Why we work in Stealth Mode this time
[update: site sold too early...]
Many people believe that startups in stealth mode suck or that stealth mode is a big mistake, but I like the experience so far... The last weeks I'm working with John on our first project we keep secret. And there are many reasons that we decided to keep it secret.
No, we do NOT try to protect our idea as if nobody else has ever thought of it. We're confident we could beat in execution any other team with the same idea 
And no, we don't try to be perfect at launch; we're old enough to know it's not possible.
The reasons are simple. We just try to work quietly and be 100% concentrated on developing the site. We don't need to advertise at this stage. And we're changing things every day, if we were in beta mode, we would have to spend half our day explaining to our first members what has changed and why. By the way, it's not clear yet what exactly our final messaging will be, and this is the only thing we wouldn't like to change soon after it's decided.
So far I see stealth mode as a huge timesaver. We're talking less and we're working more! I hope we don't like this mode so much that we never escape from it...
[update: site sold too early...]
Is this a “web 2.0″ design? 26 characteristics to look for
A breakdown of most common characteristics of "web 2.0" websites.
Every "web 2.0" website has some of the following characteristics, I would estimate at least 10. No, I didn't use any scientific method to get to this number, it's just an intuitive estimation.
Here is the list:
1) Use of AJAX: It's synonymous with web 2.0, the less times the page refreshes, the more "web 2.0" the site is. Use of features like search suggest or drag and drop make it even more "web 2.0" and more user friendly. Example: gmail who made AJAX famous
2) Big fonts in headers and text. Example: 37signals
3) Big buttons and big text fields in forms. Example: digg signup
4) Gradient boxes. Example: kaboodle. Photoshop Tutorial in Web 2.0 Design Kit
5) Diagonal stripes. Usually in the background. Example: techcrunch. Photoshop tutorial: designmeltdownÂ
6) Centered layouts. It's rare to find a left aligned layout anymore. Example: videoegg
7) Highlighted text. Example: amberjack
Reflections. Usually in logos. Example: fluxiom. Photoshop tutorial: planetphotoshop
9) Shades. Example: ning. Photoshop Tutorial in Web 2.0 Design Kit
10) A live counter. How much space in gmail, how many clicks tracked with crazyegg, how many calories burned with traineo.
11) Trademark round flashes. These "sign up" or "free" star shape graphics are everywhere. Example: traineo sign-up graphic. Photoshop Tutorial in Web 2.0 Design Kit
12) Cute icons. Example: itsdex
13) Rounded corners. Example: crazyegg. Photoshop Tutorial in Web 2.0 Design Kit
14) Links with highlighted background on mouseover. Example: flickr
15) The "BETA" notice near the logo. Some projects never escape the beta mode... Example: kosmix
16) A tag cloud. This is a must have. Example: 43things
17) RSS feeds with the well known "subscribe me" buttons. Example: feedburner
18) Neutral colored fading backgrounds. Example: edgeio
19) A link to the blog. Example: mobissimo
20) Big footer. Example: linkedin
21) Use of shades of green. Green is the color of web 2.0 and a common choice for web 2.0 websites. Example: ning
22) The word "Free" is often mentioned. Most web 2.0 websites are free and depend on advertising to make money. Example: wikipedia
23) Instant validation and yellow-fade technique. When you edit something on the page a yellow highlight briefly spotlights the change when the page reloads. Example: 37signals who made it famous
24) A lot of white space that makes text easier to read. Example: linkedin
25) Friendly and funny error message when the website is down. Example: funny error 404 page
26) Members' thumbnails (avatars) featured on the homepage. Most web 2.0 websites have a community. It's all about social networking after all... Example: mybloglog