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mac
What can you do with money?
some
Purchase an your own personal airplane and realize just how freaking cool it is that a trip from wherever you are to 3 states away is just 3 hours away, no airport hassles & wait times included. It makes the world feel a lot more closer. All of a sudden, a trip to LA from Seattle is just like a trip from LA to Fresno. Except your flying, in an airplane , inside a 180 degree view angle canopy.Purchase time with your money in hiring other people to do the chores in your work & life. (This may not apply for you) Purchasing real estate close to your work, reducing commute times to 10 minutes from maybe the hour or two you have already.
Question to the successful guys amongst you: Did you find out what to do with the Money?I run a successful startup. I dont make a fortune, but all of a sudden I have a lot more money then ever before. And guess what - I have not clue what to do with it.Today, I read this:www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/27/DIME.TMPAnd there is a sentence: "The person who sold the dime is Oakland businessman Daniel Rosenthal, who was unavailable for comment, perhaps because a person newly in possession of $1.9 million has got better things to do than answer a lot of questions."I really would like to know: What are these "better things"?What are those better things I could do then chillin on my sofa and reading ycombinator and stuff?
8
26
2007-07-29 07:15:54 UTC
37,415
37,196
mac
How do you encourage users to share/copy/evolve data while preventing competitors from copying it?
amichail
You make it a royal pain in the ass to do it beyond the typical user scale to the point where it's cheaper to create their own similar data than to attempt to copy yours. Myspace does it for example. You can search their enitre user database with just clicks, but good luck in trying to scrape their entire user database.Anything beyond that and your talking DRM.
What sort of license would you use?
3
7
2007-07-29 07:35:22 UTC
37,420
37,418
tuukkah
Facebook account disabled because I wasn't confirmed by my high school within 60 days
StStartup
So do we say the Terms of Service suck if they can remove you from your social network based on what they "believe"? Or perhaps the people who depend too much on any service (instead of an open platform) should bear the risk?
Should a startup bind to these kind of policies?Is this policy required by state laws?
1
4
2007-07-29 08:37:08 UTC
37,426
37,425
7media
click this link and you will see that the link does not exists and says expired,yes its ycombinator
7media
got this from clicking on login from the new page.
null
0
1
2007-07-29 10:00:38 UTC
37,427
37,418
steve
Facebook account disabled because I wasn't confirmed by my high school within 60 days
StStartup
That's part of the reason I disabled my account, their absolute insistence that you identify exactly who you are is a huge privacy problem.It is because of this that facebook users experience bigger privacy problems than other sites, regardless of what their publicity tells you.
Should a startup bind to these kind of policies?Is this policy required by state laws?
0
4
2007-07-29 10:02:29 UTC
37,431
37,370
ivankirigin
How I Did It: Philip Rosedale, CEO, Linden Lab
bootload
I have no idea why MMORPGs run from virtual currency with open trading markets for real currency. Pitch that to any finance guy, and if he's smart he'd be on board. Sure there is lots of regulation. That's what we like to call a "barrier to entry" and a reason to work on the problem.Further, there WILL be an exchange system, but it will have a great deal of loss. Think of what ebay and paypal win in exchanges outside second-life. I wouldn't call it "dead weight loss", but SL could have easily made money just on taking a cut of sales, and being the best exchange.Either way, this glosses over the idea that SL is perhaps the most mind numbing way to waste time in video games. Maybe that will change with the crytek engine.
null
0
13
2007-07-29 11:56:21 UTC
37,445
37,384
aarontait
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
Dual Canadian/US citizen. Currently living in the Greater Toronto Area.
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
27
24
2007-07-29 13:25:39 UTC
37,447
37,370
aarontait
How I Did It: Philip Rosedale, CEO, Linden Lab
bootload
You can tell he is a true entrepreneur. Despite the fact that everyone thought he, and second life, were crazy, he went through with it. Who's the crazy one now?
null
3
13
2007-07-29 13:40:15 UTC
37,450
37,120
aarontait
Kedrosky: Twitter - "Business plans are overrated, and profits perhaps even more so."
nickb
I would have to disagree with this. I certainly don't like this general mentality that seems to engulf the Web 2.0 world. It is the same mentality that made the .com boom bust. A business needs to make money. That is why it is a business. I can side on not having a business plan, being flexible is very important. But to not have a business model or any foreseeable way of making money is just stupid. A business that generates no revenue is a collective hobby, nothing more.
null
2
9
2007-07-29 13:47:19 UTC
37,456
37,382
jamongkad
Jquery Essentials
twism
Of all the JS frameworks I've used(mind you I used to use Prototype and the like) I was most productive with Jquery and I will continue to use it in all of my projects. That's how much I love Jquery!
null
0
6
2007-07-29 14:04:36 UTC
37,459
37,384
amichail
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
I'm in Toronto.
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
22
24
2007-07-29 14:13:11 UTC
37,461
37,384
naish
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
In London town.
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
23
24
2007-07-29 14:28:04 UTC
37,462
37,120
patrickg-zill
Kedrosky: Twitter - "Business plans are overrated, and profits perhaps even more so."
nickb
If Twitter generates enough traffic they can revenue share from the cell phone companies. So they have a business model already. I get the feeling that they don't want people to know this.
null
0
9
2007-07-29 14:53:49 UTC
37,466
37,384
comforteagle
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
Another New Brunswicker here.
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
15
24
2007-07-29 15:57:00 UTC
37,467
37,441
acgourley
A Social-Networking Service With a Velvet Rope
zx76
Heh, I thought it was going to be about: http://www.top20network.com/
null
0
2
2007-07-29 16:27:38 UTC
37,468
37,384
michael_nielsen
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
I'm an Australian, now living in Waterloo, just outside Toronto.
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
7
24
2007-07-29 16:27:41 UTC
37,470
37,469
dpapathanasiou
Virtual Graveyard Holds Dead of MySpace
dpapathanasiou
Someone here at news.yc was talking about this very concept; I'm not sure if this is his site, or if someone else had the same idea and executed it.
null
0
1
2007-07-29 17:07:35 UTC
37,472
37,384
freekrai
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
Kelowna, British Columbia
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
16
24
2007-07-29 17:15:42 UTC
37,473
37,464
dfranke
Characteristics That Make a Startup a Startup
drm237
It would be easier and more accurate simply to define a startup as a company which intends to derive its profits from a product which it has not yet finished building.
What characteristics do startups have that small businesses lack?
3
9
2007-07-29 17:24:15 UTC
37,474
37,384
rami
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
Halifax
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
19
24
2007-07-29 17:28:52 UTC
37,475
37,394
kmt
Getting Things Done, in Emacs
nickb
I've been using gnus/muse/bbdb/planner/remember and of course emacs itself for a while now (years). It is a helpful combination of tools and extremely flexible. Not perfect of course, unless you think that living entirely in emacs is perfect.
null
0
7
2007-07-29 17:28:54 UTC
37,477
37,384
Ultrapreneur
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
Representing Kitchener/Waterloo Ontario Canada, the Silicon Valley of the North. (RIM, Sandvine, Dalsa, Open Text) and fellow Canadians planning on applying this fall?
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
0
24
2007-07-29 17:41:27 UTC
37,479
37,384
samson
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
Waterloo, Ontario
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
21
24
2007-07-29 18:00:12 UTC
37,481
37,394
palish
Getting Things Done, in Emacs
nickb
1) Install Viper and Vimpulse... :)
null
1
7
2007-07-29 18:06:13 UTC
37,485
37,384
dlimeb
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
Yes, Toronto.
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
24
24
2007-07-29 18:36:53 UTC
37,487
37,464
chrisconley
Characteristics That Make a Startup a Startup
drm237
first, what does it mean to finish building a product? --take a look at this interview i did that was in the same series of posts as the article in question: www.startuporbust.com/2007/07/dharmesh-shah/ To me finished, is the first time you "release to the unexpecting." second, would I describe a startup as dfranke did? i think he's on the right track but also have trouble with the idea of an unfinished product; a little too vague. third, is facebook a startup? i think so, although they are a pretty established company, they appear to still have a startup mentality.just my two cents
What characteristics do startups have that small businesses lack?
2
9
2007-07-29 18:41:38 UTC
37,491
37,488
rokhayakebe
Why failure doesn't hurt so much with startups (and why you will try again and again failure after failure)
amichail
It hurts a lot my friend. Have you not received that email from ycombinator after they made the 40 some invitation calls? Or have you not launched a product and have 100 users after 5 months (knowing that 95 are from your friends network)? That being said, startupreneurs are usually go-getters by nature. It hurts us more to stay inactive than to to fail. So it is more like choosing between two pains. THIS (startuping), my friend, is an incurable illness. The only way to stay alive is do work on something you like. If you do not, you are slowly making yourself weaker.
Although you may encounter failure often with startups, it's not so bad because you are doing what you want to do. And working for yourself is infinitely better than working for someone else.
2
4
2007-07-29 19:26:12 UTC
37,496
37,335
jmpeters
In a Highly Complex World, Innovation From the Top Down
pg
The author is in search of generalizations where none exist. The closed nature of the Mac and the iPod says more about the personality of one individual -- Steve Jobs -- than it does about some larger trend. The statement that "new technologies are becoming so complex that many are beyond the possibility of democracy playing a role in their development" is belied by Linux and other large-scale open-source systems, which are every bit as complex and as impressive as anything produced by "corporate or government initiatives overseen by elites."There are plenty of successful examples of both top-down and bottom-up approaches to innovation in the marketplace today. Innovation is alive and well, especially in the high tech world, and attempts to put the great diversity of innovation happening today into one of two tidy academic cubbyholes seems like a waste of time.
null
0
8
2007-07-29 20:24:53 UTC
37,497
37,262
waleedka
Excellent startup to anonymously review and rate your doctor experience
szczupak
Are patients the right people to rate doctors? Can a patient reliably tell if the doctor is ordering the right tests or not?
null
3
6
2007-07-29 20:39:37 UTC
37,499
37,464
pg
Characteristics That Make a Startup a Startup
drm237
There's one root difference between startups and other small businesses: startups are meant to grow very fast.The other differences all follow from that one. Startups do technology. They're usually product companies rather than consulting companies. They have exits (either IPO or sale) and give employees options.
What characteristics do startups have that small businesses lack?
0
9
2007-07-29 20:52:54 UTC
37,502
37,335
ivankirigin
In a Highly Complex World, Innovation From the Top Down
pg
Look to the openMoko for distributed innovation from a mobile device -- and the opening of the spectrum.
null
2
8
2007-07-29 21:30:21 UTC
37,505
37,488
prakash
Why failure doesn't hurt so much with startups (and why you will try again and again failure after failure)
amichail
"Plan to throw one away, you will anyhow." -- Fred Brooks"If you plan to throw one away, you will throw away two." -- Craig Zerouni
Although you may encounter failure often with startups, it's not so bad because you are doing what you want to do. And working for yourself is infinitely better than working for someone else.
0
4
2007-07-29 22:10:04 UTC
37,507
37,384
jward
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
Edmonton.
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
11
24
2007-07-29 22:20:32 UTC
37,509
37,489
jward
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
About 5 years back I had an idea for a free wireless system. I'd go and offer places like Starbucks and Chapters free wireless for their customers. The hardware at their end would be a simple DSL/Cable modem hooked up through a small form factor unix box with a wireless card in it and a fairly anal set of firewall rules to prevent deep abuse.The business model was to be setting up in line ad replacement on websites with a focus on local businesses. You're sitting in the coffee shop and an ad comes up for 10% off your next purchase at the book store across the corner, or a two for one this day only at the diner down the street.I was working at Telus (big canadian telecom) at the time and they had just started cracking down on employees running side businesses that crossed over their product and service lines. I would've been fired and sued if I would've started it up, too broke to do it alone, and didn't have a clue where to go for investors or the like. I'm still tempted to do this, but free wireless has spread so much it would be hard to penetrate the market and convince people my way was the best way.I regret not having the balls to say that three months living expenses was good enough, lets make a prototype and get a test going and pray I can find some business minded investors in time.
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
0
9
2007-07-29 22:31:48 UTC
37,510
37,335
ivankirigin
In a Highly Complex World, Innovation From the Top Down
pg
There is a huge confusion in this article. It tries to equate distributed innovation ("democratized") with government mandated research into things like stem cells (also "democratized" in the literal sense of mandated by a democratic government). That doesn't even make any sense, to confuse the two.I have to agree with another comment about finding generalizations where there are none. Painting with a rather broad brush: all technologies are developed by elite teams top-down or distributed.What about elite, distributed teams? Yah-know -- like the set of all startups :-P
null
1
8
2007-07-29 22:42:54 UTC
37,511
37,506
cperciva
news.yc Bug: Upvote more than once
epi0Bauqu
Looks to me like trying to vote multiple times this way will keep on updating the web page you see, but the server only records one vote.
Click the up vote arrow, and then keep hitting the enter key. I didn't try the down vote arrow. On Firefox 2.0.0.5.
0
24
2007-07-29 22:44:23 UTC
37,516
37,506
rzwitserloot
news.yc Bug: Upvote more than once
epi0Bauqu
.... or just keep clicking the invisible arrow. Your mouse even turns to the usual pointer cursor.And as cperciva said, they don't register on the server.
Click the up vote arrow, and then keep hitting the enter key. I didn't try the down vote arrow. On Firefox 2.0.0.5.
3
24
2007-07-29 23:13:31 UTC
37,517
37,489
nraynaud
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
I'm more the kind of person with no big idea. I think I should start a constellation of websites and see what takes up.Maybe one day I will have THE big idea, but for now ...
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
4
9
2007-07-29 23:16:54 UTC
37,522
37,322
litepost
The Dilbert Blog: The Secret - Is success socially contagious?
paul
What an excellent little fucking article.
null
2
21
2007-07-30 00:06:57 UTC
37,523
37,506
jey
news.yc Bug: Upvote more than once
epi0Bauqu
news.yc Bug: Users can get free karma points by posting a submission claiming that submissions can be voted on more than once. [1] [2]1. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=297362. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37506
Click the up vote arrow, and then keep hitting the enter key. I didn't try the down vote arrow. On Firefox 2.0.0.5.
1
24
2007-07-30 00:22:45 UTC
37,525
37,518
tiki12revolt
LISP IDEs: CUSP rules
nickb
IMHO, so much nicer than emacs + SLIME. but really I never liked emacs. (no flame intended).
null
2
8
2007-07-30 00:25:27 UTC
37,531
37,489
martin
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
FYI, GrandCentral's concept isn't at all original. Other companies, like uReach.com, have had similar offerings (often called "Follow Me") for many years. But they're probably the first to offer it for free, and definitely the first to offer it with your choice of area code for free.
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
8
9
2007-07-30 00:49:21 UTC
37,535
37,506
portLAN
news.yc Bug: Upvote more than once
epi0Bauqu
Personally I'm wondering why I can't downvote comments. Not enough karma yet?
Click the up vote arrow, and then keep hitting the enter key. I didn't try the down vote arrow. On Firefox 2.0.0.5.
2
24
2007-07-30 01:06:03 UTC
37,543
37,480
mark-t
A proposal for a service to make random people famous
amichail
How many people host their websites where they could handle a lot of traffic? I sure don't. Up until last year, mine was running on a 586 with 32 MB of EDO-RAM (remember that stuff?), from my parents' house.I think you'd have to stick to myspace pages, and, well, I think we both know that's a bad idea.
null
0
1
2007-07-30 01:55:13 UTC
37,546
37,518
whamied
LISP IDEs: CUSP rules
nickb
I get a"java.lang.NullPointerException"whenever I try to load the REPL. Any suggestions?
null
1
8
2007-07-30 02:12:05 UTC
37,547
37,506
ryantmulligan
news.yc Bug: Upvote more than once
epi0Bauqu
do some people have enough karma to downvote submissions?
Click the up vote arrow, and then keep hitting the enter key. I didn't try the down vote arrow. On Firefox 2.0.0.5.
4
24
2007-07-30 02:31:00 UTC
37,548
37,489
ryantmulligan
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
don't talk about what you regret not implementing. Implement the next thing.
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
13
9
2007-07-30 02:33:00 UTC
37,551
37,539
aswanson
PG, if you could haved joined 3 Y Combinator start-ups from any session, which would they have been?
blored
He can't answer this without dissing the remaining groups he did not choose.
I know it's a lot like choosing between children, but I'd still like to know.
0
5
2007-07-30 02:55:05 UTC
37,552
37,384
byosko
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
Montreal, QC here.Why do you ask?
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
14
24
2007-07-30 02:58:30 UTC
37,556
37,489
kyro
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
I came up with essentially the same idea as inviteshare about 2 years ago. It all started with a "damn, where the hell are these guys getting all these invitations."My version was a bit different in that users would have to give feedback to sites whose invitations weren't ridiculously rare, and as you gave feedback, you would earn points. Then, when the really hot invitations would roll around, users could bid on them using the points they've accumulated. Either that, or the more your feedback was rated positively, the higher up a ladder you climb, giving you priority/ more points.That all ended with me pitching the idea to a friend of mine and having him reply "Eh, sounds cool, but I don't think anyone would use it."Looks like my $25k was meant for another bunch. Oh how impressionable I was.
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
2
9
2007-07-30 03:21:51 UTC
37,561
37,489
blored
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
This is like a group confessional,Anyways, everyday I have to put up with my co-founder's whining about Meebo. I don't really know what they do or how they make money, but now I'm starting to see their name everywhere.My co-founder is convinced that he had the idea behind meebo in undergrad but just was too lazy implement it.In fact, I am going to send this link to my co-founder so he can see me go on the record in saying that he is the laziest SOB in our time zone.That's right, I'm hating on my own co-founder. Go Meebo.
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
3
9
2007-07-30 04:05:58 UTC
37,563
37,541
sabat
GIMP's major UI revamp (unified window UI)
nickb
man, if they'd just do a port to cocoa so the macos didn't have to run X ... sigh
null
0
5
2007-07-30 04:23:36 UTC
37,564
37,384
sabat
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
... well then sooory boot that, eh! here's a dooollar. take off! ;-)
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
28
24
2007-07-30 04:24:18 UTC
37,566
37,532
s_baar
Maybe we should start thinking of Youtube as just one channel.
dbosson
This is a good idea and will inevitably become reality if YouTube does not come up with a way to organize all it's content by multiple layers (subject, content, region, language). Also, I remember seeing that there was a website like youtube but for racists that were kicked off yt. 3 years ago I'd not have been sure that Google would be really willing to execute it's goal of "organizing all the world's data," but now that we've seen they're willing to compromise in order to penetrate China's market, you can bet they'll be willing to reach an resolution to objectionable content.Your theory is not entirely out of the question even if the above is true. Google may have acknowledged this. I say this because they have said that youtube will remain youtube while Google video will be a site to organize the content. Most major networks do have applications online to view their content.
As video moves from TV to the internet it is silly to think that any one website can handle all the content, even if that one website is owned by Google. On TV there is not one channel for every show; there are many channels that focus on certain types of shows. The internet should be the same. There should be many websites that focus on specific types of shows, and there should be one directory that lists all these websites. This is just a fringe thought, but imagine if a company builds an application that lets all the major media companies have their own website, where they can show whatever shows they want. And all this application does is tie all the video websites together. Kind of like how Yahoo listed all the cool websites, this application could list all the cool video websites [in an interactive way].
0
1
2007-07-30 04:28:17 UTC
37,567
37,489
mynameishere
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
bittorrent. I had that idea before it came out. I could prove it, too, from old usenet postings, though I don't want to give away my anonymity.
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
15
9
2007-07-30 04:33:49 UTC
37,570
37,463
henning
The TechCrunch party (Y Combinator startups were there in full force)
drm237
OMG vicarious cool-Internet-people stuff! girls!!
The TechCrunch party was fun. I had taken out a stack of what I thought was at least 1 billion business cards, plus another 10 or so in my wallet, and managed to give them all away and get a few dozen in return. I plan on following up on pretty much all of them.
1
21
2007-07-30 04:41:28 UTC
37,579
37,489
puppetsock
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
A few years back I was toying with the idea of applying citation-based ranking to ranking webpages... sigh...
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
7
9
2007-07-30 05:47:00 UTC
37,580
37,518
daniel-cussen
LISP IDEs: CUSP rules
nickb
I saw the prices for Allegro Common Lisp and Lispworks. 600 and 2000 bucks, respectively, per user.
null
0
8
2007-07-30 05:53:10 UTC
37,584
37,322
dbosson
The Dilbert Blog: The Secret - Is success socially contagious?
paul
People should read Think and Grow Rich before they read the secret.
null
1
21
2007-07-30 06:28:07 UTC
37,589
37,539
SwellJoe
PG, if you could haved joined 3 Y Combinator start-ups from any session, which would they have been?
blored
Here's my bets (maybe I'll corner pg one day and find out if I'm right):1. Loopt (this is the only one I'm sure is on the list)2. reddit (news.yc is rather overwhelming evidence)I'm on to pure speculation at this point...but I'll take a stab:3. Zenter (the only thing I think makes this possibly not as likely is that they sold so quickly...I think pg might like to shoot for something bigger and more world-changing this time around, since he already has plenty of money...maybe Weebly or Buxfer would be number three in that case, while Parakey probably gets disqualified for the similarly early exit)But, I obviously can't speak for pg, and I'm just making stuff up based on limited knowledge. Take it as you will.
I know it's a lot like choosing between children, but I'd still like to know.
1
5
2007-07-30 06:54:43 UTC
37,590
37,489
jmpeters
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
Ideas are overrated. Execution matters far more. GrandCentral is very similar to a company called ThinkLink which preceded it by about five years. Facebook coopted ConnectU's ideas. The history of high technology is replete with similar examples. Yet GrandCentral and Facebook deserve their success. They weren't the most innovative in their respective spaces, but they executed best. That's what counts.
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
1
9
2007-07-30 07:24:44 UTC
37,596
37,593
rms
What will come after web apps and social sites?
daniel-cussen
Location based apps on cell phones.
A lot of startups seem to be doing these two things. While there are plenty of opportunities in these areas, what do you think the next big thing will be?
9
13
2007-07-30 08:15:14 UTC
37,597
37,463
staunch
The TechCrunch party (Y Combinator startups were there in full force)
drm237
I was pretty disappointed with the kinds of people I met at TechCrunch7. I have no desire to attend any other TC events. I know there are some interesting people but the ratio is as bad as most nightclubs. It should have been called SuitFest9.
The TechCrunch party was fun. I had taken out a stack of what I thought was at least 1 billion business cards, plus another 10 or so in my wallet, and managed to give them all away and get a few dozen in return. I plan on following up on pretty much all of them.
0
21
2007-07-30 08:19:32 UTC
37,617
37,489
lkozma
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
I was thinking of a keyboard that has displays on keys, long before Art.Lebedev came out with the Optimus keyboard concept. I didn't think of all the functionality they came up with, I just thought of rearranging/reconfiguring the key layout to suit one's typing style. Well, I don't really regret not implementing it, because I couldn't have done it, and it's not really practical.
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
5
9
2007-07-30 10:54:45 UTC
37,621
37,600
davidw
Ask Steve #2 - Invest Your Time to Make Millions, Not Dollars
nickb
Something irritates me about the answer, but I can't quite put a finger on it.He's right that Amazon is a bad way of making money. I hardly ever get anything out of book links. His idea may very well not be a winner.However... "try and make millions" sort of sounds like an excuse to never try. If the guy's young, why not try a few things that make some money rather than put things off waiting for a 'million dollar idea'.
null
0
4
2007-07-30 11:22:48 UTC
37,624
37,489
kieranoneill
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
I had the idea for PornoTube (YouTube for Porn), but couldn't live with not being able to tell my girlfriend's parents what I did ;-)Shame, it's now Alexa rank 203 - probably 10 times the size of twitter. :(
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
12
9
2007-07-30 12:05:25 UTC
37,625
37,593
steve
What will come after web apps and social sites?
daniel-cussen
What are the next sites that will get their users laid.
A lot of startups seem to be doing these two things. While there are plenty of opportunities in these areas, what do you think the next big thing will be?
4
13
2007-07-30 12:13:45 UTC
37,635
37,489
davidw
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
I had the idea of creating a social stock market type thing a couple of years ago. There appear to be a few that are moderately successful, but it's a pretty obvious idea in any case, so I'm not too worried about it.
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
10
9
2007-07-30 13:00:13 UTC
37,639
37,637
drm237
Artists can now sell downloads directly thanks to this startup
drm237
Sorry for posting this. When I first skimmed it, I was concentrating on the idea but after re reading it, the grammar and spelling is so poor it probably shouldn't have made it up.
Let me tell you about a startup artists have been waiting for a long time: DiscRevolt
0
1
2007-07-30 13:03:27 UTC
37,641
37,384
dkimbell2000
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
Bristol, England (Canadian/British)
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
13
24
2007-07-30 13:05:21 UTC
37,645
37,488
brlewis
Why failure doesn't hurt so much with startups (and why you will try again and again failure after failure)
amichail
You're always working for someone else. Startups are for people who prefer working for customers as opposed to working for a boss. Whether the former is infinitely better depends on the customers and on the boss.
Although you may encounter failure often with startups, it's not so bad because you are doing what you want to do. And working for yourself is infinitely better than working for someone else.
1
4
2007-07-30 13:19:34 UTC
37,647
37,644
ivan
I hate/luv my job social network
rokhayakebe
Hm ... great idea :)
Alright guys, I haven't research this one, but can someone put together a social network for people who hate their jobs and are trying to find ways to get out. Obviously the best way to do what they love would be to connect with people who already doing it. Hook it up and let me know. You got 2 weeks.
4
6
2007-07-30 13:26:19 UTC
37,651
37,644
twism
I hate/luv my job social network
rokhayakebe
Ning... maybe?
Alright guys, I haven't research this one, but can someone put together a social network for people who hate their jobs and are trying to find ways to get out. Obviously the best way to do what they love would be to connect with people who already doing it. Hook it up and let me know. You got 2 weeks.
2
6
2007-07-30 13:32:52 UTC
37,653
37,644
joshwa
I hate/luv my job social network
rokhayakebe
Make a facebook group.
Alright guys, I haven't research this one, but can someone put together a social network for people who hate their jobs and are trying to find ways to get out. Obviously the best way to do what they love would be to connect with people who already doing it. Hook it up and let me know. You got 2 weeks.
3
6
2007-07-30 13:37:38 UTC
37,654
37,370
ntoshev
How I Did It: Philip Rosedale, CEO, Linden Lab
bootload
The love machine concept and the way to handle budgeting are great.
null
1
13
2007-07-30 13:39:46 UTC
37,656
37,246
wundie
What can you do with money?
some
"If I had a million dollars I'd do 2 chicks at the same time!"Seriously, I don't see the issue. Do you have any friends? If you're lacking in the friends department then don't read any further and work on companionship as your number one goal. I find a lot of joy organizing events, outings or exciting weekends for my friends. Make sure the trip has a baseline that everyone can afford and then maybe cover a tab or two while you're out. Ideas don't have to be grandiose they are just excuses to hang out and enjoy life together. I thought of a few things I enjoy and listed them below. Have fun planning these events on your own. Research destinations fully and be prepared to promote your trips so others will join you! Its time consuming (and fun) to figure out the 'best' places to go. Does the outing require that you buy any gear? Research the equipment and then buy it! Go CampingHikingDeep Sea fishingHost a wine party / plan a trip to a winery Trip to another City for the WeekendTrip to another Country Get a boatAttend a music festival (Jazz Fest for example)Take up a sport like Biking (Road or Mountain) Hopefully this helps you out somewhat. If you wish to be as happy as me, I'll require $5 to share 'the secret'. Enjoy :)
Question to the successful guys amongst you: Did you find out what to do with the Money?I run a successful startup. I dont make a fortune, but all of a sudden I have a lot more money then ever before. And guess what - I have not clue what to do with it.Today, I read this:www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/27/DIME.TMPAnd there is a sentence: "The person who sold the dime is Oakland businessman Daniel Rosenthal, who was unavailable for comment, perhaps because a person newly in possession of $1.9 million has got better things to do than answer a lot of questions."I really would like to know: What are these "better things"?What are those better things I could do then chillin on my sofa and reading ycombinator and stuff?
1
26
2007-07-30 14:05:14 UTC
37,657
37,593
nostrademons
What will come after web apps and social sites?
daniel-cussen
Energy. Biofuels will continue to remain hot until people realize what a terrible idea they are. Then I'd bet on photovoltaics and advanced battery technologies.Oh, you meant in software? ;-)I think that VOIP/videoconferencing/telecommuting software will get even huger than it is now, along with better social software to manage these interactions. There're three main drivers for this:1.) The cost of bandwidth continues to plummet. YouTube showed that it's feasible to stream decent-quality video to millions of users at once.2.) The cost of gas continues to skyrocket. As commuting becomes more expensive, more knowledge workers will look for an alternative to commuting. Given current technology, it's easier simply not to drive than to find more fuel-efficient ways of driving.3.) Certain companies and projects are showing that it's feasible to work in geographically distributed teams. 37signals has about half of their staff in the Chicago office. The ICFP contest involves a very tricky task that's usually performed by teams of half a dozen people distributed all around the globe. A lot of volunteer organizations and nonprofit websites have large (sometimes > 200 people) teams and no physical office.
A lot of startups seem to be doing these two things. While there are plenty of opportunities in these areas, what do you think the next big thing will be?
0
13
2007-07-30 14:08:16 UTC
37,658
37,593
garbowza
What will come after web apps and social sites?
daniel-cussen
I think the techniques that are being developed for consumer Web 2.0 apps will start penetrating the business market. And as mobile phone continue to gain location identification technologies, mobile apps will finally start gaining more market.
A lot of startups seem to be doing these two things. While there are plenty of opportunities in these areas, what do you think the next big thing will be?
5
13
2007-07-30 14:10:30 UTC
37,659
37,644
jraines
I hate/luv my job social network
rokhayakebe
Isn't this pretty much what YCombinator startup Overhear.us is doing?
Alright guys, I haven't research this one, but can someone put together a social network for people who hate their jobs and are trying to find ways to get out. Obviously the best way to do what they love would be to connect with people who already doing it. Hook it up and let me know. You got 2 weeks.
1
6
2007-07-30 14:11:13 UTC
37,660
37,587
brlewis
Lisp vs. other languages
nickb
I found it fascinating to read the perspective of someone familiar with ML and Haskell but not with Lisp. I wonder how many people like that there are out there? Most people into ML and Haskell are hard-core enough to have learned many languages, and CL or Scheme would generally be one of them.
null
0
2
2007-07-30 14:11:28 UTC
37,667
37,663
toisanji
a collection of startup stories
toisanji
hi all, I just made this site, could you critique it and maybe submit some stories to share with everyone.
Hi all, I just built this site to store and collect people's experiences and stories of doing startups. Could you guys critique the site and maybe add some stories? Thanks.
0
2
2007-07-30 14:33:20 UTC
37,672
37,593
simpleenigma
What will come after web apps and social sites?
daniel-cussen
Personally I think that products that help people mange information overload while providing them a social experience are going to take off in the year or so. Basically finding ways to tailor information towards the individual instead of just analyzing the data for the general population.
A lot of startups seem to be doing these two things. While there are plenty of opportunities in these areas, what do you think the next big thing will be?
1
13
2007-07-30 14:48:38 UTC
37,676
37,670
jsjenkins168
Why it is in Microsoft's self-interest to have an OS that is prone to catching viruses.
amichail
I dont understand your logic.. How could being prone to virus attacks be desirable for Microsoft? From a brand image perspective it is very bad. This is one of the major selling points Apple has over Microsoft, that OSX is less virus prone.
Without viruses, most people would just pirate their software, thus severely damaging the commercial software industry.
0
1
2007-07-30 15:04:12 UTC
37,696
37,593
davidw
What will come after web apps and social sites?
daniel-cussen
I'm hoping for mobiles myself. If the Hecl language were to do moderately well, that would be a nice thing for me. It was well received at OSCON, where I gave a presentation on it.One of the reasons that I think that mobiles will do well is that I think there are a huge number of untapped possibilities out there as phones keep getting faster and better connected. We're all walking around with computers in our pockets and we don't use them at all, currently.
A lot of startups seem to be doing these two things. While there are plenty of opportunities in these areas, what do you think the next big thing will be?
8
13
2007-07-30 16:44:27 UTC
37,697
37,609
run4yourlives
Idea for a new web app
lkozma
I don't think this is a half-bad idea, frankly. My thoughts/suggestions:1. the hardest part here would be the GPS hardware component. Marketing and selling that would be expensive. Perhaps there is a way to track via existing devices? I don't know, I'm not up on my GPS tech.2. I wouldn't even worry about the whole airplane thing anytime soon.3. I could see this being really popular with couples/families. You could also link it to something where if the wife wants milk, she can tag it, and as the husband approaches a store selling milk, viola, text msg. telling hime to get milk. Pretty complex, but neat.Good luck to you.
null
0
6
2007-07-30 16:46:23 UTC
37,698
37,593
bcater
What will come after web apps and social sites?
daniel-cussen
Someone is going to change the model of how we interact with computers. Keyboards are good, mice are good, big plasma screens are really good, but what's next? Is there a faster or more efficient or more enjoyable way to interact with computers? Do computers have to be boxy? Do monitors have to be rectangular? Unless we have reached the pinnacle of "consumer input/output devices," startups will eventually write the applications that take advantage of the new model - that is, if it's not startups that design the model.
A lot of startups seem to be doing these two things. While there are plenty of opportunities in these areas, what do you think the next big thing will be?
3
13
2007-07-30 16:49:08 UTC
37,699
37,680
run4yourlives
The 10 Commandments of Supporting Your Family
eastsidegringo
Dude, I like to promote my blog too, but this has about as much relevance to start-ups as a collection of the most loved songs about cucumbers.At least make it remotely relevant before submitting, or you'll never win any friends here.
Recovering alcoholics are really onto something. They've discovered over at AA that they can accomplish more with a support group in place than they can working individually. Their struggle with addiction seems a lot more manageable knowing that they're not alone in their struggle. So where's the support group for those of us who support our families? Where are the Mom and Dad support groups? And what should these support groups even look like?
0
4
2007-07-30 16:53:09 UTC
37,700
37,593
palish
What will come after web apps and social sites?
daniel-cussen
Passive applications (RescueTime, Di.FM, targeted advertising are examples).
A lot of startups seem to be doing these two things. While there are plenty of opportunities in these areas, what do you think the next big thing will be?
13
13
2007-07-30 16:53:46 UTC
37,702
37,644
run4yourlives
I hate/luv my job social network
rokhayakebe
Just a point: Social Networking is not a cure all for everything. I'd imagine, the market for people who hate their current jobs and want to get out is both small (most people don't have the guts) and temporary (once you do it, it's done).I don't imagine this would be a successful venture, but who knows?
Alright guys, I haven't research this one, but can someone put together a social network for people who hate their jobs and are trying to find ways to get out. Obviously the best way to do what they love would be to connect with people who already doing it. Hook it up and let me know. You got 2 weeks.
0
6
2007-07-30 16:56:13 UTC
37,703
37,489
mikesabat
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
It's not a good question to think about - nothing positive can result.Anyway, I had the idea for throwback sports jerseys way back when. I was so mad when they became a hit. Now I realize execution is much more important.
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
9
9
2007-07-30 17:00:57 UTC
37,707
37,539
blored
PG, if you could haved joined 3 Y Combinator start-ups from any session, which would they have been?
blored
I say: - Loopt - Zenter - One of this session's companies (probably those English guys that were looking to hire at the beginning of the session)
I know it's a lot like choosing between children, but I'd still like to know.
3
5
2007-07-30 17:25:35 UTC
37,709
37,670
paulgb
Why it is in Microsoft's self-interest to have an OS that is prone to catching viruses.
amichail
Hanlon's Razor applies here: "Never assume malice when stupidity will suffice."
Without viruses, most people would just pirate their software, thus severely damaging the commercial software industry.
1
1
2007-07-30 17:45:32 UTC
37,716
37,711
paulgb
Developers, beware. Facebook really is the new Microsoft
nickb
I don't see what the problem is. If I recall correctly, the videos application was developed in-house before the platform was ever released to third-party developers. Because videos and other applications started building their own walls, facebook opened the wall for platform users. This is a good thing for developers, not a bad thing.The statement that "Facebook engineers will detect it, copy the functionality, and render your app pointless" is a pretty wild claim to make without backing it up with evidence.
null
0
1
2007-07-30 18:14:25 UTC
37,719
37,666
cperciva
Have you published research papers/technical articles? If so, which one(s) are you most proud of?
amichail
There are three papers which I'm really proud of:1. Colin Percival, Rapid multiplication modulo the sum and difference of highly composite numbers, Mathematics of Computation, Volume 72, Number 241, Pages 387-395, 2002. http://www.daemonology.net/papers/fft.pdf2. Colin Percival, Cache missing for fun and profit, presented at BSDCan '05, May 2005. http://www.daemonology.net/papers/cachemissing.pdf3. Richard Brent, Colin Percival, and Paul Zimmermann, Error bounds on complex floating-point multiplication, Mathematics of Computation, Volume 76, Number 259, Pages 1469-1481, 2007. http://www.daemonology.net/papers/complexmultiply.pdf
null
0
1
2007-07-30 18:21:22 UTC
37,736
37,720
someless
Deploying on EC2 + S3
palish
nope it dont work
Hello all,I have a little side project I'm getting ready to launch. It's a Rails app using MySQL (though database choice doesn't matter, since it's Rails). I'm considering launching the app purely on S3 + EC2. The idea is, the code will live in S3 by using the S3 filesystem component. I can develop locally and deploy via Capistrano when I push out a new release. The code is then deployed to S3 and the EC2 instance restarts.I'm wondering if this is even viable. Has anyone else that you know of done it? For the database, I have two options. I could either leave the database on the EC2 instance and back it up nightly and never restart the instance (since data only disappears if you restart the instance or due to a hardware failure). The advantage there is database queries are most likely much faster, since it doesn't have to hit the network for each new database query. The disadvantage is, the data may disappear at the drop of a hat, and then it's backup-restore time. The other option is keeping the database in S3, which seems totally secure but might be slow for queries. I'll, of course, be using memcached and other caching mechanisms, but database load seems like it could still play a part.What d'you think, would you launch on EC2 + S3?
8
17
2007-07-30 19:37:36 UTC
37,738
37,489
Tichy
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
Connecting food delivery services to the internet in pre-flarate 1997 (cheaply by using SMS notifications).
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
14
9
2007-07-30 19:43:34 UTC
37,739
37,593
pg
What will come after web apps and social sites?
daniel-cussen
If by web apps you mean server-based apps that you use through some local client, I think that has decades to run.
A lot of startups seem to be doing these two things. While there are plenty of opportunities in these areas, what do you think the next big thing will be?
2
13
2007-07-30 19:43:55 UTC
37,740
37,593
Readmore
What will come after web apps and social sites?
daniel-cussen
Private Space Companies. It's time that we finally step into the next frontier.
A lot of startups seem to be doing these two things. While there are plenty of opportunities in these areas, what do you think the next big thing will be?
12
13
2007-07-30 19:46:07 UTC
37,744
37,489
portLAN
What idea(s) do you regret not implementing?
rokhayakebe
I have ideas I executed on but didn't release due to copyright worries. They were niche but very good.The thing that impresses me most about stuff like YouTube is not the tech (which is no mystery) but how they managed to keep going in the face of massive legal concerns. I never worry about the technical side, only the red tape.
Believe or not, I had the grandcentral idea ( ok it was almost like it ) way before the company launch. I am not saying I had it before they did, but when I start researching the idea and talking to developers, I did not find anything quite like it.
6
9
2007-07-30 19:55:11 UTC
37,746
37,384
guyzero
Are you a Canadian YC News reader?
robin_bb
Yes. I work on King St, Canada. Wait - there are other cities in Canada?
Are there any Canadians reading YC News? Please respond and/or vote up, if yes.
4
24
2007-07-30 19:57:54 UTC