What every you do do not go back to college! Go work at Burger King, go into the woods and forage for nuts and berries.
Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
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Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#22The Thiel fellowship is for individuals who have a clear idea what they want to do and how they are going to execute it. It's for those select few individuals who think school will only slow them down on their path to making a difference. If you're already second guessing if it's worth it or not, before you've even applied, you should take a step back and think about how important school really is to you and if you're the type of person who believes in themselves so much you'd think it a waste of time to sit in a classroom.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#23What every you do do not go back to college! Go work at Burger King, go into the woods and forage for nuts and berries.
Ha. I'm stoked for season 3 in a couple weeks.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
Isn't he mostly a libertarian? You can't just label all political views you don't like "fascism".
He's buds with the NRx scene, funds Moldbug's company, and the two basically quote each other's anti-democractic, anti-education, anti-woman rhetoric regularly enough to be a known quantity. He basically wrote a whole book aping Moldbug's "Cathedral" theory. FFS, he gave money to Ted Cruz, a guy who makes Donald Trump look less frightening. I sure as shit don't want his dirty money, not even to slack off for two year…
I get it, you don't like him and his views, but none of the things you listed have anything to do with fascism.
I don't like that stuff either, I'm just saying you should describe them as they are, not with the scariest name you can think of.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#25I cofounded Figma with the support of the Thiel Fellowship. It was definitely worth it to me, but dropping out of school is a very unique and personal decision. You should definitely apply and you should introspect deeply before taking it.
BTW, some of the statements on this thread that "fellows are used as poster children for Thiel's vision of society" and equating taking the fellowship to becoming a "living cog in his anti-education political statement" are just downright false.
I actually assumed going in that we would need to do press or something; after all, I've always heard "there's no free lunch." However, in reality I found the fellowship never pressured me to do media if it wasn't helpful for Figma. In fact, Figma was in stealth mode for the entire two year fellowship. There's literally no downside other than not attending school for two years. (And you can quit at any time to go back.)
If anyone has specific questions about the fellowship, feel free to reply and I'll try to answer later today.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#26Are you morally and ethically comfortable with taking money from a fascist to be a living cog in his anti-education political statement?
so I guess questioning the merits of democracy makes one a 'fascist'. there is no in-between
Fascism is anti-democratic, but not everything anti-democratic may be fascism, true. I don't know if it's an issue of 'in between', I wouldn't say monarchism for example is 'in between' democracy and fascism in any way.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
He's buds with the NRx scene, funds Moldbug's company, and the two basically quote each other's anti-democractic, anti-education, anti-woman rhetoric regularly enough to be a known quantity. He basically wrote a whole book aping Moldbug's "Cathedral" theory. FFS, he gave money to Ted Cruz, a guy who makes Donald Trump look less frightening. I sure as shit don't want his dirty money, not even to slack off for two year…
"Anti-woman"? On what is that based? (Agree that the other antis listed are indeed self-evident, btw.)
You could infer that from this:
"The 1920s were the last decade in American history during which one could be genuinely optimistic about politics. Since 1920, the vast increase in welfare beneficiaries and the extension of the franchise to women — two constituencies that are notoriously tough for libertarians — have rendered the notion of “capitalist democracy” into an oxymoron."
- http://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/education...
So basically women have ruined any chance of democracy achieving the political goals he wants. I'm sure he would disagree that this is anti-women, but it's not hard to read it that way.
He sort of addresses this criticism at the bottom of the article, but not really:
"It would be absurd to suggest that women’s votes will be taken away or that this would solve the political problems that vex us. While I don’t think any class of people should be disenfranchised, I have little hope that voting will make things better."
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#28Meta, the lack of https and the outdated copyright is a bit embarrassing imo.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#29The Thiel fellowship is for individuals who have a clear idea what they want to do and how they are going to execute it. It's for those select few individuals who think school will only slow them down on their path to making a difference. If you're already second guessing if it's worth it or not, before you've even applied, you should take a step back and think about how important school really is to you and if you'r…
That is not true. I know multiple Thiel fellows who either don't have a definite goal or have wildly changed their goals since becoming a fellow. A bit of soul-searching seems to be encouraged.
You also don't have to think college is a waste to think that being a Thiel fellow is better. You just have to think that a Thiel fellowship is better. That's not difficult, you're given some pretty incredible resources.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#30Why not take advantage of college and all that you can learn there first? The chance won't come again to study the world ... not just IT but history, natural sciences, neuropsychology, literature ... and to do it surrounded by peers and with a faculty of experts to advise and teach you, and all those resources: Labs, libraries, etc.
You can do startups later and will work for the rest of your life. Does the Thiel Fellowship really reject the same person if they happen to have a college degree? They must forgo college?