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Y Combinator's Hardware Guy Leaves After 14 Months

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Re: Y Combinator's Hardware Guy Leaves After 14 Months

#31

Post by Cyph0n »

the_watcher wrote: post #28
Cyph0n wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, it could also mean that someone else who isn't a YC partner was rejected to let him in. Of course, I don't know whether or not that is the case, but this is where a conflict of interest could potentially arise from.

He was a YC partner. He no longer is. And there's a difference between an equity partner and other types of partners. But again, YC is incentivized to let in companies they believe will deliver the most total value to the YC portfolio, so admitting Luke at the expense of another founder who was better qualified is directly contrary to their interests. Also, the YC batch sizes aren't fixed, and they have wiggle room.…

That would make sense. Again, I'm not familiar with how the YC selection process works, so it's just speculation.

But it still seems kind of strange to be honest.

Re: Y Combinator's Hardware Guy Leaves After 14 Months

#32

Post by CydeWeys »

rezashirazian wrote: post #8

Still, hardware is, well, hard. Silicon Valley has produced a raft of world-changing software startups, from Airbnb (a YC veteran) to Facebook. But it's a whole lot easier to beta-test an app than to prototype and then manufacture a gadget with a bunch of moving parts. Then you have to market the thing to the masses, who are already enamored of their Apple and Samsung products. Exhibits A and B: Fitbit, the fitness t…

I don't know abut GoPro, but Fitbit deserves to fail. Their hardware is terrible. The warranty only lasts one year, yet I've had to replace both Fitbit devices I've had twice within that one year. I'm now Fitbit-less because the latest, a Charge HR, failed for the third time, and it's now out of that one year warranty.

To give you an idea of how bad the Charge HR is, its charging plug attaches with metal prongs, but it plugs into a slim plastic housing that is only glued to the rest of the device. The obvious result is that the plastic housing eventually gets pulled off with the plug. That's how two of my three Charge HRs have died. It'd be like if your laptop were ruined within four months because the power cable pulled off an essential piece of the laptop housing rather than detaching cleanly, and now it won't attach in order to charge. The third Charge HR bricked itself during an unprompted firmware update, which started randomly and then I guess got interrupted midway through when I moved my phone too far from the device. It never recovered.

I don't know what the hell they're optimizing for over at Fitbit HQ, but they're trying to sell $10 throw-away quality devices for >$100. It's outrageous. I actively discourage everyone I know from ever buying anything from them, and many other people I know have also completely sworn them off for the same reason. Their product just sucks.

Re: Y Combinator's Hardware Guy Leaves After 14 Months

#33

Post by mej10 »

Cyph0n wrote: post #5
kenferry wrote: post #4

"Iseman says his departure was purely about his desire to get back into the founder's role and build something new. He's already been accepted into the winter 2017 YC cohort with his new housing startup." Doesn't sound very acrimonious.

Isn't that the definition of a conflict of interest? Or am I reading this wrong?

How is it a conflict of interest? They are all interested in making money... It isn't like he was a public official and decided he was going to give himself tax money.

It is also a private company and can do what it wants in this regard.

Re: Y Combinator's Hardware Guy Leaves After 14 Months

#34

Post by huangc10 »

Cyph0n wrote: post #5
kenferry wrote: post #4

"Iseman says his departure was purely about his desire to get back into the founder's role and build something new. He's already been accepted into the winter 2017 YC cohort with his new housing startup." Doesn't sound very acrimonious.

Isn't that the definition of a conflict of interest? Or am I reading this wrong?

Sounds more to me like an agreement of interest ;-)

Re: Y Combinator's Hardware Guy Leaves After 14 Months

#35

Post by mej10 »

hawkice wrote: post #12
Cyph0n wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that the definition of a conflict of interest? Or am I reading this wrong?

An allegation that there is favoritism among the closed off society of YC elites? I'm astonished, astonished, I say!

Favoritism?

It is a lot easier to vet someone you have worked with extensively, or if someone you trust gives a recommendation. It isn't like there is some secret society -- it is simply the way the world works.

Those are extra bits of information that go into the equation and they happen to count for a lot. I don't really see a problem with it.

Why wouldn't they give extra weight to those bits of information?

Also, this happens all of the time with positions across the board in startups/companies. If I am a senior engineer somewhere, and we are hiring and the company thinks I have good judgement... of course they are going to take my recommendations of candidates more seriously than someone off the street.

Re: Y Combinator's Hardware Guy Leaves After 14 Months

#36

Post by huangc10 »

ProAm wrote: post #20
Mango_Diesel wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the conflict of interest? Being a partner at YC is certainly a unique qualifier that would basically guarantee acceptance. There is nothing wrong with that. It is awesome, in fact.

Being a partner do you really need the startup 'help'? Don't you already have all the connections you need?

If you see a $100 bill on the ground. Would you not pick it up?

*edit cuz i'm bda at spelling

Re: Y Combinator's Hardware Guy Leaves After 14 Months

#37

Post by WalterBright »

birken wrote: post #11
sushid wrote: post #6

"Sam Altman, president and co-founder of Y Combinator." Uhh, they clearly didn't do their homework if they thought Altman co-founded YC.

Having read basically every news article ever about the startup I was involved in, they get the most basic, easily checkable facts like: What year was it founded? What does the company do? Who is the CEO? wrong at least half of the time. And they get the more complicated facts wrong much more often, but that is because they generally directly printing either what the founder tells them or something they think that is…

I learned that when there was a natural gas explosion in the building I worked in in the 80s (nobody was hurt). I recorded several TV news broadcasts on it, and every one got the basic facts wrong in different ways. Things like one called the building a warehouse (it was an office building).

There were no political issues nor agendas nor money at stake, the news reporters just didn't make any effort to be correct.

I've often wondered what we know about history that is dead wrong.

Re: Y Combinator's Hardware Guy Leaves After 14 Months

#38

Post by jacalata »

CydeWeys wrote: post #32
rezashirazian wrote: post #8

Still, hardware is, well, hard. Silicon Valley has produced a raft of world-changing software startups, from Airbnb (a YC veteran) to Facebook. But it's a whole lot easier to beta-test an app than to prototype and then manufacture a gadget with a bunch of moving parts. Then you have to market the thing to the masses, who are already enamored of their Apple and Samsung products. Exhibits A and B: Fitbit, the fitness t…

I don't know abut GoPro, but Fitbit deserves to fail. Their hardware is terrible . The warranty only lasts one year, yet I've had to replace both Fitbit devices I've had twice within that one year. I'm now Fitbit-less because the latest, a Charge HR, failed for the third time, and it's now out of that one year warranty. To give you an idea of how bad the Charge HR is, its charging plug attaches with metal prongs, but…

The plastic housing failure is how my Charge HR died :(

Re: Y Combinator's Hardware Guy Leaves After 14 Months

#39

Post by pbhjpbhj »

samstave wrote: post #18
wheelerwj wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But just to be clear, hardware IS hard.

Aside: Shoot - this wants me to make a "front fell off" joke... but HN hates jokes.

Personally I don't mind some jokes here but I can't see what the joke is you're trying to make. If it was a clearly funny comment it perhaps wouldn't fair as badly.

Re: Y Combinator's Hardware Guy Leaves After 14 Months

#40

Post by hanoz »

birken wrote: post #11
sushid wrote: post #6

"Sam Altman, president and co-founder of Y Combinator." Uhh, they clearly didn't do their homework if they thought Altman co-founded YC.

Having read basically every news article ever about the startup I was involved in, they get the most basic, easily checkable facts like: What year was it founded? What does the company do? Who is the CEO? wrong at least half of the time. And they get the more complicated facts wrong much more often, but that is because they generally directly printing either what the founder tells them or something they think that is…

Almost every time the mainstream media covers a subject I have some level of expertise in, the coverage is laughably inaccurate or misleading, and almost everyone I've talked to about this says the same thing for their own field, and yet inexplicably it still takes a conscious effort to remind myself to bear this in mind when they cover subjects I'm ignorant of.
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