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gibsonf1
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
41 (first startup (architecture) @ 30) & 33
null
6
14
2007-09-06 02:35:19 UTC
50,890
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tipjoy
Paul Graham: News from the Front
mattculbreth
From what I can tell, being a YC alum has similar benefits to being a Harvard (or other Ivy League) alum.
null
34
103
2007-09-06 02:44:34 UTC
50,891
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sanj
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
I think the better metric isage / (# of startups) in my case: 36/3 = 12
null
1
14
2007-09-06 02:45:21 UTC
50,896
50,862
rms
What was your last job?
cellis
Employer: US Airways GroupPosition: Co-op Propulsion EngineerA Boeing 757 leaves somewhere traveling at 500 miles per hour. A ball bearing falls out and the engine blows up. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field (A) multiply it by the probable rate of failure (B) then multiply the result by the average out of court settlement (C). A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of the recall, we don't do one.
Why aren't you there. Mine was a jr VB.net dev job that paid about $15hr. I decided that I was better off freelancing for rent and doing a startup than that.
0
7
2007-09-06 02:51:04 UTC
50,907
50,773
redrory
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
19
null
39
14
2007-09-06 03:13:08 UTC
50,909
50,409
redrory
My Web 2.0 Application. Feedback wanted
prime0196
Really cool feature.. going play with it some more.
The name of my application is Launchkey www.launchkey.com . It is a content monetization application for blogs/video websites. The core technology allows users to conduct searches within a website using keystrokes, but also can be used for links, images, and video.Here are a few demos: blog:http://launchkey.blogspot.com video:http://launchkey.net/bunny images:http://launchkey.net/vickI currently have a new feature set rolling out soon, but I would like the opinion of this audience just in case the changes that I'm making aren't on target.I have applied to Y/C for the winter session and I think my chances are slim because I don't have a Co-Founder. So if your a hacker with skills in this space, drop me a line (javascript.atlanta(at)gmail.com)
2
3
2007-09-06 03:25:59 UTC
50,911
50,409
rms
My Web 2.0 Application. Feedback wanted
prime0196
Hi prime,Good luck finding a cofinder. I'm not sure that YC will like this idea, but it is definitely an impressive "think you built."
The name of my application is Launchkey www.launchkey.com . It is a content monetization application for blogs/video websites. The core technology allows users to conduct searches within a website using keystrokes, but also can be used for links, images, and video.Here are a few demos: blog:http://launchkey.blogspot.com video:http://launchkey.net/bunny images:http://launchkey.net/vickI currently have a new feature set rolling out soon, but I would like the opinion of this audience just in case the changes that I'm making aren't on target.I have applied to Y/C for the winter session and I think my chances are slim because I don't have a Co-Founder. So if your a hacker with skills in this space, drop me a line (javascript.atlanta(at)gmail.com)
0
3
2007-09-06 03:28:59 UTC
50,912
50,823
zaidf
What happens when you put a PC in the wall of an Indian slum?
rms
I have to say I don't find this all that surprising. It's rare to come across a slum without a television or radio--at least in Bombay where I grew up. While television and radio are relatively old things that took their time before reaching the slums, it's amazing how fast the cell phone has penetrated even to the poorest of folks in India.
null
0
27
2007-09-06 03:29:04 UTC
50,917
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rokhayakebe
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
Clearly this guy is outside his mind. You might have a bad experience with a few white, black, poor, or rich people, but this certainly does not mean they are all the same. I have experienced similar situations several where people ask me stupid fucking questions or make ignorant comments just because of where I am from. I usually do not respond to such low level of maturity and knowledge and the few times I do I make sure they leave the room felling way less intellectual than I am (although I am not so smart, maybe a little bit). Sorry you got screwed by poor people, but not all poor people are the same. There are several stories we can tell about rich people screwing other rich people, in fct I am sure there are more of those cases than his.
null
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27
2007-09-06 03:41:11 UTC
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jkush
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
29 (but 30 5 weeks from now).
null
13
14
2007-09-06 03:42:52 UTC
50,919
50,853
rms
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
...no.What about kiva.org?
null
12
27
2007-09-06 03:47:18 UTC
50,922
50,853
trekker7
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
I really hope this is a joke... even then it isn't funny.
null
2
27
2007-09-06 03:53:21 UTC
50,924
50,862
leisuresuit
What was your last job?
cellis
senior systems engineer. that was the last full time job i'm ever gonna have, i don't care what it takes.
Why aren't you there. Mine was a jr VB.net dev job that paid about $15hr. I decided that I was better off freelancing for rent and doing a startup than that.
6
7
2007-09-06 03:57:20 UTC
50,928
50,853
jsnx
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
It is precisely because there is risk involved in giving a loan that there is any profit to be made. If the legal system actively enforced repayment through debtors' prison and the like, there would be no basis for interest.
null
11
27
2007-09-06 04:21:06 UTC
50,930
50,773
bsaunder
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
36
null
37
14
2007-09-06 04:23:04 UTC
50,936
50,853
cmars232
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
Regarding the subprime fiasco, it should read "This is what happens when you build an entire industry based on tricking people into borrowing more than they can afford!"
null
14
27
2007-09-06 04:28:30 UTC
50,938
50,773
daniel-cussen
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
19. Started the nerd club at 18.
null
12
14
2007-09-06 04:30:27 UTC
50,940
50,456
s_baar
Paul Graham: News from the Front
mattculbreth
Thank you, this helps me a lot.
null
35
103
2007-09-06 04:35:00 UTC
50,941
50,853
gojomo
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
Frickin' hilarious. Through thought #1, it's just a bit wry and tongue-in-cheek, but by the middle of thought #2 -- "I trusted these people to get their teams of lawyers to vet anything before they signed it" -- it's high satire. I laughed out loud at its continuation: "Turns out, if you're poor, you don't need to pay lawyers. You don't like the deal you just wave your hands in the air and moan about how poor you are. Then you default."
null
15
27
2007-09-06 04:36:48 UTC
50,943
50,823
trekker7
What happens when you put a PC in the wall of an Indian slum?
rms
Really cool article. I wish there was some site that recorded the most interesting things these kids did with the computers. I'm curious to know the limits of what they can teach themselves.
null
1
27
2007-09-06 04:37:41 UTC
50,944
50,925
rms
Creator of Hotmail plans to found new Indian city
trekker7
He needs to get his website redesigned first... frames inside the menu?
null
1
11
2007-09-06 04:40:49 UTC
50,946
50,858
bouncingsoul
Better Web App Development--a video comparison of web frameworks [VIDEO]
mattculbreth
I've seen this before. I really like the presentation style. The conclusion is what you expect: building apps with Django, Ruby on Rails, TurboGears, and Plone is faster and less annoying than with J2EE.
null
1
7
2007-09-06 04:49:28 UTC
50,947
50,690
menloparkbum
A demo of I'm in like with you, which CN fails to understand
tuukkah
IILWY is sort of interesting, but every woman on the site seemed to either be married, in a serious relationship, ugly, or someone paid to join.
null
2
12
2007-09-06 04:54:48 UTC
50,958
50,853
henning
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
Us poor people aren't too dumb or disorganized to burn the Hamptons to the ground if pushed too far.Note: this is the same guy who wrote Moneyball, which is an interesting book about applying a bit of reason to an insane market (baseball recruiting).
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27
2007-09-06 05:07:53 UTC
50,962
50,884
mattculbreth
NetApp Sues Sun for ZFS Patent Infringement and Appeals to Hackers to Understand
staunch
Ugly. Seems they have a case here.
null
2
13
2007-09-06 05:28:57 UTC
50,963
50,884
patrickg-zill
NetApp Sues Sun for ZFS Patent Infringement and Appeals to Hackers to Understand
staunch
Unlikely they will win. Even if they win they lose goodwill.Prediction: out of court settlement, followed by decline in NetApp revenue and profitability. Four years later NetApp is bought by or merges with another company.StorageTek was formed in 1969 and started selling their disk systems in the mid-70s. The company was started by former IBMers and they have over 600 patents. Considering they were shipping a virtual disk and snapshots product 4 years before the NetApp patent was filed, prior art seems likely.
null
0
13
2007-09-06 05:32:36 UTC
50,964
50,776
euccastro
An Interview With Paul Graham...
blored
8) Would you consider applications where the "exit" strategy is just to make money from customers and pay out dividends to shareholders, all else looking good?9) Did you get any of these? Few, many?
Hi Mr. Graham, I would like to ask some questions and possibly publish the results on my blog. I thought that YC news would be the best way to answer the questions, that way we can all read the answers right here.1) Has YC ever considered investing in a not-for-profit start-up?2) To your recollection, are there any ideas that were rejected by YC that have made it big? If so, can you name them.3) You seem to be one of Silicon Valley's busiest/most influential/hard-working persons, why all the fuss? Haven't you earned a respite?4) Have you ever thought about franchising the YC brand?5) In your spare time, what does Paul Graham like to do?6) Rumor has it that you studied the Arts in University, at what point did you realize that you were more capable with the keyboard, if ever?Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. They are as much a personal interest of mine as I'm sure they are for many others.
2
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2007-09-06 05:33:50 UTC
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50,773
ranparas
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
While you guys talk about age, i'm going to continue my focus on my end goals !
null
49
14
2007-09-06 05:59:03 UTC
50,970
50,436
some
I Think You're Fat: The Radical Honesty Movement
charzom
Third sentence, first lie. Talking about beautiful women, the author says: and maybe if I get divorced or become a widower, I can have sex with them The truth is, he wants sex with them. Right here. Right now. I didnt read any further.
null
5
53
2007-09-06 06:05:01 UTC
50,975
50,960
_bq
Who would you not tell your great idea to?
steffon
Good question. Well, at first i told the world every single business idea i had in mind, not thinking anything of it because of my insignificance in the world, but boy, did i learn a very valuable lesson.You just remember that there are SOME multi-billion dollar company's out there who don't care about little bobby boo and will do anything just to capitalize on their own agenda's. -cough-IBM.
It's an entrepreneur's job to get out there and hype their ideas. But prudence and good judgement still apply. I received advice once to not fully explain my ideas to a large corporation because they have the resources to develop it quickly and/or without me. Who would you not tell your idea to and why? Any horror stories of "bad judgement"?
1
2
2007-09-06 06:17:37 UTC
50,976
50,773
PStamatiou
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
21
null
19
14
2007-09-06 06:20:46 UTC
50,977
50,773
trekker7
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
This post is crying out for a bar graph based poll.
null
2
14
2007-09-06 06:23:36 UTC
50,978
50,862
PStamatiou
What was your last job?
cellis
intern at yahoo sunnyvale, developing http://yodel.yahoo.com
Why aren't you there. Mine was a jr VB.net dev job that paid about $15hr. I decided that I was better off freelancing for rent and doing a startup than that.
5
7
2007-09-06 06:23:39 UTC
50,983
50,925
staunch
Creator of Hotmail plans to found new Indian city
trekker7
Well I guess he beat PG to founding a town[1]. It certainly makes sense to do it in India where his money will go so much further than in the US. What's crazy is that he's trying to re-create Silicon Valley. If that's a goal it seems like he could do a better job by just investing all that money into a bunch of new startups. "We have three major goals for the Nano City: To re-create the Silicon Valley, create state-of-the-art infrastructure, and do all this in a fashion that is self-sustainable and exhausts natural resources to the bare minimum," said Bhatia[2].1. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=490062. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/263937.cms
null
0
11
2007-09-06 06:47:09 UTC
50,984
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elad
What was your last job?
cellis
Senior Software Engineer at a large co. that was still somewhat connected to its startup roots. Then it got acquired by a huge co. with a real stifling culture and it was time to leave. On the plus side, I made good money during that period, and managed to save a bunch, so now I'm using that to bootstrap my own startup.
Why aren't you there. Mine was a jr VB.net dev job that paid about $15hr. I decided that I was better off freelancing for rent and doing a startup than that.
1
7
2007-09-06 06:47:15 UTC
50,985
50,767
henning
The #1 Most Important Resume Tip
marrone
attention to detail.
... make sure you type your phone number right.#2 - If you are going to mis-type it, at least make sure to correct it before sending out 25 of them, and agreeing to 3 or 4 phone interviews.Those are just my two-cents. Take them or leave them, but I will say from experience, it is good advice!!!
2
11
2007-09-06 06:50:23 UTC
50,991
50,852
dfranke
Steve Ballmer Recruits HR Person with a Golf Club
byosko
This might be amusing if it weren't badly-written to the point of incoherence.
Lisa Brummell tells Business Week how Steve Ballmer "convinced" her to take on an HR position she didn't want by smashing a golf club to bits in her office, during a meeting. Interesting recruiting technique.
0
3
2007-09-06 07:04:55 UTC
50,992
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jey
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
> By poor, I mean anyone who the SEC wouldn't allow to invest in my hedge fundThis dipshit classifies everyone who doesn't qualify to be an Accredited investor as poor? Wow.He also thinks its the poor people's fault for taking sweet deals that were offered to them? If you look at it from an economic perspective, all they had to lose was the property on which they took out the loan and a bad credit rating, but their credit rating sucked already anyway. (Granted, this may have emotional consequences as they foreclose and have to move out, but that doesn't really impact the economics of it.) In contrast, the lenders are losing their investment! Isn't it the responsibility of the lenders to invest in, uhm, sensible investments?OK, I should stop bitching about this troll's obvious flamebait.[EDIT: after reading the rest of the piece, I see that this is satire. he sure got my blood boiling as I read it.]
null
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2007-09-06 07:12:03 UTC
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yrashk
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
almost 26
null
29
14
2007-09-06 07:12:10 UTC
50,996
50,960
bootload
Who would you not tell your great idea to?
steffon
"... received advice once to not fully explain my ideas to a large corporation because they have the resources to develop it quickly and/or without me ..."Don't believe everything you hear. Large corporations are about as likely to take your idea and run with it as an Aircraft carrier doing a 180.Why? Momentum.Momentum means ability to take a new idea on, think about it and execute. It also means being able to communicate the idea to Learned leaders then asking permission. So by the time it gets there your most likely to get someone with a business degree [0] making a snap decision on some hypothetical tech idea. The other thing is most large corporations area of expertise is probably not hacking (MS, IBM, SAP all have hackers but management is still the problem).Also telling someone about an idea is pretty lame because ideas are worth, well nothing. But a demonstration of and idea that works? Demonstrating something will spur others to do something ... maybe throw large offers your way.I did read a post here some time ago of someone mentioning an idea (to a trusted friend) who then created a coy, hired outsourced coders. So demo first, shout second. Shout loud.[0] Phil Greenspun mentions this in FOW, Ch24, P238 where the head of Wal-Mart, Kevin Turner had but one business degree. This doesn't mean he's not smart but it takes years to train in tech. Is one general are of expertise enough?
It's an entrepreneur's job to get out there and hype their ideas. But prudence and good judgement still apply. I received advice once to not fully explain my ideas to a large corporation because they have the resources to develop it quickly and/or without me. Who would you not tell your idea to and why? Any horror stories of "bad judgement"?
0
2
2007-09-06 07:36:57 UTC
50,997
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zach
What was your last job?
cellis
Working down at the video game plant. Had done some years at different developers, then found one that was kind of small but ambitious and very talented. They got bought by the big publisher and eventually the wheels came off. Good pay, great royalties, but I like the broke-ass startup life better.
Why aren't you there. Mine was a jr VB.net dev job that paid about $15hr. I decided that I was better off freelancing for rent and doing a startup than that.
3
7
2007-09-06 07:42:02 UTC
51,000
50,858
henning
Better Web App Development--a video comparison of web frameworks [VIDEO]
mattculbreth
His personal preference is for Plone/Zope, which I find to be much more intimidating and confusing than lightweight enterprise Java.
null
0
7
2007-09-06 08:05:22 UTC
51,002
50,853
yters
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
I like what they do with microfinancing in india. Give someone a little bit of money to start a simple street business, i.e. food vendor, and only give him a bit more if needed to help his business run. The real problem is throwing money at problems without much thought. We westerners have done this way too much.
null
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2007-09-06 08:19:36 UTC
51,003
50,436
Tichy
I Think You're Fat: The Radical Honesty Movement
charzom
I think the whole concept is rather flawed in that the truth is usually not so clear cut. For example, when he sits down with the editor, it might be true that he would like to have sex with her, but it is also true that he doesn't want to piss her off by being rude. So which truth wins? I think the human mind should be given a break here: we are not all of our thoughts. The mind should be allowed to think most of what it wants to think, but we are only those thoughts that we decide to act upon.
null
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2007-09-06 08:21:46 UTC
51,006
50,773
elad
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
31. My first startup was at 22 though.
null
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2007-09-06 09:00:31 UTC
51,012
50,773
thomasswift
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
26
null
30
14
2007-09-06 09:18:42 UTC
51,017
50,773
wouter
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
I'm 23!
null
18
14
2007-09-06 09:51:05 UTC
51,018
51,001
leisuresuit
Move over mod_python, here comes mod_wsgi.
benhoyt
or instead use lighttpd with FastCGI and web.py. something like this... http://webpy.org/recommended_setup
null
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2007-09-06 10:09:07 UTC
51,024
50,456
LaurieCheers
Paul Graham: News from the Front
mattculbreth
I think Paul's logic here is subtly backwards..."It doesn't matter much where a given individual went to college."From Y-Combinator's perspective, yes, I'm sure that's true. The people they're looking at are self-selected, and pretty much guaranteed to be smart, motivated and well-educated, which means that all Y-Combinator needs to do is worry about how they think - not where they were taught. But that's after the fact. To someone deciding what college to go to, or where to send their children, I think the choice is still very important."someone with a real thirst for knowledge will be able to find a few smart people to learn from at a school that isn't prestigious at all." True, of course. But where does that thirst for knowledge come from? With the right support, or the right teachers, perhaps that party animal would have changed his ways. As far as I'm concerned, _that_ is really the purpose of good schools.In Y-Combinator terms, it's not that they make a founder more likely to succeed: it's that they make him more likely to try being a founder in the first place.
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2007-09-06 10:53:39 UTC
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dcurtis
If PG and YC are such awesome hackers, why does news.yc use spacer GIFs?
henning
While we're on the issue of the news.yc user interface, here's something that pisses me off every time I view comments: the comment author's name is buried in a sentence-long thing of text, and hard to pick out. Make it more noticeable, please.Paul basically said he doesn't give a shit, which is pretty stupid considering how many people visit the site regularly, and how poor the user interface is. Just because spacer gifs don't directly affect the content, those kinds of poor design techniques influence the user interface and make it crappy, which it has become. Paul, you know good designers-- get them to make it look good.
Spacer gifs are present on paulgraham.com as well. C'mon mang, it's 2007, not 1997. CSS and semantic markup are the way to go.
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2007-09-06 11:16:58 UTC
51,034
50,773
dottertrotter
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
25
null
33
14
2007-09-06 12:03:48 UTC
51,043
50,509
yaacovtp
Suggestion: YC should provide its founders with W2 benefits for one year. Healthcare, Life insurance...
juwo
Anyone who can't spare $100 and change a month for a bare minimum plan shouldn't be going into business. Many full time jobs these days don't even come with health benefits during the first 1-12 months.I second going the ehealhinsurance path.
(Almost certainly, I am not applying but thought this would help those who are).There is sometimes a perception that YC is perhaps exploiting founders. This is because it is founded on the VC model. This can be removed if it is more like a "temporary job to work at your own startup".More like IBM or Microsoft provide elite employees, the freedom to work at their own R&D projects aka skunkworks - but in this case, making them into successful businesses.suggestion: YC should provide its founders with W2 benefits for one year. Healthcare, Life insurance, etc.
5
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2007-09-06 12:27:06 UTC
51,046
50,853
brlewis
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
In college sometimes my housemates would buy this tabloid called the "Weekly World News" that always had ridiculous stories. One of the regular features was editorials by "Ed Anger" that were obviously trolling for angry letters to the editor. This looks just like an Ed Anger piece.
null
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27
2007-09-06 12:30:17 UTC
51,052
51,001
cdr
Move over mod_python, here comes mod_wsgi.
benhoyt
I've been using mod_wsgi for some time (I think trac recommended it). Interesting that this blog post is getting so much attention.For apache (and I'm a fan of apache) it doesn't get any better.
null
1
18
2007-09-06 12:50:39 UTC
51,057
50,862
mpfefferle
What was your last job?
cellis
My last job was at a startup (they preferred the term 'early growth faze company') developing mobile security software. I was in charge of all of the development efforts and personally built the first generations of the Anti-Virus, Call Screener, and SMS Spam Filter for SymbianOS. I left because I was dissatisfied with the non-technical management above me.
Why aren't you there. Mine was a jr VB.net dev job that paid about $15hr. I decided that I was better off freelancing for rent and doing a startup than that.
2
7
2007-09-06 13:17:09 UTC
51,059
51,048
gibsonf1
How do you manage complex projects?
dood
We use integrated project management/ task/action management/ workflow management /content & contact management : http://www.streamfocus.com (public launch in the near future)
More specifically, what tools or systems do you use for stuff like mapping/designing systems, planning, research, notes...?
0
4
2007-09-06 13:25:23 UTC
51,061
50,862
theorique
What was your last job?
cellis
Software engineer at a major storage systems manufacturer. It was an indefinite term contract and they downsized.
Why aren't you there. Mine was a jr VB.net dev job that paid about $15hr. I decided that I was better off freelancing for rent and doing a startup than that.
4
7
2007-09-06 13:32:41 UTC
51,069
51,048
DanielBMarkham
How do you manage complex projects?
dood
Model.In UML.Use whatever tool works for you. I like Enterprise Architect. Lets me break apart any kind of complex problem, whether it's components, hardware, logical structures, rule systems, etc. Plus it's programmable so I can take some of that design work and translate it into working code quickly.A lot of guys, especially in start-ups, don't get modeling. They think you're trying to plan too much. The trick is to model quickly and at a high conceptual level. That gives you your organizational structure (within 20% or so) to manage complexity. You can still code and adapt quickly. If you over-plan (or model), however, you limit your options and force a lot of decisions up front which might could wait for later. That's counterproductive.
More specifically, what tools or systems do you use for stuff like mapping/designing systems, planning, research, notes...?
2
4
2007-09-06 13:54:30 UTC
51,070
50,853
mynameishere
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
Weak satire. Really, though. If a credit-unworthy person can't pay back a loan, and a lender takes a bath on it, well I'm fine with that. Let the one declare bankruptcy. Let the other write it off his taxes. Fine.There's just one thing I don't want to do: Have money stolen out of my pocket to ensure that either or both of the above idiots are protected from their own bad wagers.
null
6
27
2007-09-06 13:55:56 UTC
51,071
50,776
edw519
An Interview With Paul Graham...
blored
I like this thread. Never met Paul or Jessica. Hopefully some day.In spite of all of the hero worship here, I imagine they're regular people just like us. (Well, almost like us.)Having a forum with a little 2 way communication grounds things really well. Thanks.(Aside: This summer, I had the good fortune to personally meet Joel Spolsky, whose writings put him in a class with Paul Graham, IMO. I couldn't stop thinking what a regular guy he was. This is good news for mere mortals like us. If they can do it, so can we...)
Hi Mr. Graham, I would like to ask some questions and possibly publish the results on my blog. I thought that YC news would be the best way to answer the questions, that way we can all read the answers right here.1) Has YC ever considered investing in a not-for-profit start-up?2) To your recollection, are there any ideas that were rejected by YC that have made it big? If so, can you name them.3) You seem to be one of Silicon Valley's busiest/most influential/hard-working persons, why all the fuss? Haven't you earned a respite?4) Have you ever thought about franchising the YC brand?5) In your spare time, what does Paul Graham like to do?6) Rumor has it that you studied the Arts in University, at what point did you realize that you were more capable with the keyboard, if ever?Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. They are as much a personal interest of mine as I'm sure they are for many others.
5
42
2007-09-06 13:59:32 UTC
51,074
51,042
ivankirigin
Image Compression: Seeing what's not there
pg
There was a piece at the new Institute for the Contemporary Arts in Boston. The whole exhibit had interplay with the digital side of life, but one of my faves was a blown up picture of a bomb exploding with very low compression quality. Those 8x8 bins so common to image compression routines were a few inches across. Looking close, it was easy to imagine an ideal, abstract contour in each 8x8 square, despite the clear picture from afar. I liked that effect a lot.I think it was part of Super Vision, which looks to not be part of the permanent collection. http://www.icaboston.org/exhibitions/exhibit/supervision/
null
0
18
2007-09-06 14:05:22 UTC
51,082
50,853
sethg
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
The comments here by people who don't recognize TFA as satire are funnier than TFA itself.
null
7
27
2007-09-06 14:26:42 UTC
51,084
51,063
rokhayakebe
Need a partner to apply to YC with? Fill out your half of the app and find like minded people
bokonist
ou should connect with hacktracker and see what you guys can do together as far as mashing up your services
null
2
34
2007-09-06 14:32:32 UTC
51,085
51,001
mattculbreth
Move over mod_python, here comes mod_wsgi.
benhoyt
I've recently used nginx to reverse-proxy and load balance to both paste and mongrel. Much easier setup. If you're doing a custom app I tend to think this is better than running a big Apache up front.
null
0
18
2007-09-06 14:33:26 UTC
51,086
51,063
dottertrotter
Need a partner to apply to YC with? Fill out your half of the app and find like minded people
bokonist
I was thinking the same thing. Bokonist feel free to email me and we might be able to set something up. bradleyt (dot) marsh (at) gmail. I'm the one who built hackrtrackr by the way.
null
0
34
2007-09-06 14:35:35 UTC
51,087
50,853
pg
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
So far this thread is setting the record for deleted comments, as people who responded angrily realize it was a parody.Perhaps the reason people reacted so violently is that they can imagine some reasonable arguments that sound like these. I.e. this is a case of people being made maddest by statements they worry might be true.
null
0
27
2007-09-06 14:37:35 UTC
51,100
51,063
dpapathanasiou
Need a partner to apply to YC with? Fill out your half of the app and find like minded people
bokonist
It's a good idea, and fills a real need (I say that as a doomed, not-a-genius single founder myself), but I think you'd get more people willing to post if you asked for less information on the form.The form should have just two questions, really: "What are some ideas you are interested in working on?" and an email address.Potential partners can discuss all the other details between themselves.
null
1
34
2007-09-06 15:27:14 UTC
51,105
50,598
baha_man
Nuclear Bombs Mistakenly Flown Over US
baha_man
Follow up from reddit comments:http://tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2007/sep/05/staging_nuke...
null
0
1
2007-09-06 15:35:46 UTC
51,111
51,094
dpapathanasiou
Venezuela considers a ban on all but 100 first names
byrneseyeview
Captain Cuckoo (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44964) strikes again.
Goodbye, Hitler Adonys Rodriguez Crespo, Hochiminh Jesus Delgado Sierra, and Dwight Eisenhower Rojas Barboza.
0
2
2007-09-06 15:49:43 UTC
51,112
51,108
baha_man
"We found it!" - Search finally implemented in Google Reader
baha_man
Unfortunately, Google Reader now doesn't work in Opera:http://groups.google.com/group/google-reader-troubleshoot/br...
null
0
2
2007-09-06 15:50:07 UTC
51,113
51,109
charzom
Concerning trend in commenting on news.yc submissions
aston
http://news.ycombinator.com/active
Based on the few number of comments in most discussions on this site, you'd assume everyone's just reading for the links. Which is cool, I guess. Anyway, the only exception, it seems, are threads on Paul Graham essays in which everyone and their mother has something to say. We're talking something like an average of around 1 comment for most front page items vs. probably and average of 40 comments for anything PG's written. Is everyone just sucking up/karma whoring by agreeing with PG? Or is PG the only thing worth talking about here? As I think the real value of having a community of hackers is talking, I'd really like to see more general chatter. Am I alone here?
6
19
2007-09-06 15:50:23 UTC
51,115
51,095
aston
iPhone Pricing--A mistake or a clever plan?
mattculbreth
Apple knew as they were releasing the iPhone that the iPod Touch was on the way. Since the feature set of the iPhone and the iPod are so similar (minus the camera and the phone, basically), Apple would have a hard time pricing the two devices too far apart from each other. While the iPhone apparently was worth the premium for a lot of people, in the DAP market no one's going to shell out $500 for an mp3 player. Ultimately Apple will sell more iPods and more iPhones with the price drop.
null
0
2
2007-09-06 15:55:29 UTC
51,116
51,109
danielha
Concerning trend in commenting on news.yc submissions
aston
Some stories are more interesting to talk about. I wouldn't much further than that.
Based on the few number of comments in most discussions on this site, you'd assume everyone's just reading for the links. Which is cool, I guess. Anyway, the only exception, it seems, are threads on Paul Graham essays in which everyone and their mother has something to say. We're talking something like an average of around 1 comment for most front page items vs. probably and average of 40 comments for anything PG's written. Is everyone just sucking up/karma whoring by agreeing with PG? Or is PG the only thing worth talking about here? As I think the real value of having a community of hackers is talking, I'd really like to see more general chatter. Am I alone here?
15
19
2007-09-06 15:55:30 UTC
51,121
51,092
nickb
Wired: "How Mark Zuckerberg created the web's hottest platform."
Readmore
The more I read about Mark Zuckerberg, the less respect and admiration I have for him... lots of bad vibes around him.
null
0
9
2007-09-06 16:06:52 UTC
51,124
51,109
epi0Bauqu
Concerning trend in commenting on news.yc submissions
aston
No, you are not alone. But what do you propose? Like danielha said, some stories are more interesting to talk about than others. On the features page, I suggested separating ask news.yc posts into another area, so they don't move off the front so fast and perhaps get more discussion going as a result. However, no one has really up voted that suggestion. Another alternative is to have a different site that is more of a message board like webmasterworld, but for hackers. After all, this is Hacker News, not Hacker Discussion. This is evident in the fact that it is geared more towards new links than open discussion topics.
Based on the few number of comments in most discussions on this site, you'd assume everyone's just reading for the links. Which is cool, I guess. Anyway, the only exception, it seems, are threads on Paul Graham essays in which everyone and their mother has something to say. We're talking something like an average of around 1 comment for most front page items vs. probably and average of 40 comments for anything PG's written. Is everyone just sucking up/karma whoring by agreeing with PG? Or is PG the only thing worth talking about here? As I think the real value of having a community of hackers is talking, I'd really like to see more general chatter. Am I alone here?
2
19
2007-09-06 16:14:28 UTC
51,126
50,884
nickb
NetApp Sues Sun for ZFS Patent Infringement and Appeals to Hackers to Understand
staunch
What a silly move. Upside is so minimal and downside is HUGE!
null
3
13
2007-09-06 16:15:56 UTC
51,127
51,109
brlewis
Concerning trend in commenting on news.yc submissions
aston
I don't think people are sucking up, because a lot of the threads for the most recent pg essay were disagreeing with parts of it.I don't think people are karma whoring, because that would mean commenting on lots more stories. The average comment is more likely to be upvoted than downvoted, so a karma whore would comment as much as possible.I don't want to see more general chatter. I just want interesting comments. I'd rather see no comments than uninteresting ones.
Based on the few number of comments in most discussions on this site, you'd assume everyone's just reading for the links. Which is cool, I guess. Anyway, the only exception, it seems, are threads on Paul Graham essays in which everyone and their mother has something to say. We're talking something like an average of around 1 comment for most front page items vs. probably and average of 40 comments for anything PG's written. Is everyone just sucking up/karma whoring by agreeing with PG? Or is PG the only thing worth talking about here? As I think the real value of having a community of hackers is talking, I'd really like to see more general chatter. Am I alone here?
5
19
2007-09-06 16:16:31 UTC
51,132
50,853
Agathos
This is what happens when you lend money to poor people
dpapathanasiou
The irony is that "the rich," or at least those who own mortgage-backed bonds, probably do want a bailout for "the poor." They get the money in the end, and a lot more of it than they can recover from foreclosures.If somebody owed me a lot of money and had no prospect of paying it, I'd love to see a third party step in and pay with no strings attached.
null
8
27
2007-09-06 16:20:14 UTC
51,135
51,109
dood
Concerning trend in commenting on news.yc submissions
aston
People expect much discussion of a new pg essay, partly because its his site, partly because of trends in this site so far, and partly a stop-over from the old reddit days. A guaranteed-attention feedback loop, dragging in anyone with an inclination to chat or have a little limelight, lurkers and regulars alike.I too would enjoy more general chatter (of the thoughtful, interesting kind).
Based on the few number of comments in most discussions on this site, you'd assume everyone's just reading for the links. Which is cool, I guess. Anyway, the only exception, it seems, are threads on Paul Graham essays in which everyone and their mother has something to say. We're talking something like an average of around 1 comment for most front page items vs. probably and average of 40 comments for anything PG's written. Is everyone just sucking up/karma whoring by agreeing with PG? Or is PG the only thing worth talking about here? As I think the real value of having a community of hackers is talking, I'd really like to see more general chatter. Am I alone here?
8
19
2007-09-06 16:23:16 UTC
51,137
51,134
nickb
aSmallWorld Invitation?
epi0Bauqu
Interesting site. I'd like an invite as well if anyone has any :) email in profile...
Does anyone here have an aSmallWorld invitation they are willing to share with me?
1
1
2007-09-06 16:26:37 UTC
51,138
51,109
jsjenkins168
Concerning trend in commenting on news.yc submissions
aston
I've had a few posts deleted which were "general chatter", but were directed more towards one person. Thats understandable however as it can distract from the topic of the post. But it makes it difficult to continue interesting topics of conversation which are starting to diverge from the post. This is where I think a simple messaging system for the site would be useful, especially given the networking incentives of beginning startup entrepreneurs..I think there may also be a general reluctance to post things which are challenging or negative for fear of either being downvoted like crazy, or looking bad in the eyes of YC if you have plans to apply. I wouldn't go as far as calling it sucking up, but it could refrain some people from saying whats really on their mind.The rate of submissions seems to be increasing too, which can make sifting through the new postings more difficult. It also dilutes commenting I've noticed. This could be why major posts like a new PG essay seem to gravitate more discussion. I would personally be game for the idea of limiting the number of new submissions a user can post over a given time. Maybe scale this value based on karma. This would at least make people think more carefully about what they are about to post. I understand this starts to limit the "anyone can post" nature of the site, but it could reap an overall benefit for all users by reducing information overload and concentrating discussion on fewer, good submissions.But you bring up a good point.. I'll make a conscious effort to post more challenging, thought provoking comments. I've got karma to burn :)
Based on the few number of comments in most discussions on this site, you'd assume everyone's just reading for the links. Which is cool, I guess. Anyway, the only exception, it seems, are threads on Paul Graham essays in which everyone and their mother has something to say. We're talking something like an average of around 1 comment for most front page items vs. probably and average of 40 comments for anything PG's written. Is everyone just sucking up/karma whoring by agreeing with PG? Or is PG the only thing worth talking about here? As I think the real value of having a community of hackers is talking, I'd really like to see more general chatter. Am I alone here?
4
19
2007-09-06 16:27:08 UTC
51,141
45,698
imax
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
In case anyone interested: I posted a Russian tranlsation of the article here: http://www.developers.org.ua/archives/max/2007/09/04/pg-head...
null
59
142
2007-09-06 16:29:53 UTC
51,147
51,136
mynameishere
Are Rich People Parasites?
nickb
Lewis suggests that donors to charity be able to deduct the full amount of their contribution from taxesThis brings up a comparison in my mind: Bill Gates (philanthropist) vs Paul Allen (investor). Whose post-Microsoft activity is more valuable? Who should be able to deduct more off of his taxes due to his cash distributions?Gates seems like a nice guy...but I think that's what he's going for: To make me (and the federalis) think he's a "nice guy". History has shown rather completely that charity is useless or harmful. Investing in companies, by contrast is useless or useful. I don't think we should encourage policies to make Paul Allen, like Gates, throw his money away rather than utilize it.
null
0
12
2007-09-06 17:07:01 UTC
51,149
50,884
tdedecko
NetApp Sues Sun for ZFS Patent Infringement and Appeals to Hackers to Understand
staunch
NetApp is against the wall. They are quickly losing market share in midrange storage. Their stock is falling. This is merely a ploy to bring them some press. Maybe there will be a settlement in their favor. Though, the victory would be bad PR considering NetApp's view on patent laws and the high regard Sun is held in.
null
1
13
2007-09-06 17:09:54 UTC
51,152
51,048
sanj
How do you manage complex projects?
dood
By hiring someone who has management talent.I'm not talking about the people that biz schools churn out -- I'm talking about people who can actually manage projects.They're incredibly rare. And gifted.And once you work with one, you'll realize that all of the project management tools out there are crutches for people without the talent. Weak, floppy, minimally useful crutches.For the record, I do NOT have this talent.
More specifically, what tools or systems do you use for stuff like mapping/designing systems, planning, research, notes...?
1
4
2007-09-06 17:13:35 UTC
51,154
51,109
Goladus
Concerning trend in commenting on news.yc submissions
aston
Is everyone just sucking up/karma whoring by agreeing with PG?I think the volume of comments is at least partially because everyone reads them and thinks about them. Or is PG the only thing worth talking about here?Hardly, but given that it was his essays that brought many (most?) of us here to begin with, it's something we all have in common. So his essays generally get more attention. Furthermore, his essays tend to attract attention from all over, and visitor comments probably wind up on news.yc.
Based on the few number of comments in most discussions on this site, you'd assume everyone's just reading for the links. Which is cool, I guess. Anyway, the only exception, it seems, are threads on Paul Graham essays in which everyone and their mother has something to say. We're talking something like an average of around 1 comment for most front page items vs. probably and average of 40 comments for anything PG's written. Is everyone just sucking up/karma whoring by agreeing with PG? Or is PG the only thing worth talking about here? As I think the real value of having a community of hackers is talking, I'd really like to see more general chatter. Am I alone here?
0
19
2007-09-06 17:17:29 UTC
51,155
51,095
henning
iPhone Pricing--A mistake or a clever plan?
mattculbreth
from the perspective of getting assloads of free publicity and buzz, it was a pretty good idea.
null
2
2
2007-09-06 17:17:46 UTC
51,167
51,095
adamdoupe
iPhone Pricing--A mistake or a clever plan?
mattculbreth
I have two differing thoughts about this.On one hand, I see it as a tactic to make the iPhone appear more affordable for Christmas. "Wow, 400 bucks is nothing compared to 600 bucks".On the other hand, it will alienate the people who did buy an iPhone at launch (I feel bad for the guy who bought his 16 days ago). They paid $200 extra to get an iPhone 2 months in advance. That's $100 bucks a month; do you think that's worth it? Many people will This no and feel screwed over by Apple.
null
1
2
2007-09-06 17:47:21 UTC
51,172
50,773
psb
What is the average startup entrepreneur age? ie your age (I am 26 almost)
rokhayakebe
39 and trying to get my first startup done before 40
null
5
14
2007-09-06 17:55:24 UTC
51,185
51,063
whacked_new
Need a partner to apply to YC with? Fill out your half of the app and find like minded people
bokonist
small mistake: submission form asks winter commitment but front page shows summer commitment
null
5
34
2007-09-06 18:19:40 UTC
51,187
51,153
davidw
'Wiki City Rome' uses data from mobile devices to follow crowd movements
brlewis
> "Rome's Notte Bianca is all about the city, the people and the events, and Wiki City Rome will give Romans a new awareness of how they move within their city in response to this exceptional pulse of activities," said researcher Kristian KloecklI think they're pretty aware of how they move: slowly, and with lots of honking and shouting.
null
0
3
2007-09-06 18:21:44 UTC
51,189
51,171
ivankirigin
Ignite Seattle 4: Startup Talks
drm237
For the first video, Leo Parker Dirac's slides can be found here: http://www.embracingchaos.com/2007/08/5-minute-primer.html
At Ignite Seattle 4 we had fifteen great talks (all available on YouTube). As usual the talks were on topics that we felt geeks would appreciate. Two in particular contain sage advice for an entrepreneur. The first video is Leo Dirac's explanation of Venture Capital Term Sheets. The second is Dave McClure's talk on Startup Metrics (after the jump). Both five-minute talks were selected to do a reprise at Gnomedex.
0
3
2007-09-06 18:23:19 UTC
51,190
51,182
brlewis
DOJ advises that Net Neutrality could hamper development of the Internet
youngnh
Talk about spin.They use the example of the post office, saying you can pay different amounts for different speeds. That's not what net neutrality prevents. Net neutrality would prevent the situation where you send off two order forms at the same postal rate, but one company gets their order form faster because they're a subsidiary of the post office, or have paid a big fee.
Bad news and the flawed analogies still persist. This time instead of tubes, the internet is likened to the Post Office charging more for express mail.
0
4
2007-09-06 18:25:47 UTC
51,193
51,001
tocomment
Move over mod_python, here comes mod_wsgi.
benhoyt
Can someone just settle Apache vs Lighthttpd for me :-)
null
3
18
2007-09-06 18:29:51 UTC
51,199
51,153
brlewis
'Wiki City Rome' uses data from mobile devices to follow crowd movements
brlewis
Quote: Ratti's team obtains its data anonymously from cell phones, GPS devices on buses and taxis, and other wireless mobile devices. Data are made anonymous and aggregated from the beginning, so there are no implications for individual privacy.
null
1
3
2007-09-06 18:39:58 UTC
51,202
51,109
jkush
Concerning trend in commenting on news.yc submissions
aston
The site has lost some of its appeal since it was opened up to topics that aren't strictly startup related. I've noticed that accompanying the larger amount of posts, the quality has been more spread out. It's no surprise that PG related posts attract more of that quality.
Based on the few number of comments in most discussions on this site, you'd assume everyone's just reading for the links. Which is cool, I guess. Anyway, the only exception, it seems, are threads on Paul Graham essays in which everyone and their mother has something to say. We're talking something like an average of around 1 comment for most front page items vs. probably and average of 40 comments for anything PG's written. Is everyone just sucking up/karma whoring by agreeing with PG? Or is PG the only thing worth talking about here? As I think the real value of having a community of hackers is talking, I'd really like to see more general chatter. Am I alone here?
3
19
2007-09-06 18:43:58 UTC
51,204
51,004
dfranke
Emacs now has multi-tty in CVS HEAD
baha_man
I'm really looking forward to emacs 23. Between this and freetype support it's going to be a big improvement.
null
0
4
2007-09-06 18:50:49 UTC
51,207
51,109
thomasptacek
Concerning trend in commenting on news.yc submissions
aston
The RSS feed for this site doesn't offer a link to comment pages; I've only commented on a few submissions that were themselves just links back into new.ycombinator.com.There is an element of suck-upness ("I hear what you're saying but what I think Paul Graham is looking for in a submission is XXX") that is off-putting, but, I mean, it's Graham's site.
Based on the few number of comments in most discussions on this site, you'd assume everyone's just reading for the links. Which is cool, I guess. Anyway, the only exception, it seems, are threads on Paul Graham essays in which everyone and their mother has something to say. We're talking something like an average of around 1 comment for most front page items vs. probably and average of 40 comments for anything PG's written. Is everyone just sucking up/karma whoring by agreeing with PG? Or is PG the only thing worth talking about here? As I think the real value of having a community of hackers is talking, I'd really like to see more general chatter. Am I alone here?
9
19
2007-09-06 18:58:05 UTC
51,215
51,098
jdvolz
They Write The Right Stuff. Old, but still very interesting article.
jkush
Okay, so the 4 steps to "perfect" software break down to:1. Big-Design-Up-Front 2. Have a testing department 3. Use Source Control and Bug Tracking 4. Fix all instances of systematic errors and fix the process by which those errors were injected into the program.Most of those sound familiar:http://joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000043.htmlI admit that this article isn't written as a technical instruction sheet for writing perfect software, but they could at least come up with something we haven't heard of before. You mean NASA actually has the funds to do a full BDUF and to have a testing department? No kidding.
null
0
5
2007-09-06 19:10:50 UTC
51,217
51,109
cellis
Concerning trend in commenting on news.yc submissions
aston
While the number of "10 ways to do x", "10 x about y" , articles have decreased, there are still a lot of links that, frankly, I could find on another site, and have little or no relevance to software/web startups or hacking.I come here mostly for the discussions, essays, and new idea posts, not to learn what I can get on google/news
Based on the few number of comments in most discussions on this site, you'd assume everyone's just reading for the links. Which is cool, I guess. Anyway, the only exception, it seems, are threads on Paul Graham essays in which everyone and their mother has something to say. We're talking something like an average of around 1 comment for most front page items vs. probably and average of 40 comments for anything PG's written. Is everyone just sucking up/karma whoring by agreeing with PG? Or is PG the only thing worth talking about here? As I think the real value of having a community of hackers is talking, I'd really like to see more general chatter. Am I alone here?
12
19
2007-09-06 19:13:12 UTC