
Max Klein's top secret private mailing list - mshafrir
http://maxkle.in/
======
blackwoodHolt
I have neither requested nor received any emails from "Max Klein" these
finding are a result of simple google searches.

Max Klein does not exist. He is an identity created by Mark Essien
(www.essien.org).

Mark Essien has two companies registered in the UK one "Qubikle Development
LTD" (www.qubikle.com)and a second "Feather & Moor, Ltd"
(www.feathermoor.com).

The namesakes of Feather & Moor are Joel Feather and Tracy Moor. BOTH of these
individuals don't exist, they are again creations of Mark Essien. The pictures
used for Joel are taken from istockphoto ([http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-
photo-1997908-waiting-for-y...](http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-
photo-1997908-waiting-for-you.php))

whois results for maxkle.in and markessien.com have the same telephone number.

Feather & Moor, Ltd has approaching nearly 300 applications on the appstore.
These apps are "cookie cutter" apps that contain pictures and simple text.

The signing identity on the applications names qubikle.

A cursory googling of the text in the screenshots of some of the applications
reveals that text is taken from wikipedia and other pages without attribution.

OPINION:

I don't know what the contents of the "other" email was but looking at the
apps from "feather & moor ltd" it doesn't strike me that these are wonderful
apps of substance targeting niches but instead low quality keyword targeted
cookie cutter apps using content without permission.

~~~
starkfist
This is kind of cool, like the weird, dark underbelly of app store success.
FREAKISH ANIMAL HYBRIDS, 99c: "Have you ever seen a dog with the head of a
bird? Or a frog with the body of a shark?" FACEBOOK STATUSES YOUR FRIENDS WILL
LIKE, 99c: "Do you wish to be a bit more interesting on facebook, and not just
be the dude saying “I’m bored”? This app contains status messages that will
amuse your friends, and that will definitely get you a lot of “likes” from the
prettiest girls (or guys) in your friends list. Don’t believe me? A friend of
mine, Dave, has been using these messages, and at least 2 people have told how
creative and funny Dave has become recently! Well, good for you Dave, now how
about telling them it was all due to this app?"

It's like the ads in the back of old comic books for sneezing powder or
pamphlets about how to be popular.

~~~
blackwoodHolt
I just wonder what the reasoning is behind making up all these identities.

~~~
thunk
What, like "blackwoodHolt"?

~~~
blackwoodHolt
I have presented controversial information, of course i'm going to use a
throwaway account.

The fact remains, anyone can do the research i've done and see what i've seen,
draw your own conclusions.

------
sperry
Seriously? What can this guy possibly share privately that he can't mention
publicly? Is he really going to give some special insights that a reader can
benefit from to his detriment? Or, does his altruism have some other, hidden
agenda?

I, for one, think this guy is a master troll. I can't believe that many HNers
are not cynical enough to call him out on his feigned success.

Specifically, Andrew Warner wants to interview him? For what? Why give him a
platform if he has no apparent accomplishments worthy of such an audience?

~~~
wgj
Yes, a master troll. After numerous people have questioned Max Klein's
questionable claims, he posted this to HN:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1345692>

So I bit, and sent this email:

    
    
        Hi Max,
    
        I'm one of the curious people who'd like to accept 
        your offer to share more specific information about 
        your current business and products. 
        (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1345692) 
        Thanks for your willingness to share this.
    
        Best regards,
    
        Walt Gordon Jones
        http://waltgordonjones.com/
    

And eventually got this canned response, which I assume everyone else whose
email address he skimmed also received:

    
    
        Hi Guys,
    
        I'm facing some difficulty here. I have more than 120 requests to
        reveal my business secrets and this is a bit much, particularly with
        some shady looking email addresses (I'm talking about you
        hungry_for_money1987). But of course, I don't want to seem like a
        fraud, so what I've done is sent the details of my business to 20
        names who are people that I either already know or are working in some
        prominent startup. For the rest of you, you get to see the details in
        August. Add yourself to my mailing list at
    
        http://maxkle.in
    

Add to this the fact that Max Klein has boasted before about his ability to
game HN'ers. (<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1039080>)

So, Max Klein, here is my reply. I think you rate somewhere below 2/10 on the
authenticity scale, and although your output is high on HN, the value you
contribute pales in comparison to other visible members here. This will truly
be a better place when you are discovered for who you are. Finally: No, my
email response to your fake offer does not constitute permission to spam me
with a solicitation for your email list.

~~~
icey
Max sent me "the other" email, and I can verify that his claims (at least the
claims of having many sales on the app store) are true.

Looking through the applications that he listed, I can see why he wasn't
interested in sharing the details of his business with a bunch of strangers.
Honestly, his success looks like it's the product of a ton of labor rather
than luck or trickery.

If I had gotten the email you got, then I probably would have a similar
opinion. I wasn't going to mention anything about it but I think it's only
fair to Max that someone say that he's provided the data to back up his
claims.

As an aside, please consider this from Max's perspective (and he tried to
explain it in the email you got) - he makes his money from a replicable
business model; and one that he ramped up in a few month's time. With a flood
of people asking for the details on the business model, he opted to give
himself some buffer time before explaining everything.

Additionally, in the email you received there was a short list of names that
he told you he did send the information to; instead of besmirching him here,
you could have emailed any one of them to verify his claims. I know it's
frustrating to have incomplete information, but please try to maintain some
civility.

I hope we can give the drama a rest for a little while; he's given up a lot
more information than I think most people here would.

~~~
wgj
I appreciate your reply, and all the points you make. My issue is not with how
much information he shares. We all have that right. My issue is with a very
smart person who knowingly offers to share information he has no real intent
to share. That's at least disingenuous.

------
ax0n
Max who?

~~~
thunk
Max _Klein_. It's in the title, Duh!

~~~
ax0n
Well, yeah... but it's some dude I've never heard of who thinks he's somehow
important enough that a significant subset of hackers should have heard of
him. Cursory Googling shows he's "The cube of M" guy, and I couldn't care
less.

