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Requests for Startups Refreshed

blog.ycombinator.com

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Re: Requests for Startups Refreshed

#41

Post by pcmaffey »

vrdabomb5717 wrote: post #5

I think funding mass media is less interesting than finding a way to have sustainable investigative journalism, both at the local and national levels. Investigative journalism, especially at the local level, has been hit hard by local newspapers getting shut down and the media forced to either pull out of unprofitable areas or focus on money-making ventures. Most media outlets are not the New York Times or Washington…

So long as journalists are paid with ad dollars, content will always trend towards the lowest common denominator.

This applies to all media in general; but there really needs to be a better metric for quantifying impact than clicks. If writers, etc. are rewarded for advancing knowledge, then many many more people would be enabled to do so.

Hell, perhaps we don't even need a new metic, and instead just subsidize everyone with UBI. Those who provide long-term value will outweigh those who only consume.

Re: Requests for Startups Refreshed

#42

Post by Mao_Zedang »

Disruptive_Dave wrote: post #30
Mao_Zedang wrote: post #22

We need the spotify of media, where journalists are paid directly from their readers maybe an aportioned rev share model. People who want articles about the kardashians still get them and people who want to read about conflict in the middle east get theirs. No more editorializing based on the current trendy group think, no more editorializing based on what their rich billionaire owner thinks their next crusade is. Th…

That would be more along the lines of Patreon of media (which already kinda exists) vs. Spotify, which is most definitely not direct payments to creators.

The problem with Patreon style is you have to convert every single transaction between Author and User. By direct payments I mean, Platform -> Author not Platform -> NYT (99% of the profits) -> Author (salary)

Re: Requests for Startups Refreshed

#43

Post by icebraining »

Swizec wrote: post #32
acconrad wrote: post #3

I've constantly racked my brain on the Underserved Communities and Social Services: my dad is a Vietnam vet and my mom (while we were growing up) fit that single mother middle-class type...how does technology help them? Part of the problem is they aren't tech savvy the way the HN community is - so what works for our community doesn't exactly work for theirs, or that they even use technology to the extent that we do (…

> Most techies aren't also veterans or single mothers Hire them. They're cash strapped and need money. You're knowledge strapped and need insight. There's bound to be a way to make those two facts work together so it benefits both parties.

What if you're also cash strapped? :)

Re: Requests for Startups Refreshed

#44

Post by Mao_Zedang »

ProblemFactory wrote: post #37
Mao_Zedang wrote: post #22

We need the spotify of media, where journalists are paid directly from their readers maybe an aportioned rev share model. People who want articles about the kardashians still get them and people who want to read about conflict in the middle east get theirs. No more editorializing based on the current trendy group think, no more editorializing based on what their rich billionaire owner thinks their next crusade is. Th…

I don't see "spotify of media" really solving the problem with low-quality mass media. A subscription with pay-per-view revenue share cuts out advertisers as the money middle man, but it still rewards clickbait headlines and easy to consume top lists over deep investigative journalism. The core problem (or "problem"?) of journalism today is that what people actually want to read is very different from what is "good f…

The reason why it solves clickbait vs investigative journalism is because its an apportioned revenue share. click bait is easy to write and has more competition if a user reads loads of clickbait the revenue the author makes from that user will be low per article. On the other hand if you have a user who reads "investigative" high brow content its more expensive so there is less of it so you would expect the per user revenue would be much higher per view.

Imagine if spotify paid artists based on minutes listened apportioned based on each users listening habits instead of a fixed rate of N cents per listen.

So one user listens to Nirvana exclusively all month on spotify you would expect 100% of the 70% rev share to go to the owners of that nirvana content.

Re: Requests for Startups Refreshed

#45

Post by icebraining »

GFischer wrote: post #33
acconrad wrote: post #3

I've constantly racked my brain on the Underserved Communities and Social Services: my dad is a Vietnam vet and my mom (while we were growing up) fit that single mother middle-class type...how does technology help them? Part of the problem is they aren't tech savvy the way the HN community is - so what works for our community doesn't exactly work for theirs, or that they even use technology to the extent that we do (…

I agree that it's harder to solve a problem that you're not experiencing, but, by the same token, underserved communities will tolerate an even lower threshold of quality as long as you're helping them :) For the approach on how to solve their problems, the main goal is empathy. Look at the Design Thinking theory: first step is to emphatize. When I was taking a marketing course, they told us to shadow a consumer. You…

Empathy might help you find and understand their problems; the problem seems to be how to finance the solution. When selling to a well-to-do middle-class professional, you're probably competing for cash that would otherwise go to purchase some toy or extra night out. When selling to the working-class, you're often competing against rent and food.

Essentially, how to sell to someone who has no discretionary income?

Re: Requests for Startups Refreshed

#46

Post by bpchaps »

danieltillett wrote: post #34
fspacef wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pls do share.

The ideas are a bit too long for a post here on HN, but if people are serious about wanting to pursue a startup in this area then get in contact with me [1]. I know there are lots of people wanting to start a startup who feel they don’t have any good ideas so if this is an area you are passionate about then I am happy to talk. I am in the lucky position of having the financial resources to fund a new startup, but bec…

I'd be very interested! This is a field that I recently became extremely interested in and even met up with my lawyer earlier today to discuss a bulk FOIA research project. I left a comment on your blog with contact info if you're interested in talking. :)

Re: Requests for Startups Refreshed

#47

Post by Cromatico »

> This population has to navigate a world with substandard services, low quality housing, overcrowded schools, and crime in their neighborhoods. They are often unbanked and living paycheck to paycheck.

Tiny houses, tiny schools, tiny cops and tiny banks can solve their problems, but there are legal hurdles.

Re: Requests for Startups Refreshed

#48

Post by somekindaplan »

cloudjacker wrote: post #36
somekindaplan wrote: post #23

> Underserved Communities and Social Services This is the problem YC should be solving. Instead, YC is still patently and openly biased towards the Ivy League class, which is really just a bias against poor people. It's been a decade and still nothing predicts YC acceptance like the Right Background and Culture Fit. So get on it! Raise a billion dollars and fund every decent team founded by people from poor backgroun…

Pointing fingers all the wrong directions. Hope it feels good to get it off your chest at least. A more productive discussion is methods for capital formation and how some methods can reduce inequality better than others. Judging from what you wrote, it doesn't seem like a search query you would ever have run yourself. There are some interesting things going on around the world on this issue.

Feel free to disagree with any of what I've said. I think my suggestion for YC is far bigger than anything else being suggested. It may be controversial to say they're doing a bad job right now but that's what I think the truth is.

YC is in the unique position of being able to fund thousands of poor people and yet they choose not to. Why? They don't believe poor people can be successful? They don't want to help poor people? What is it?

Almost every poor person who got rich had some rich person's help. This is a fact of history going back thousands of years. There are very few exceptions.

Trump had his father's help.

Steve Jobs had Mark Markkula's help.

Paul Graham had a rich lawyer's help.

Sam Altman had Paul Graham's help.

So what do poor people need to lift themselves and their families out of poverty? Help.

Re: Requests for Startups Refreshed

#50

Post by Lordarminius »

somekindaplan wrote: post #48
cloudjacker wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pointing fingers all the wrong directions. Hope it feels good to get it off your chest at least. A more productive discussion is methods for capital formation and how some methods can reduce inequality better than others. Judging from what you wrote, it doesn't seem like a search query you would ever have run yourself. There are some interesting things going on around the world on this issue.

Feel free to disagree with any of what I've said. I think my suggestion for YC is far bigger than anything else being suggested. It may be controversial to say they're doing a bad job right now but that's what I think the truth is. YC is in the unique position of being able to fund thousands of poor people and yet they choose not to. Why? They don't believe poor people can be successful? They don't want to help poor…

FWIW I tend to agree with you though I might phrase it differently. YC has done a great job so far and maybe we are expecting too much from what essentially is a venture capital(?) business.

But see my comments above

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