to like deal with thistrademark transfer, like we
might as well just pull bugs outinto his own legal entity at
this point.
Matt (14:40):
Wow.
I'm surprised to hear you saythat.
Thea (14:42):
Yeah.
Kate (14:44):
Well, I mean, honestly, Our trademark lawyer is one of
my favorite people.
So if I'm going to have to spendsome time with him, I could
spend a little extra, you know,
Matt (14:58):
okay.
I mean, it's, it's just thatlast time we brought this up,
there was a lot of concernabout, I mean, for one thing
that, that bugs me is, uh, acartoon creation that is.
Manifested by human beings,making art and is not actually
like bugs me.
Doesn't exist anywhere in thereal world.
(15:20):
And doesn't have anydecision-making capability.
Kate (15:25):
you know, how about to save this discussion?
Matt, I will forward you thecouple of email threads that
the, and I have had going backand forth, slack conversations,
the loom videos.
Um, I have a couple of meetingrecordings.
Um, unfortunately the evening inthe bar, I don't think we can
really share in any way, unlesswere you recording that?
Thea (15:45):
Uh, yes, I do have the buyer security camera.
I get that wherever I go, justto protect my image.
Sometimes I like to review tapesand just make sure that all of
my interactions are representingmy core brand.
Kate (15:59):
okay.
Well, Matt point is, I'll sendthose to you.
Um, it is very clear that thethings you have stated are not
incorrect, but that feelsconfident she birthed.
Cartoon from her flesh.
So
Eric (16:17):
um, just got a text from, from John it's.
It's just, uh, of a parking lot.
Um, and.
Kate (16:28):
I know what that means.
Eric (16:29):
I, yeah.
Yeah.
I didn't, I didn't think aboutthis before, but are we sure
that Romero hasn't beencompromised?
Like, are we sure that this is areal offer?
Like what if we opened up ourAPI APIs?
What if we opened up our API toFacebook, we initiate this deal.
We're like, send us the trafficand
Matt (16:48):
Romero you mean human?
The, the guy that was plantedinside Facebook market.
Eric (16:55):
Yeah.
Thea (16:56):
I, I think I've had a couple of interactions with
Romero.
It's not impossible.
Right.
But seems like at least from ourinteractions that he completely
unaware of who he was spying forin the first place.
Matt (17:15):
well, and these, like, we all saw the Facebook email that
came from meters lawyers.
Uh, Ramiro can have access tothat kind of decision making
power.
I mean, they were just sent intowork in the marketplace.
Thea (17:31):
Listen, I, Eric, I've totally get your stress about
this because you know, Victordid hire the best of the best
and, you know, we have beenfooled before.
I mean, this.
The blow back on.
Some of this has been prettydevastating.
So, I mean, I think everythingis possible with Romero.
(17:53):
I
Eric (17:53):
I, I wouldn't be so worried if, if, if it wasn't
John who had sent the picture,if, if, if it would just my
idea, if it was just my idea, Iwould, I would, I would put it
away.
I would put it in a box and Iwould be excited about this
deal, but John's instincts.
Matt (18:08):
I mean, what do we think this guy can really do?
If let's say that after he wentdark inside the marketplace,
where he was supposed to bespying on us about how couches
are doing, he.
It took an upward path.
Right?
He got, he got some promotions.
I started working his way up theladder, but he's, he's been in
(18:30):
the dark this whole time.
Like no contact, no, no nothing.
So do we really think he would,he would make a sideways jump
from tech, into legal.
Kate (18:40):
wait, what does he look like?
Thea (18:44):
Um, yeah, he has like sh kind of like curly black hair.
has like a little bit of amustache going on.
He might've changed his facialhair.
Matt (18:55):
right.
Thea (18:56):
piercing brown eyes.
I kind of just like, see intoyour core essence, you know, um,
Kate (19:04):
Is he kind of tall, broad shoulders size, eight feet, uh,
kind of medium.
Thea (19:12):
Yeah, I would say that he, um, that, that exactly describes
him.
Kate (19:20):
he, he goes by row now.
He's uh, he's one of myroommates.
Thea (19:26):
Whoa,
Eric (19:28):
Oh,
Kate (19:29):
realized this, I've heard him talk a little bit about V
this, this interesting person Vwho helped him get his job.
And I mean, I knew he worked at,um, some sort of big tech
company, but he's like superhush hush about it, but, um,
Eric (19:44):
Oh my
Matt (19:44):
Oh, that's a
Kate (19:45):
he got, yeah.
Eric (19:48):
a relief.
No, it's not a relief.
Thea (19:49):
You don't understand that the kind of killers Victor
employed for this task.
I
Kate (19:55):
Killer.
Eric (19:57):
Yeah.
Kate (19:59):
It's duck safe.
What does he kill?
Eric (20:04):
I don't, I don't know what's going on, but I thought,
I thought you were just orderinga couch from us every week, Kate
to test,
Kate (20:13):
Well, I mean, I don't have to order it.
I take it home.
Eric (20:17):
I know, that's why I that's.
I thought that's why I thoughtit was a test, but somebody's
been ordering a couch to youraddress every week for the last
16 weeks.
Kate (20:27):
Oh my God.
Matt (20:29):
well that that's not necessarily Romero.
It could be anyone or it couldbe.
You remember the bug where wemade every couch purchases,
subscription made us a ton ofmoney, but it lost us a lot of
face.
Kate (20:41):
Yeah, that was
Matt (20:42):
So this, this could be any of your roommates.
Eric (20:45):
There
Kate (20:46):
don't think it is.
No, I don't.
Thea (20:48):
Kate, how many, how many roommates do you have?
Kate (20:51):
Four to seven.
Matt (20:54):
Yeah,
Kate (20:56):
I
Matt (20:56):
D is duct counted in there.
Kate (20:59):
no duck shares a room with me.
And I only count people who havetheir own rooms.
I just, I just feel like I RO isso nice and so helpful.
Matt (21:11):
this is, this is a great, so now.
Kate, this is easy you, or, Imean, if we need to go up the
chain, John can just talk to Roeand find out what's going on.
And if there is something thatthey're up to ask them to stand
down, cause we're all cool withFacebook marketplace.
And as soon as this deal goesthrough, Does anyone know, like,
(21:34):
does Romero have like a, codephrase that we could use?
Thea (21:39):
I was just actually about to say that Victor gave this to
me before he disappeared.
Um, he told me if anything wentwrong to say a Rugola.
Matt (21:53):
Okay.
Kate (21:55):
what will that do?
Matt (21:56):
common.
Yeah.
Eric (21:57):
yeah.
Thea (22:00):
I I think it's a standdown phrase.
Um, I've, I've never gotten, Imean, you know, it's only by
happenstance that I knew Romeroour plant in Facebook.
You know, I just
Eric (22:13):
Yeah.
Thea (22:14):
walking by Victor's desk that day, um, and saw his face.
So, you know, I don't, I don'tknow the kind of training they
received.
I would just try to say arubella to him.
Eric (22:32):
can we, can we text it to them?
Okay.
Can, okay.
Can you text him a rugala?
Matt (22:36):
was that a, is that a good
Eric (22:37):
that work that
Matt (22:38):
almost, I feel like we want to see his reaction.
Like if, cause if it's, if it'snot.
Eric (22:43):
That's true.
Thea (22:44):
you
Kate (22:45):
I can just, yeah, let me FaceTime him.
I'll be right back.
I'll read.
Matt (22:48):
Okay.
Eric (22:51):
Oh man.
Matt (22:51):
This is complicated.
You know, I,
Eric (22:53):
Yeah.
I'm sorry.
Uh, I just, this is this, itfelt too good to be true.
And I'm, I just want to be sure.
Okay.
Matt (23:02):
I mean, this is why I try not to engage in corporate
espionage.
You know, you never know whenthe stuff is going to blow back.
Eric (23:10):
it's surprisingly hard
Matt (23:11):
Yeah, well, you just, you need to make sure that the
people who are doing theespionage are loyal, you know,
they need to be bought in.
And that's why it needs to bepeople at the highest levels.
You know, no offense, but like aguy you found in a McDonald's
parking lot.
That's,
Thea (23:27):
Okay.
Matt (23:27):
he's.
Thea (23:29):
All right, Matt, listen, if you had met Victor, if you
had been around in his presence,you would understand why we gave
him this much power.
I mean, he amazing.
He was, he was part of thiscompany so much part of the life
blood of this company.
Matt (23:47):
but why then?
Why did he go, you know, thiscompany?
Eric (23:52):
Hey,
Thea (23:54):
So many things would be different.
Okay.
I could find him.
Eric (23:58):
screaming in this room.
Kate (23:59):
right.
Um,
Matt (24:01):
Kate what's up.
Kate (24:03):
Good news.
Um, apparently.
I made an a rugala salad thefirst week that, uh, row moved
in and he interpreted that as areason to stand down.
Um, and he's been basicallydoing nothing at his job for the
last 14 weeks.
Um, and so has
Matt (24:21):
Nice.
Kate (24:22):
not impacted this at all.
Um, and shockingly not beingfired, but all is good for us.
Matt (24:30):
Yeah.
I mean, Facebook's a bigorganization.
Oh yeah.
Good.
Thea (24:36):
the offer is real.
Then can we go back tocelebrating?
Kate (24:41):
I mean, he doesn't know because he hasn't checked his
email in two months, but I thinkthis means the offer is real.
Matt (24:51):
Does anybody have a bottle opener?
I don't, I don't keep one atwork and I don't remember any of
the tricks for getting the corkout other than like, he's like
sliced the thing that seemsreally dated.
Kate (25:03):
You could probably ask Cindy the office assistant.
She has a lot of things in herFanny pack
Matt (25:10):
Oh, yeah.
Okay.
Kate (25:12):
anyway.
Okay.
So we're all on board.
We should go forward with this.
Matt (25:17):
Yeah, I'm I'm ready.
And, uh, you know, obviouslywhatever the new branding is,
think marketing, like y'all areon it.
Uh, I fully support you,whatever.
Thea (25:29):
Great.
I just want to announce toeverybody that we will be paused
on all other projects for thenext week.
As we really
Matt (25:35):
Oh, yeah.
Thea (25:36):
deep into the creation process.
Uh, I'm very excited to see
Matt (25:41):
Yeah.
Thea (25:42):
out of it.
Matt (25:42):
And we can.
We can, I know we've got a lotof holiday promotions coming up.
We can just reuse last year'sgraphics and, uh, we'll make
sure that like all of the promosin the app, uh, the, you know,
the assets we've already madethem.
We, you know, we put in thetime, so we'll just use that.
Thea (25:59):
Uh, we might not be able to use, um, last year's
campaign.
It was very time specific.
Kate (26:11):
oh yeah.
Have you looked at thosegraphics yet?
Matt (26:15):
no, no, I wasn't with the company yet.
What?
Uh,
Kate (26:19):
Yeah.
I mean,
Matt (26:20):
me check in the.
Kate (26:21):
at this point it's 10 days til Christmas.
We are extremely late gettingthese holiday graphics out.
Anyway.
Maybe we just throw some red andgreen.
What do you think?
Eric (26:33):
We can, we can, we can change the site, uh, color.
So we got, we've got a
Matt (26:36):
oh yeah, these are not
Eric (26:37):
yeah, no, I forgot.
Totally, totally out of bounds.
Matt (26:40):
That's not the correct way to refer to the Corona virus.
Eric (26:43):
it is not, um,
Kate (26:45):
It was earlier times.
Thea (26:47):
I'm sorry.
I was still deep in morning forAlan Rickman at the time.
Matt (26:51):
I am well, that's understood.
Eric (26:53):
Yeah.
Uh, yeah, and we'll, uh, adjustour roadmaps.
We'll get, uh, some people onfiguring out all the places we
need to change the names.
Uh, we'll remove all of theMetta market, uh, based puns
throughout the checkout workflowand come up with new ones after
Califia you and your team.
Uh, let us know what's going on.
Thea (27:13):
Okay.
I think I've been very clearabout my stance on the puns
throughout.
So I think,
Eric (27:18):
As if I
Thea (27:20):
I
Kate (27:20):
Okay.
Thea (27:22):
you know what, I'll leave it for your boundless
creativity,
Eric (27:24):
thank you
Thea (27:25):
you know, we might choose a name that doesn't have the
same rhyming scheme.
Eric (27:30):
I look forward to the challenge.
Kate (27:33):
okay.
And this means we can also sellmeat market.com.
Matt (27:41):
yeah,
Eric (27:42):
Ah,
Kate (27:43):
misspelling it.
And
Matt (27:44):
right.
Oh yeah, no, I don't.
I've been seeing these emails.
People are constantly trying tosteal that domain from us and,
uh, like sending phishing scamsto try and get it out from under
our registrar.
Uh,
Kate (27:56):
Yes.
Matt (27:57):
Now we can finally entertain all of those offers
because some people were readyto pay.
Kate (28:03):
I know.
It's shocking what meat marketmeans to different people.
Matt (28:08):
It's not that yeah.
Makes sense.
Kate (28:10):
Yeah.
Okay.
I think we're good.
Um, we'll just, you know, stayin touch.
This is a really fast movingthing.
I know we're ready for theholidays.
get it done
Thea (28:20):
Great.
Um,
Eric (28:21):
good.
Thea (28:22):
am going to go and just, we're going to put some privacy
curtains over the, all of themarketing team offices, uh, for
the next week.
And please don't come in nomatter what noises you hear.
Kate (28:40):
deal.
I think that's enough.
A good enough way to end our.
Ben (28:47):
This meeting has ended.
To subscribe to this startup isbeing recorded.
Go to the podcast player of yourchoice and tap a button that
likely says subscribe.
More content is on Twitter atstartup recorded, or shoot us an
email with ideas, feedback, oryour personal startup horror
story.
At hello@startuprecorded.com.
Kate is played by ValerieGarrison.
(29:08):
Valerie is a health tech productmanager and regularly plays with
the improv troupe letters tochicken online.
You can find her on Twitter atthe vulgaris.
Eric has played by Barry.
Right.
Barry is a product manager atSpotify and a co-founder of
high-wire improv.
Find him by his name onLinkedIn, where he holds regular
office hoursor@highwireimprov.com.
Matt is played by MartinMaguire.
(29:29):
Marty is a senior web engineerand improviser in New York city.
You can find Marty's comedy codeand cats on his website at M M G
dot R E.
Califia is played by RobinStegman.
Robin is a digital campaignmanager for ocean Conservancy
and is a comedian mostly foundat Highwire improv.
You can find her on all thesocial medias.
And she does mean all at oursteaky.
(29:52):
Thank you for listening.
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