While I was in California interviewing for Coverity, I had dinner at my favorite Chinese restaurant, Chef Chu’s, in Los Altos, CA (El Camino and San Antonio. Go there. It’s great). While waiting for a table, I sat at the bar, watching baseball. The fellow next to me started a conversation. He asked about my background, and seemed extremely interested in talking to me about his business idea.

He wanted to start an online art gallery to display art that he had collected, as well as provide a place for artists to display their wares, and perhaps to sell their works. He had never met a true technical person before, as far as I could tell. He asked for my contact info.

When I got back home, he sent me email asking to talk to me on the phone. He sent me email:

Thanks for sending me the bio. I forwarded it on to the two people working with me so far. You have more experience than both of them in tech and new media. Can you be a new media biz dev person? I will read your bio in more detail tonight.

I wrote back:

I have no experience in business development. My experience is more along the lines of: “OK, we know what we want to build. Go build it.” Good luck to you, and keep in touch.

I then wrote:

I have been thinking, and I don’t think I have the time to to devote to your effort at this stage. If I were local, it might work ou. I also don’t that that I can, as yet, represent what exactly you are trying to do. I have not reached out to <his partner>, because I am not really sure how to approach it.

I wish you luck on your venture. When you have a business plan and are interested in stating to hire, get in touch. I hope things go well for you.

He wrote back:

Understand. Will keep you in touch. Realize I need to contact <his partnet> myself. Will do that Monday. Have enjoyed our conversations, and will be in touch.

And that’s the last I heard from him. I wonder if he had anything to do with https://ello.co?