I have a bone to pick with valley entrepreneurs. If you’re working on a project/startup and it hasn’t been announced to the public and you wish to keep said project or startup under wraps
I’ve had too many conversations at conferences/meet-ups that have gone like this
Me: Ahh, so what are you working on these days
Them: New concept/start up, we’re in stealth mode
Me: (with eye brow raised) Really?
Them: Yes… um, we’re really looking the business network space
Me: *brain asplodes*
Let’s look up the definition of a couple words
stealth –noun
1. secret, clandestine, or surreptitious procedure.
mode –noun
1. a manner of acting or doing; method; way:
So ’stealth mode’ must mean doing something in a secret or clandestine way… So then WHY are you telling me anything about your startup. Are you trying to warn me? Should I be on the look out for stealth missles?
In my mind stealth mode means, “I’m working on something maybe by myself, maybe with other people but we don’t have anything tangible to show for it so I’m going to tell people I’m working in stealth mode so I don’t seem like a slacker.”
I’ve got news for you buddy, you’re not fooling anyone. If you’re in stealth mode, you’re frankly off my radar. Talk to me when you have an beta or even an alpha that you can show. Hell, I’ll settle for some screenshots. Let your product/service/innovation/concept/white paper speak for themselves, otherwise you’re peddling the startup version of vaporware.