Let me start of by apologizing to everyone I’ve ignored, stood up, or rubbed the wrong way these last few weeks. After being ousted from Tapulous, things quickly began spiraling out of control. My phone rang faster than I could answer it, my iChat window never dropped below twenty simultaneous conversations, and the echo chamber of the internet took my simple explanation of a partner dispute and turned it into some kind of condemnation of venture capitalism. It became clear that the only way to decide what to do would be to drop off the grid, ignore everybody, and take only the meetings, phone calls, and online conversations necessary to make up my mind about a few things. Finally, C4 brought everything into focus, and the future became clearer. The only remaining question became how to fund it. What I wanted to do was bigger than I could bootstrap in a reasonable amount of time. At the same time, while venture capital had nothing to do with Tapulous — which is angel funded — I was still wary of trusting my vision to the very capitalist system that was supposedly responsible for all the world’s ills. Then I had a revelation — a product so simple, yet so clever, that it could be produced quickly and cheaply, then sold for an enormous profit. In other words, this project would be a fundraiser. As an experiment in community funding, I could use it to moot outside investment. Think of it as bootstrapping on steroids. I spent today running it by the appropriate parties to check the feasibility. I spoke to some people about working on the project on spec. It started coming together, and by the end of the night, we had a viable business plan and a good year’s work. People begin making moving plans, filing paperwork, and having hard conversations with their families about buckling down for a month of nothing but ramen noodles. Then something crazy happened. At about 1 a.m., I drove home from our meeting. I was with a friend who lived in a complex near mine, so I gave him a ride home. Right before his turn, he noticed a huge geyser kitty corner from the intersection. I thought a water main had burst, but upon closer inspection, I realized a car had hit it. When you see something like this, a little voice in your head tells you that somebody else is taking care of it. My little voice pointed out that I haven’t had more than four hours of sleep in six days, and that I have two days of solid meetings planned. Still, nobody seemed to be around. Normally you see people with cell phones, and hear a siren in the distance. I tried to see if anyone was in the car, but it seemed to be filled with smoke. If I went home, nobody would ever know. My life would continue as it was going to continue. Except, I would know that there was a non-zero chance that someone was in the car, and nobody would ever call, because everybody relied on someone else, and that person would die. I would know that simply by not wanting to get involved in somebody else’s drama, I might have committed murder. I checked the roads — completely empty. As it was safe, I navigated to the scene. The car was a silver Volkswagen Passat station wagon. It was stopped in the middle of the road. The lights were on, the windshield wipers were on, and the car was filled with smoke. The front of the car was destroyed, and a massive geyser of water marked where the fire hydrant had been. Nobody else was around. I’m not a doctor, but I was a pre-med, and I volunteered in the ER on the graveyard shift — I would have to do. I told my friend to call 911, and ran to the vehicle. Smoke was everywhere, and I feared the car might explode or something. I went around to the driver’s side and threw open the door. As smoke poured out, the details of the cabin came into view. The airbags had deployed, but the car was empty. Whoever had been driving had fled the scene. I went over to my friend, waiting by my car. I turned on the hazard lights and my friend asked me to call 911. Someone else had arrived at the scene — a middle-aged latino man who seemed to have been woken from sleep. My friend had been talking to him. I explained the situation to the 911 operator. I was shouting because the roar of the geyser was deafening. She patched me through to the police. I explained what happened, and asked if I should stick around until they arrived. She said I should, and took my name and phone number. Meanwhile, I spoke to the latino guy, and pieced together what happened. The car had been driving so fast it had woken him up. Then he heard the screech and the crash. He had come running, fearing someone might be hurt. This meant that the car had hit literally 30 seconds before I got there. The driver, perhaps intoxicated, perhaps a car thief, ran from the scene. The good news was, nobody was dead, and all we had to do was explain to the police what had happened. I introduced myself to the gentleman and asked what he did. He told me he collected recycling from the buildings in the area. I had always wondered about the people who came by and took our empty containers for us. Were they paid by the complex, or were they just industrious people who hauled them away for the return value the rest of us couldn’t be bothered with? He explained that, actually he was a butcher by trade. I asked if he was one of the many people I’ve met who were forced to give up their occupation due to immigration. He explained that he was a natural citizen, a descendent of the many Mexicans who, after the Mexican civil war, found their home was now part of a different, English-speaking country. No, his problem was that he’d had a bad divorce, then lost his job. Having been through some tough times myself, I understood what he meant. When your heart is breaking, it’s hard to make it into work every day. This is a solvable problem, if your boss understand Maslow. Otherwise, your job performance suffers, and after 15 years of practicing your craft, you’re unemployed. I won’t tell you any more of his story, because that’s his business. He might choose to regale it, but more likely he’s going to be too busy. You see, I realized that, as an engineer, I have the ability to solve his problems, just like I can solve your user interface problems. I also have money, contacts, and a reputation I can gamble with. In other words, I realized I could help this man break the cycle of despair and failure that modern society is so bad at dealing with. I could use my power to smooth out the hard edges of life so that his inner artisan — his drive to dedicate himself to his craft — could flourish. With a little faith, he could turn his life around. This is not charity, nor is it socialism. This is capitalism as it was designed by Adam Smith in 1776. Understand, the exploitative monster we call capitalism is actually a holdover from the era of racist colonialism. Capitalism is not a system whereby I get rich by screwing you. Rather, capitalism is a system designed to improve life for everyone at once. You see, when we exploit each other, forgetting Smith’s caveat of reasonability, and ignoring the public good, we create a zero-sum game. On the other hand, if we find ways to profit that actually help people, we can all be rich. Think of how far the world has come since 1776, and how slow progress was before that. Now we’re in danger of going back to the dark ages of mercantilism because greedy douche bags want to make more money faster. Finally, United Lemur’s plan was complete. We will continue Che’s revolution, but we will do it from the inside. We will learn from Che’s mistakes, eschewing extreme views and armed conflict. You can’t fight evil with evil. The revolution isn’t about guerillas and guns anymore. It’s about the last of the racist oligarchs dying, while the artisans and engineers band together to take our country back. It’s about electing Barack Obama as president, and rejecting the neocolonial Buy’N’Large lifestyle in search of real happiness. What does this mean in practical turns? It would take too long to explain all in one go, so I am going to be giving it to you piecemeal over time in this blog. In the meantime, let me give you the slightest hint of what’s happening. I’ve lived a hard life, with a lot of tragedy. Somehow, I not only survived, but managed to turn around and make a life for myself harnessing the creative energy that has been trapped inside me for so long. That’s why I call myself the world’s toughest programmer. Not even a Buick can stop me from accomplishing my goal. What is that goal? To build a software company, because that’s my strength. Then, to use the proceeds from that to fund microcapital investments aimed at helping people help themselves. I’ll use engineering — the force of change in the world — to solve seemingly insurmountable problems. I’ll save lives, species, and maybe an entire country. And you know what? I’ll get rich doing it. I’ll be the richest philanthropist in history, not in the traditional way of building wealth through exploitation, then giving some back. No, I will start with nothing, as I have over and over again, and I will get rich and help people at the same time. If I can show that — by reforming capitalism into the tool its creator intended — I can get rich. Then maybe others will follow my lead. Maybe one day they will look back and say that Mike Lee, and people like him, saved a world on the brink of collapse and ushered in the new Age of Engineering. They’ll say he gave his life to finding solutions to other people’s problems, just like his heroes: President Barack Obama, Vice President Al Gore, Dr. Ernesto “Che” Guevara de la Serna, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and my friends at the Madagascar Fauna Group. This is my life’s work. This is my plan to achieve it. This is United Lemur. ¡Viva la Revolución!  Addenda  It’s truly disappointing to me how many have chosen to attack me based on assumptions about me, about my motives, and about my well-developed thoughts on subjects you just can’t can learn about in Wikipedia. I hope you’ve enjoyed your time pissing all over one man’s dreams. This is the last entry on which I am allowing this kind of idiocy. Henceforth, trolls, like poachers, will be shot. Adam Lindsay
You sure know how to create teasers. Tell us, tell us! Davide
Mate, one thing for sure you can write, you really know how to tell a story. If, in the process of getting rich and improving capitalism you find some time to collect your thought in a book, I’ll sure get one copy. ¡Hasta la victoria! Random Lemur
Ron Paul Revolution! Andy Matuschak
Very interesting, Mike. I don’t know if you’ve read Bill Gates’ thoughts on the topic—he calls it “creative capitalism”—but he has been writing about many ideas along the same lines for a while now.

You can read some of them in his departure speech: http://creativecapitalism.typepad.com/creative_capitalism/2008/06/bill-gates-crea.html

He also has a lengthy essay on the subject in The Economist’s “The World in 2008.”

Good luck. mikeash
Your post gives me the idea that United Lemur will look something like this:

A traditional classroom. Blackboards up front, little desks with tables attached filling out rows behind. The desks are filled with the anti-C4 crowd: soccer moms, plumbers, garbage men, janitors. Up front is Mike Lee, wielding a long wooden pointer. On the blackboard are written various identifiers.

Mike points to the blackboard where it reads UIApplication.

“UIApplication,” he says.

“UIApplication,” the entire class intones in unison.

“NSString.” “NSString,” the class repeats.

“UITabView.” “UITabView,” is chanted by everyone except a younger kid in back. He stutters over it. “UITab... UITab...”

“You have failed me for the last time,” Mike shouts! “Begone from my class,” he says, as he chokes the kid to death with the Force.

“UIScrollView.” Mike says. Two lackeys scurry out from the door to pull the kid’s body away. “UIScrollView,” the remaining class intones.

I guess this is probably not what you have in mind, but nobody ever called me a visionary. Random Lemur
...in an infinite universe the one thing sentient life cannot afford to have is a sense of proportion. Chuck Burt
The process that has taken place in this post could be summed up, “If tempted by something that feels ‘altruistic,’ examine your motives and root out that self-deception. Then, if you still want to do it, wallow in it.” -Robert Heinlein

Good luck and can’t wait to hear more! Ash Ponders
Mike Ash: I don’t think Mike intends to recreate Sparta. :) boxofjack.com
Your ideas sounds crazy but I can’t wait to hear them. You’re an inspiration for engineers, Mike. Ken Aspeslagh
It sounds intriguing Mike. It’s the software engineer’s dilemma that our work almost never has a society altering effect. It’s the independent software engineer’s dilemma when we have the urge to be a part of something greater than ourselves. Combining the two should be interesting. Good luck on this! Matthew Munoz
“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we can expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” -Adam Smith

I think you’ve wildly misinterpreted Adam Smith’s work. For one thing, the idea that he “designed” capitalism flies in the face of what he wrote. The idea that an emergent system can be “reformed” is also a bit silly.

And when you back it up with rhetoric about exploitation and colonialism...

Anyway, I’m sure I’m wrong. You’re a smart guy after all, and I’m sure it’ll turn out great. Mike Lee
Matthew: Try that argument again after you’ve actually read “Wealth of Nations” and “Moral Sentiments.” They’re even better than the pull quotes! flydadfly
so what happened with the car that smashed into the fire hydrant? Random Lemur
Mike-
You’re idea that capitalism involves exploitation is quite wrong. The only way to exploit people is to have a government (a government like the one Che advocated, and much like the one we have now.) Barak Obama is a straight up socialist. So is McCain- only McCain is more of the nationalist socialist variety while obama is more of the communist variety.

You as well are a socialist. I really suggest you read some good philosophical works about capitalism-- you can start with the Mises institute at www.mises.org, which has lots of free articles and even books by modern economists. Or you can go read Atlas Shrugged. Actually , that would be the best thing for you to do. 

Its clear to me that you have expereinced a lot of grief due to the disconnect between the way you feel the world should work and the actual results of those views (EG: Barak will make people poorer, there’s no debating that, but so will McCain. Barack will do it faster by killing jobs by raising taxes.) 

Che Guevara was an evil man. His desire to control people and exploit them knew no bounds. He put forth propaganda about how he wanted to help people, but it was as transparent as the speeches at the last two conventions. The only reason people want to be in government is to exploit. 

Finally, your idea of there being a zero sum game inherent in capitalism (or the “exploitive capitalism” you imagine) is not accurate. Its based on a fundamentally false assumption (which assumption would require you explaining in more detail why you think the situation exists.) But it simply doesn’t exist in a free market (eg: a capitalist system, which, of course we do not have in the US, we have a mercantilist system.)

Also, you may have had hard times, I have had hard time, but you’re a rich white kid. Its not just that *only* rich white kids like che, its that if you genuinely were poor you would have realized that what makes people poor is the government destroying half their income, not “capitalism” (Even “bad” forms of it.) 

Capitalism is about individuals freely choosing to do business with each other. There is no force. If the app is too expensive, people don’t buy it. IF there’s force involved what you have is not capitalism, and in this society the force comes from government (sometimes acting at the behest of businesses with pull, but that’s not capitalism at all.) 

This is a country where anyone can get rich, skin color does not matter. Maybe a black man running for president is a big deal, but one owning a company is not at all. 

I don’t fully understand where you’re comming from, but a lot of what you say doesn’t make sense and it smells like socialist ideology (which has been spreading itself since the early 1900s, only under a lot of names, increasingly pretending to be other ideologies as socialism has become discredited.) 

Do read Atlas Shrugged. This is not patronizing advice, this is just the best book to give the philosophy of freedom. The book that explains why you should not be anyone’s slave, why you should pursue your own best interest, and why those who speak of “sacrifice for the public good” are always out for their own interest, and couldn’t care less for the public good. If you read this book, I think things will become much clearer. Its my experience that liberals have often been taught to hate ayn rand irrationally, and will not read the book. They then spend their lives looking for people to blame when the policies they advocate fail. I used to be a liberal. I felt the same way- I took a lot of convincing to read Atlas Shrugged before I finally did.

Thank god I did. It was a revelation. 

But if you’re unwilling, go read some Mises, Rothbard, or even L. Neil Smith.

You’ll be much happier! Mike Lee
> You’re a rich white kid.

You know me so well. Goolic
I’ll be direct ....

You’re fucking crazy. Period.

Now that’s clear we can get to the fact that you’re my kind of crazy and that i believe in your plans.

Looking forward to do the same here in Brazil

¡Viva la Revolución! Ideed Random Lemur
You’re right, I should have said, rich, arrogant, white culture. Pretty much the requirements for being a liberal. Kid wasn’t appropriate, but like “White” it wasn’t referring to a physical characteristic but an ideological one. If you grew up poor, or in non-white culture, you wouldn’t say the things you have said. Your referencing Che is offensive to anyone who doesn’t believe in mass murder or the poor. joshm
Mike - you’re my personal hero. Best of luck with your new revolution. Hopefully one day I can join you. Matthew Munoz
Since we both took issue with the comments on capitalism, I just want to say that I’m not “Random Lemur” above, and I don’t plan on reading any Ayn Rand anytime soon if that’s what it does to you. 
Firstly, I don’t know Mike and I’m sure he’s going through a tough time. Based on these abundant rants, you can’t help but picture him as a disheveled guy with a bottle in a brown paper bag staggering around outside Tapulous HQ, drunk off his ass, shaking his fist at the building, shouting “I’ll show yoooooooooou!! I don’t neeeeeeeed you!! Om gonna do wattava I waaaant!! Yooooooou’ll see.”

Come on man, enough with the diatribes. Just fucking build an app so we can all see if you have the chops or not. Maybe this one will actually make it into the App Store. Mike Lee
You come here with nothing but assumptions and you presume to call me arrogant?

I grew up poor in a multicultural post-colonial society with no true middle class. My parents genuinely hated me. I slept on the street, going weeks at a time without anything to eat. I worked hard to get nowhere. Even so, I spent most of my life as an ultra-conservative, then spent a good amount of time as know-everything, do-nothing Libertarian, telling people that if they only read Ayn Rand they would see how stupid they were.

I’ve never been a leftist, and am not a leftist now. That’s because I’ve lived enough life to know what does and doesn’t work. Ideology without the power or inclination to act is about as useful as masturbating into the ocean. Some people seem to enjoy it, but the rest of us have work to do. Jake
Where do I begin? First of all, I don’t care about discussing politics (reading Ayn Rand won’t change anyone’s life any more than reading Jon Krakauer) and I know absolutely nothing about what you do. 

First of all, if you want to change the world, stop using oil, install solar panels on your roof, and eat only food produced within 100 miles of where you live. This is just the beginning... start at home and reduce your impact...

Coming up with a new software idea and cashing in and using the money for philanthropy is nothing new. What you are writing here smacks of grandiosity. Get a grip.

Get a grip on your place in this world... go somewhere you will feel overwhelmed by the true grandiosity of your surroundings. 

I knew you before you became an overnight coding superstar, and I’m afraid your fame is fleeting. When people are tired of you, you will become yesterdays fashion. Just think about it... Jake
oops... “the true grandeur [not grandiosity] of your surroundings”... I feel compelled to correct that... I’ve been drinking... Random Lemur
I have enjoyed Motherfucker since its inception. Please leave the politics out of it. Obama, Gore and their like are scam artists. I thought you were smarter than that. Shame. Mike Lee
Jake, I love you, man, but think about what you’re saying for a minute. “Hey, you’ve done a great job of building this following, but stop being yourself before you lose it.” I’m sorry, but I have to ride this train to the end, even if that means ending up a footnote in someone else’s story. Your efforts to begin change at home are admirable, but my dreams are bigger than that.

As for you, my random cynical prosimian, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ve missed a very key point: absolutism and defeatist thinking only hold us back. To suggest that all politicians are crooks, is to suggest that great patriots like George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson were crooks.

The common thread between so many of these negative comments seems to be that the situation is hopeless, the system is corrupt, and any attempt to affect change from within that system is a foolish endeavor that keeps me from whatever it is you think I should be doing.

My job in the coming months and years is to prove cynics like you wrong. Maybe I’ll fail and you can all have a big laugh and give each other high fives, celebrating the fact that the do-nothing approach has continued to validate your small, fear-based lifestyles.

Or maybe I’ll succeed and some of you will do as I once did and let your shield of cynicism down for a bit. I realize some people are always going to find a way to justify bringing down the people who are working hard to make things better, but maybe, just maybe, even the peanut gallery can be liberated. Lukas Mathis
First of all, good luck with your plan! I hope you’ll achieve much of what you want.

Second, US politics are hilarious. Please y’all, keep the “you are a socialist communist lying dumb fraud” comments coming, they are great entertainment.http://creativecapitalism.typepad.com/creative_capitalism/2008/06/bill-gates-crea.htmlhttp://www.mises.orgshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1
We will continue Che’s revolution, but we will do it from the inside. We will learn from Che’s mistakes, eschewing extreme views and armed conflict. You can’t fight evil with evil. Photo by Alberto Korda.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Engineering the Revolution