He doesn't leave us much of a choice, since several Fred Wilson backed companies have (purposely, I think) soured relationships with developers - Twitter, Etsy, probably others.
I don't really think he cares about you, the external developer, as he naturally sees it from the side of the companies who don't wish to have 3rd party developers involved with and depending upon them. Actually, he outlined this in a blog post: http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2010/04/the-twitter-platform.html which basically told us what was coming from Twitter et al. The attitude could also be seen as "Don't be Twitter's bitch, because Twitter doesn't even want you".
I think it's good advice, and pretty much what one has to do these days. It would have been nice if those companies really saw their API developers as partners, though. Things could be different and there could be a really positive symbiotic relationship going on. Instead, they're like sharecroppers, seen as third rate clingers-on. That is how Fred sees developers I'm afraid, and his companies' actions reflect this perspective. Really, in light of how much API developers have contributed to many of these companies, I feel offended.
remember that every company we invest in is a developer. to say that i don't care about developers is to say i don't care about the companies we invest in. that's clearly not true.
I'm thinking third party, API consuming developers specifically. Not that you don't care or dislike these people, only that there that does not appear to be a role for API consumers in the business plans of these companies any longer.
I don't really think he cares about you, the external developer, as he naturally sees it from the side of the companies who don't wish to have 3rd party developers involved with and depending upon them. Actually, he outlined this in a blog post: http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2010/04/the-twitter-platform.html which basically told us what was coming from Twitter et al. The attitude could also be seen as "Don't be Twitter's bitch, because Twitter doesn't even want you".
I think it's good advice, and pretty much what one has to do these days. It would have been nice if those companies really saw their API developers as partners, though. Things could be different and there could be a really positive symbiotic relationship going on. Instead, they're like sharecroppers, seen as third rate clingers-on. That is how Fred sees developers I'm afraid, and his companies' actions reflect this perspective. Really, in light of how much API developers have contributed to many of these companies, I feel offended.