Why I won’t be closing down BetaPunch: A formal apology

"I won’t make any excuses for my actions even though it’s very challenging doing a startup and all I can say is I am still learning and it makes me hungry to try and do better."<p>Couldn't even make it a full sentence without contradicting himself. This is definitely not how to do an apology either.

Ouch, Ross, you're getting a well deserved flogging. In case your apology was just a step in the direction of understanding that you are probably kind of an ass, I think you owe it to yourself to make more steps in that direction and then changing. I can only imagine what it must feel like to deal with such a public flogging among your peers, so I am even somewhat sympathetic, but I hope you take this experience as a humbling experience that makes you accept and internalize that it might just be that so many people might just not be wrong.<p>I look forward to you emerging as only having an asshole, and not you being it.

It is interesting to note how even the apology is more directed at discussing BetaPunch and learning rather than apologizing.<p>How does "Why I won't be closing down BetaPunch" have anything to do with the apology? Seems out of place and still shows a lack of understanding.<p>Leave off all discussion of why you won't be closing BetaPunch and just focus on admitting you screwed up (which was done) and detailing how you will make it right.

I don't get why do small startups screw up small apologies. Here is a simple guide.<p>1. Understand the problem. What/why/how/who/when did you do wrong ?<p>2.Contact said person and try to make things right by fixing the issue. Key word is try, but do it genuinely.<p>3. Write a good press release in the form of a blog post. Title it: Our apology for $problem.<p>4. In the press release include:<p>- We are sorry this happened.<p>- This is how we are fixing/going to fix it.<p>- If you have been wronged by this get in touch at $email.<p>- Thank everyone for their feedback.<p>5. Publish a second press release as a blog post stating what you are doing to prevent $problem.<p>6. With the gained attention, market a new product/service/special to show people you are focused on doing good busines. Call it the "We are sorry special pack" or whatever.<p>Make sure to post it on every social media site out there so that people know you are taking care of your customers.

No part of this addresses what he did wrong or what he will do differently in the future. The title alone tells me he's just trying to get the last word in, even if it's that he's sorry.

I'm not sure what I would need to see to believe that someone who was such an asshole isn't anymore, but this ain't it.

Now might be a good time to recall the School of Apology by Joel Spolsky. It's rather succinct:<p><i>Apologize unreservedly, or not at all.</i><p><a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/customerservice.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/customerservice.html</a> from chapter 4 and further on.

It would be better if he had specifically promised not to share user tests with the general public in future. This almost feels like, "now I know I have to apologize when I share my users' private data, and in future I will apologize when I do that".

This whole thing seems pretty fishy. Like scripted melodrama to be honest. Whatever works, I guess.

I can't imagine what he was originally thinking.

Today I learned: "publically" is apparently a valid spelling of "publicly".<p><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/publically" rel="nofollow">http://www.thefreedictionary.com/publically</a>

This is a really odd post. Has anyone called for BetaPunch to be closed down? This seems like a straw man.<p>If you want to apologize, just apologize. It's not the time for more self-marketing.

I'm not sure whether this was a marketing stunt or the betapunch guys didn't know how to act professionally. Honestly, someone at betapunch should have stepped in and indicated the problem. I'm not even sure why it took two days for a formal apology, it should have been done much sooner than that.<p>Betapunch guys need to hire the right employees to handle PR and interact with people because this post shows those interactive skills are not his strengths.

can some one be kind enough to give TL DR version of what this guy did ? i read the post nut wasnt clear what exactly happened with the customer !

Danielle accepted his apologies and commented on his blog. Hopefully that gesture made him learn something - because by reading his apologies I feel he didn't fully understand what happened.<p>"I completely understand and respect your reasoning."<p>There are many things that I respect and understand but don't agree. I just hope this is not the case.

Give it up people. Put down your rocks and go home. You are a mob. A bunch of bullies.