28 Feb 2010, 9:39pm
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by Danielle Morrill

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Tweets for the Past Week

  • finally getting to the part of Season 1 where Shirley shows up – yes! bull buster! #BostonLegal #
  • a night of work – powered by Fresca, chinese delivery, and Boston Legal #
  • @janeforshort raises hand re wordcamp SF in reply to janeforshort #
  • @jshack yea, lets do Friday though ok? in reply to jshack #
  • @kapriforce unfortunately no, it is a guest lecture for a class (but I will get it on video) in reply to kapriforce #
  • excited to speak about bootstrap marketing for lean startups and small businesses at NYU on Monday! #leanstartup #
  • Just learned that Burning Man has an API – whoa #
  • things are getting underway at Hacker Dojo for the 1st API Hackathon. Come join us! #weheartapis #
  • Just heard on the radio that the California coast is also under tsunami warning, glad I'm headed out of SF for the day #
  • Headed out for blues dancing with Kate. Not feeling sexy yet but it won't take long #
  • Hanging out with @antifreeze @khartline and @lizasperling for happy hour at Koh Samui #
  • @Rsquared just sent you an email, can't wait to talk more #
  • @ElishaNYC hey I'm going to be in your town next week, would be great to see you in reply to ElishaNYC #
  • tomorrow's API Hackathon at Hacker Dojo is #2 on Hacker News right now – sign up and join in http://bit.ly/dreWyH #
  • RT @mollierosev: Woot! RT @chef_jay "Saturday is National Chocolate Cake Day! Cupcakes count…" #
  • @KatjaPresnal ah Telluride, I really need to get back there in reply to KatjaPresnal #
  • @rkoffler hey @Odegard says I should chat with you about @twilio (my startup) have you heard of us before? #
  • listening to the epic Soundtrack of Sigur Ros – if you haven't listened to them yet I am telling you, it will make your week #
  • @Rsquared have you ever thought of doing marketing at a startup? If so, I'd love to talk to you about working for mine in reply to Rsquared #
  • @gretchenrubin can't stand fatalism, like "Ships Passing in the Night" in reply to gretchenrubin #
  • RT @manukumar: ASES VC3 speed dating — at Wallenberg Hall http://gowal.la/s/2Mcj #
  • for #followfriday I suggest my husband @MisterMorrill best friend @dlaina and sister @megclark — and of course my company @twilio #
  • @getshust haha same here, out of Loagan right? in reply to getshust #
  • trying to fly through emails this afternoon, funny how certain music helps much more than other kinds #
  • So is giblets pronounces "gib-lets" or "jib-lets"? #
  • ominous weather here at Twilio HQ, the water is very high and I think we'll see lightning any minute #
  • @moQuez ah now that is the secret ;) we will announce the new category on Monday next week on our blog and I can ping you in reply to moQuez #
  • @moQuez I've got some more projects in the pipeline you might be interested in. Cab you email danielle@twilio.com in reply to moQuez #
  • @moQuez hmm interesting, looks like someone could build something like this on top of Twilio… hope the freelancing is going well btw in reply to moQuez #
  • @moQuez ooh what's Teleku? in reply to moQuez #
  • whoa the camera on my Nexus One has a flash! #
  • @johnsheehan you should meet @geoffreysimpson and @blakepierson – both are using MSFT tech for their Twilio-powered startups #
  • porting my cell phone number, which I've had for 7 years, to Twilio today. I will be blogging about the whole process #
  • I'm looking for an office admin with awesome organizational skills, junior marketing person, and developer evangelist – hit me up! #
  • happy to be back in San Francisco, getting shhhh done! Oh, and the sunshine is nice too #
  • @johnsheehan so great to meet you in person, can't wait to talk more in reply to johnsheehan #
  • Winding down with tea and chocolate, roommate, Boston Legal and my new Nexus One after a productive trip to Vegas #
  • just the tip of the iceberg, phone leads in the millions of calls per year. the phone is the most ubiquitous device in the world #leadscon #
  • @ifbyphone hey Irv are you here? hope to see you and say hi in reply to ifbyphone #
  • Why isn't @davemcclure on this panel discussing selling your biz? #leadscon maybe next year? #
  • @Steve_Gottlieb well that is very self interested advice in reply to Steve_Gottlieb #
  • Why I love Leadscon? Because it's about making money with no pretenses #leadscon #
  • @NanaGilbertB wish we could be there! Will be in NYC next week for Twilio – would be great to see you in reply to NanaGilbertB #
  • @royleban rocking the @Twilio FriendMosaic tshirt #leadscon #
  • Ending a convo should be treated like closing a sale. Good closets know a) wrap up after "yes" b) make me feel good #leadscon #
  • @alabut i'd love to! in reply to alabut #
  • RT @karimlalji: Recession drives communications into the cloud http://ping.fm/qlBSk #in cc: @Twilio #
  • @danmartell I needto I introduce you to @blakepierson of Homeboodle, you will understand this startup with you experience in real estate #
  • Busted out of the tournament, but lasted longer than @davechappell — live to river another day #leadscon #
  • what do you guys think, should i do up my hair and makeup to go rock this poker tourney that is probably going to be all dudes? #
  • @abigdreamer oh I'm sorry – Twilio is language agnostic in reply to abigdreamer #
  • @davemcclure ready to rest my feet, might come join you and finally meet @rashmi in reply to davemcclure #
  • Who's in for #leadscon poker tonight? I'll be representing Twilio and my local home game. Mirage poker room 8:30pm #
  • Just met a newly minted Twilio customer, there are people building amazing stuff on our platform – so honored to be their choice #wow #
  • @AntiFreeze totally ate there last night, reuben was crazy big in reply to AntiFreeze #
  • Great pic of @davemcclure from last night – CAPTION IT! http://twitpic.com/14zakc #
  • It's pretty busy at the Twilio booth – stop by #219 #leadscon http://twitpic.com/14yrt1 #
  • Having some great conversations about how SMS fits with lead generation, impressed to see Facebook here #leadscon #
  • so who is playing in this #leadscon poker tournament tonight? #
  • @foomanizer i appreciate the thought – if you know anyone who might be interested, please pass it on in reply to foomanizer #
  • @blakespierson saw a Starbucks by the deli so I am probably going to give that a try. Going to be running around quite a bit though in reply to blakespierson #
  • I am in full search mode for a junior marketing / admin person to work for me at Twilio – must be willing to work in San Francisco #
  • @flargh you won't even believe this, but its the Mirage! LOL in reply to flargh #
  • my stomach is crying out for coffee – why there is no coffee maker in this hotel room is beyond me. heading out in search of Starbucks #
  • @ramdomtext don't worry, we are considering all apps that were submitted but we haven't tested them all yet in reply to ramdomtext #
  • @davemcclure check out this nose candy! cc: @jeffiel #
  • @NathanielMc hey it would be cool to meet you here at Leadscon, some other Bay Area folks are heading to drinks/food – maybe well connect #
  • @rashmi ah cool you are here at leadscon! #
  • @MurrayNewlands hey hope to meet you at leadscon, I'm a bit of a vlogger myself #
  • Vegas! Capitalism yay #
  • @thomasknoll word! in reply to thomasknoll #
  • my life is filling out forms #
  • Sorry, I suck at Twitter. #
  • @dacort ah does it seriously do that – how annoying?! How did I set that up? Oops. cc: @jazzychad in reply to dacort #
  • just got into Blip.fm — how did I not use this until now! Check out the bizarre combination of music I listen to http://bit.ly/aXKI8I #
  • listening to "The Ting Tings – That's Not My Name" ♫ http://blip.fm/~lh52e #
  • listening to "Lily Allen – The Fear" ♫ http://blip.fm/~lh4yt #
  • listening to "Lily Allen – The Fear (Ou Est Le Swimming Pool remix)" ♫ http://blip.fm/~lh4xz #
  • listening to "Ke$ha – Blah Blah Blah feat. 3OH!3" ♫ http://blip.fm/~lh4un #
  • @daveon haha awesome, never thought they'd end up using that! in reply to daveon #
  • @admore yep, up on the 3rd floor in reply to Admore #
  • having a very productive hour coworking with @khartline and @willotoons to some very chill music #
  • @daryn sweet! sup @gb you work for an awesome company – just need a Teachstreet logo you can send to danielle(at)twilio in reply to daryn #
  • @daryn hey can you hook me up with a high res TeachStreet logo (as big as possible)? #

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22 Feb 2010, 3:34am
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by Danielle Morrill

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Hitting the Road Again

After a couple weeks at home, except for that quick trip up to Seattle for Valentine’s Day and my going away party, I’ve been free of business travel.  I love to travel, but it was good to take some time to be in the office with the team and we got SMS launched.  Sometimes its like we run so hard, our feet don’t even touch down.  Well, I had my time to touch down briefly.  I mean, I did laundry so that means I came home a few nights.  My little room is bursting with stuff… clothes and gadgets, but mostly with papers and books and ideas and my anxiousness to become more connected in this new town.

Tomorrow I’m on the road again, headed to Las Vegas for LeadsCon for a couple days, then back home in San Francisco Thursday and then out again to Sunday for a trip to New York where I’ll be doing some speaking and meeting with cool geeks to spread the word about Twilio, host a hackathon, and maybe even find some people we’d like to hire.  So I’m back late Thursday night from that trip and home for about a week, then off to South by Southwest.  And so it goes.

This song made me think about what its like being on the road.  I’m happy, although I do wish I had heeded my Dad’s advice to travel light and hadn’t bough the house back in ‘07. Oh well, live and learn I guess.  Hopefully I’ll see you in my travels.


21 Feb 2010, 9:39pm
Posts:
by Danielle Morrill

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Tweets for the Past Week

  • @daveschappell we are 219, do you want to have a quick call to discuss how you can rock the booth? in reply to daveschappell #
  • @tjlytle nope you are all set, we will retest tonight/tmrw in reply to tjlytle #
  • @lizasperling haha that is right outside here, right? in reply to lizasperling #
  • Having brunch with @lizasperling @gregarious @themaria and @khartline at my fav place in Nob Hill #
  • looks like the @dropio Twitter account has been compromised in this latest DM phishing scam #
  • Best part of driving back to the city from Palo Alto? In-and-Out Burger #
  • heading out to spend the evening with @poornima and her friends in Palo Alto, the adventures of building a new social circle are fun so far #
  • sometimes it really feels like we run so fast, our feet never actually touch down #
  • @danmartell @ToddRLevy thanks for the retweets :) #
  • received tweet in the DM section of Tweetdeck that is phishing, went to delete the tweet and unfollow… but I'm not following this person! #
  • @wordpress3 unfortunately my custom link slugs don't follow any kind of pattern :( thanks for the offer though in reply to wordpress3 #
  • @allangrant aww thank you! in reply to allangrant #
  • @blakespierson great seeing you, looking forward to #leadscon in reply to blakespierson #
  • @hiremesf hey I watched your video, I love filming in the car too – good luck with your submission!! in reply to hiremesf #
  • RT @twilio: Developers! Sign up for the API Hackathon at Hacker Dojo for FREE before 4pm today with promo code HDJFREE http://bit.ly/azXFa8 #
  • You read my tweets, but have you ever considered working for me? I'm looking for a) developer evagelist (must code) b) marketing assoc #
  • blog post done, lots of email done, lots of reading done, now i can have some breakfast and crawl out of my nice warm bed #
  • Lean Marketing: Understanding Channel Constraints http://bit.ly/95MsMS #lsc #leanstartup #
  • catching up on about a week of Lean Startup Circle emails… #
  • "i said kiss me you are beautiful, these are truly the last days. you grabbed my hand and we fell into it, like a daydream, or a fever" #
  • "the sun has fallen down, and the billboards are all leering, and the flags are all dead at the top of their poles" #namethatband #
  • @Anniehan try the sea salt caramels, they make it all worthwhile @ in reply to Anniehan #
  • way too much caffeine cc: @minddog @MarkCondon #
  • checking out BakeSpace.com – I think this site would be great to share with my roommate since we both want to start cooking more #
  • RT @ChrisDeLeon: Not contributing value? Stop contributing – or contribute differently! Otherwise we're diluting the word "contributing". #
  • @aviel hah! #ihasbeard #ioftenforgetihasbeard in reply to aviel #
  • @blakespierson how about 3? in reply to blakespierson #
  • @wordpress3 i have imported – about 60% of the post slugs don't match in reply to wordpress3 #
  • any tips for rewriting custom URL slugs from Typepad to my Wordpress import? #
  • sometimes i have conversations with amazing people that make me say honest things like, "wow, i think my brain just had sex" #
  • RT @twilio: Twilio office hours going on in the #twilio IRC channel on freenode and our webchat UI here: http://bit.ly/3wIpWa #
  • @blakespierson you must be pyschic i was just checking to see what time our meeting was for – it's on :) in reply to blakespierson #
  • @LyndiT should be able to build apps with Twilio like those on our blog http://bit.ly/9jJ4rQ and write up sample code for others in reply to lyndit #
  • Looking for a technical evangelist to join us at Twilio: must be able to code, blog, rock events, and make customers happy #
  • @marcusnelson hey it was great getting to know you a bit after Finance4Founders, always nice to meet someone in the neighborhood #
  • @NathanielMc oh, and @davemcclure will be there too! #
  • @NathanielMc I'll be at LeadsCon as well with @jeffiel @twilio @rep_connect and @teachstreet – see you there! #
  • as @davemcclure mentioned at Finance4Founders I will be at LeadsCon and Twilio showcasing customers – drop me a note if you'll be there #
  • RT @davemcclure: #FOF DogPatch Labs (Polaris Ventures) focuses on building community / physical space & events to see dealflow – Pier 38 FTW #
  • RT @guyhirsch: SF Examiner posted an interview w/ me re @bettertalking http://ow.ly/18L1G – Twilio customer yeah! #
  • just came home to roommate asking for help lacing up his girlfriend's corset for a bondage event they are going to tonight – hello SF #
  • @dweekly a classic pic of you at Chic Meets Geek http://twitpic.com/13w84e #
  • RT @twilio: Chatroulette for SMS on Twilio, already in the app store! http://bit.ly/bt8dE4 cc: @davemcclure @sacca @albertwenger @avc #
  • trying out this new classifieds system http://bit.ly/ciQNBI love that you can sign up via SMS #
  • wow, so warm in the Twilio office that we're actually working with the door open toward the Bay – i love it here! #
  • RT @davemcclure sometimes I think i'm smart / exprncd & talk a lot… then I meet someone who really is, & I shutup quick & just listen. #
  • RT @lolya: Deadlines for applications (lots of them!) http://is.gd/7rdO2 #
  • @assetmap your RSS feed on the posterous account for Mission Startups is broken, just FYI #
  • and if you do randomly follow @enborra prepare for special comical tweets written just for you http://bit.ly/9WFHNV #
  • PLEAST RT – Follow @enborra funniest person you've never met. He'll make tshirts and start a cult if he reaches 40 followers #
  • @JacquieK_atDell yep, all fixed now but thank you :) in reply to JacquieK_atDell #
  • @hellaPR we could totally help you with setting up a telethon – I work for Twilio, let me know if I can help #
  • yes this is how I want to spend the afternoon on hold with Dell support – just tell me what you need me to do to get this order, argh! #
  • creating a Sigur Ros channel on last.fm was the best thing I've done for my productivity in quite awhile. Icelandic dream pop is wonderful #
  • @raemeg ooh i like those too in reply to raemeg #
  • so i own the domain fuckyeahitscales.com … really want to blog there, but who would like back to a blog with "fuck" in the domain? #
  • Our Seattle condo is on the market – check it out! $489,950 http://bit.ly/93t0U0 $1000 to you if you refer the person who ends up buying #
  • @MosheYudkowsky well you can, but I need to keep learning from others too in reply to MosheYudkowsky #
  • I'm looking for startup marketers to learn from – who do you admire? who's crushing it? #
  • advice 4 getting stories from influential bloggers: share a story that you've tailored to them personally, and share your human side #f4f #
  • @joerjohnson hmm not sure in reply to joerjohnson #
  • @floozyspeak they should hire someone to reply to those! in reply to floozyspeak #
  • Industry contacts by vertical should be a key takeaway you get from your PR agency #f4f #
  • Hearing about engineers at Facebook making vid about buildng FB video "impact on 100M people" #f4f kind of like Microsoft #unpopularbuttrue #
  • I wish Twitter would show people how long I have been following them… Then they'd know how log I've cared about what they have to say #
  • "tell story by regularly publishing a company blog" @davemcclure – check out the Twilio blog, we live by this http://blog.Twilio.com #f4f #
  • @mhendric I <3 Plancast – it was so hard to find events in one place before you came along. need to blog you guys on constraintmarketing.com #
  • If it isn't on Plancast… It.isn't.happening. #f4f #
  • At Hotel Monaco for Finance4Founders – reconnecting with friends I haven't seen since before Twilio SMS launch #f4f #
  • @seanpower nice meeting you at Twilio HQ – looking forward to learning from your book and hopefully hearing you speak one of these days #
  • @aschaper thanks, it was fun in reply to aschaper #
  • just posted a little video – "Parisian Love – Twilio Style" – my version of the famous Google ad http://bit.ly/bCwnmr #
  • RT @emcooke: Awesome hardware hack: "Replacing the office keys with iPhones, N1s and Twilio" http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1129044 #
  • @stevesmename that's not very friendly is it :) I'll fix that in reply to stevesmename #
  • @krystyl gotta report the bad restaurants to GrubHub, it really helps them out (I've had a couple no-shows, I order from them every Weds) in reply to krystyl #
  • @krystyl yes, but you've gotta love that something like @GrubHub exists. I'm crushing so hard on that service! :) in reply to krystyl #
  • RT @twilio: Web developer needed for paid project – Twilio app using Twimlets. Details here: http://bit.ly/9Jowsz #
  • Looks like I need to visit Japantown – check out the stamps @jeffiel had made of the Twilio logo http://twitpic.com/13gu8s #
  • just tried peanut butter on raspberries as a snack – tastes like a PBJ sandwich without the bread. NOM! #
  • Just tried new Twilio powered app txt2ping.com and here are the results for Twilio.com http://twitpic.com/13aoun #

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14 Feb 2010, 9:39pm
Posts:
by Danielle Morrill

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Tweets for the Past Week

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14 Feb 2010, 6:14pm
Daily Life Travel
by Danielle Morrill

3 comments

Reflecting on “Stuff”

As I make the move to the Bay Area, dealing with my “stuff” is a big thing.  Going from a 4,000 square foot house to a 10′ by 12′ room in a friend’s apartment has been an adjustment both physically and mentally.  But more interestingly, its lead me to reflect on all the stuff I have and what it really means to me.  This Paul Graham essay on Stuff from 2007 also resonates with me.

The Story of My Stuff

In 2004 I purged everything I owned except for what would fit into the Land Rover I bought, and moved to downtown Seattle.  That felt great, and being free of stuff also kept my mind free of clutter as I embarked on the beginning of my career.  While I was making $9 as an hour, I had no money for buying anything except for the occasional professional clothing item or meal out with a friend.  If I was spending money, it was on experiences.

By 2006 I was making good money, and dating the man who would become my husband.  I had moved into a penthouse studio apartment and wanted to impress him (duh) with my taste, as well as enjoy the freedom of not having to conform to the tastes of a roommate.  Ikea furniture, books I had been storing at my parent’s house, kitchen utensils, clothes, SHOES… the “stuff” began to accumulate, and soon the studio was feeling pretty cramped.

We got married in the summer of 2007 and moved into his bachelor pad, which had even less personal space than my studio.  The cheap Ikea furniture had to go and once again my personal style was subordinated to someone else’s idea of “home” – which at the time was uber-sparse and uber-expensive (and uber-masculine) urban chic.  I got rid of my car too, which was wonderful at first but later felt stifling, in favor of his Audi.  In all, from a materialistic point of view my entire lifestyle was upgraded when our possessions became shared.  All I really brought my ever-growing book collection, and enormous collection of designer shoes and fabulous clothes.  For two newlyweds, this was a lot of stuff to manage.

So what did we do?  We bought a bigger container for our stuff, in the form of a 4,000 square foot house in the suburbs.  What started out as curiousity about what was on the market turning into me finding our dream house.  We moved in on Halloween 2007, a mere 3 months after getting married.  Our stuff began to expand again… we left all the furniture at the Seattle condo (we were renting it out) and took on a bunch of furniture from my parent’s house that they had been saving for us, as well as piano, 8 person dining room table, and new couches, bar stools, etc.  AHHH!  We were in stuff acquisition mode, shopping every weekend for stuff to make our not-so-little nest feel like a home.

And then the economy tanked.

I wish I could say that we’d been frugal with our acquisitions, but with Kevin’s job at Microsoft and my investments flying high we weren’t too concerned.  I was working for a startup, making a startup income, but we were still a two income household without anyone depending on us.  My walk in closet was stocked with fabulous outfits, I wore labels, and we threw dinner parties almost every week.  While the market crashed we were in Las Vegas, treating my little sister to a memorable 21st birthday.  Looking back, that was probably one of the best ways we spent money that year.

Traveling Sets Me Free of My Stuff

On Friday, I flew from SFO to Seattle with my most important “stuff”: my black Kate Spade purse, MacBook pro, iPhone, engagement ring and necklace my husband gave me for Valentine’s Day this year, my passport and some cash.  I could have flown anywhere in the world and started my life from that moment in time with the items in that bag.  That’s a pretty empowering thought, and lead me to think that the lack of “stuff” might be part of why people find travel so liberating – it certainly is for me.

What I’ve Learned: Buy Experiences, Not Things

Enabling great experiences and memories, shared with people I enjoy, is the most important leisure activity in my life.  My rule of thumb now is that my “stuff” needs to enhance or enable experiences in some way, or it isn’t valid.  Additionally, the more expensive the item (both in terms of money and amount of trouble I go to keeping it) it better generate lasting and repeat value.

Another important thing I’ve learned is that owning expensive things is great, but only if you use them.  Each time you use them, its a part of the experience of owning something.  If you know me, you know that I have a thing for expensive leather purses and shoes, and that’s because when I use/wear them the luxury and stylishness of the items creates an experience for me personally.  I love that.  It’s the same for things like owning silver and china, or crystal.  Use it or give it to someone who will.

10 Things I Need to Travel the World

  1. Internet (Sprint mifi)
  2. iPhone & charger (Apple)
  3. MacBook pro & charger (Apple)
  4. jeans & a t-shirt
  5. expensive & indestructible purse (Kate Spade)
  6. expensive & durable/comfortable shoes (Tory Burch)
  7. all-in-one makeup kit (Lancome, buy it at the airport)
  8. passport
  9. cash (or access to cash via ATM card)
  10. my wonderful husband Kevin

 
  
 
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