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What Happened When Paul Davis Left His Software Running for 10 Years?

Paul Davis left his software running for 10 years, and it grew slowly without being shut down. He had the privilege of allowing things to grow in a much more organic way. If he had shut the software down at any point in those 10 years, he would not have had the opportunity to do any of the things that happened to it later.

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Paul Davis - Second Employee at Amazon ·

Geek at Sea

More from this episode

  1. Who Was Hired Right After Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos at Amazon?Paul Davis was the second person hired at Amazon outside Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos. He started at about the same time as Shel, normally the first employee.
  2. Why Did People in Seattle Find Bellevue Unappealing?People in Seattle proper found Bellevue unappealing because it looked deeply suburban.
  3. Why Was Amazon Almost Called Cadabra?Amazon was almost called Cadabra Inc, until a lawyer argued the name was not good because it sounded so much like cadaver.
  4. Why Did Amazon's Second Employee Leave After One Year of Options?Paul Davis, Amazon's second employee, left after the first year of his options vested so he could be a stay-at-home parent in Seattle.
  5. Why Did Paul Davis's Plan to Leave Tech for Farming Fall Apart?Paul Davis's plan to leave tech for farming fell apart a year into his first wife's postdoc on the East Coast.
  6. When Did Paul Davis's Software Business Start Paying Him?Paul Davis's software business started paying him in 2009.
  7. Why Does Making Money From Free Software Still Feel Like a Gift?Paul Davis says making money from free software still feels like a gift because people choose to pay for work they can get for free.
  8. Why Does Paul Davis Ask Friends Not to Pitch His Software?Paul Davis asks friends not to pitch his software because he is the worst salesperson for what he does.
  9. What Happened When Paul Davis's Daughter Turned 16?When Paul Davis's daughter turned 16, her mother arranged a trip to Paris for the birthday.

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