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Marc Andreessen: “Take the Ego Out of Ideas”

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Re: Marc Andreessen: “Take the Ego Out of Ideas”

#51

Post by mvpu »

nostrademons wrote: post #49
mvpu wrote: post #26

"Take the ego out of ideas" is sound advice for investors , not entrepreneurs . Ego is a loaded word, but if you define it, in this context, as an irrational belief that you are right and the world will catch up, then it's essential for every entrepreneur. "New ideas" get no support. You're the only support. You have to strongly believe that the world will get there, do whatever it takes to convince them to get there…

You still need to be sharply realistic about your own ideas, though. Blindly charging ahead with the first idea that occurs to you, as an entrepreneur, is probably not going to work no matter how strongly you believe the world will get there. Neither will not charging ahead at all, assuming that because the last 10 ideas failed the next one will too. Many years ago on HN, I think before he even became part of YC, Pau…

Well said.

Re: Marc Andreessen: “Take the Ego Out of Ideas”

#52

Post by M_Grey »

matt_wulfeck wrote: post #33

I'm getting tired of all of the hot air coming from these tech oligarchs. They're so enriched by a tech boom and a decade of easy money that we worship at their feet. Their vision and goal for the future is simply more money for themselves at the expense of others. "Guys look! An hour long commute is actually a good thing because you can spend it with your kids!" Why is it so hard to spend time with our kids now?! I…

It's not really hero worship, although it can morph into that or just look like that. Really, it's just that so many people aligned with the "SV culture" you mention want to be them. When someone has achieved all that you're shooting for, you have a vast personal investment in lionizing them while in your "I'll be that guy someday!"-phase.

Then of course you just have the reality that plenty of the love coming their way is just... well... ass-kissing for favors, status, money, or in some vague hope of some of those.

Until or unless enough talented people figure out that they'd have better odds playing the lottery than aiming to become an SV oligarch/plutocrat, there will continue to be a culture of this intensely covetous "worship", that almost inevitably morphs into loathing and resentment.

That's just the "in" people... the public at large is either subjected to intense marketing and PR, or unaware of such people.

Re: Marc Andreessen: “Take the Ego Out of Ideas”

#53

Post by nostrademons »

matt_wulfeck wrote: post #33

I'm getting tired of all of the hot air coming from these tech oligarchs. They're so enriched by a tech boom and a decade of easy money that we worship at their feet. Their vision and goal for the future is simply more money for themselves at the expense of others. "Guys look! An hour long commute is actually a good thing because you can spend it with your kids!" Why is it so hard to spend time with our kids now?! I…

So I'd agree about taking the hero worship out of SV. The history of SV is one of successive technology waves, each of which certain people happen to spot & ride first, and then because they make a lot of money on those waves, everybody else idolizes them. And then the next wave happens and it's inevitably someone else who spots them and rides them, and suddenly we all have new heroes.

But when it comes to building a society that benefits everyone - how? That's always the question. Pretty much everyone agrees that it's a good goal, but when it comes down to figuring out "What would peoples' lives look like in a society that benefits everyone", nobody agrees.

Re: Marc Andreessen: “Take the Ego Out of Ideas”

#54

Post by ryandrake »

exclusiv wrote: post #35
Cpoll wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Because in the United States, we should be working even while we are getting to work, because we don't work enough? No, because if you work-day was originally 8hrs of work + 2hrs of commute, it's now just 6hrs of work + 2hrs of work.

Exactly. Although I don't think work in the car would be the same quality - if you use that time to handle emails it could be a big boost to get most emails addressed before you get to the office. I live about 12 miles from my office and going to the office removes about 1.5-2 hrs per day. Getting ready, 30 mins each way. I try to schedule phone calls for my commute but I don't always have calls to handle. I've worke…

I don't know. I've got a 2 hour commute each way. There's no way a company would accept my rolling in at 10AM and leaving at 4PM just because I'm working from 8-10 and 4-6 in my self-driving car. More than likely, self-driving cars will mean workers are still expected to get their 8-to-6 on-premesis face time, and then use their self-driving time to catch some shut-eye.

Re: Marc Andreessen: “Take the Ego Out of Ideas”

#55

Post by seppin »

nostrademons wrote: post #49
mvpu wrote: post #26

"Take the ego out of ideas" is sound advice for investors , not entrepreneurs . Ego is a loaded word, but if you define it, in this context, as an irrational belief that you are right and the world will catch up, then it's essential for every entrepreneur. "New ideas" get no support. You're the only support. You have to strongly believe that the world will get there, do whatever it takes to convince them to get there…

You still need to be sharply realistic about your own ideas, though. Blindly charging ahead with the first idea that occurs to you, as an entrepreneur, is probably not going to work no matter how strongly you believe the world will get there. Neither will not charging ahead at all, assuming that because the last 10 ideas failed the next one will too. Many years ago on HN, I think before he even became part of YC, Pau…

> Blindly charging ahead with the first idea that occurs to you, as an entrepreneur, is probably not going to work no matter how strongly you believe the world will get there.

Statically, you're just as likely to be right with the first idea as the one you're sat on for months

Re: Marc Andreessen: “Take the Ego Out of Ideas”

#56

Post by [deleted] »

nostrademons wrote: post #49
mvpu wrote: post #26

"Take the ego out of ideas" is sound advice for investors , not entrepreneurs . Ego is a loaded word, but if you define it, in this context, as an irrational belief that you are right and the world will catch up, then it's essential for every entrepreneur. "New ideas" get no support. You're the only support. You have to strongly believe that the world will get there, do whatever it takes to convince them to get there…

You still need to be sharply realistic about your own ideas, though. Blindly charging ahead with the first idea that occurs to you, as an entrepreneur, is probably not going to work no matter how strongly you believe the world will get there. Neither will not charging ahead at all, assuming that because the last 10 ideas failed the next one will too. Many years ago on HN, I think before he even became part of YC, Pau…

[deleted]

Re: Marc Andreessen: “Take the Ego Out of Ideas”

#57

Post by seppin »

colmvp wrote: post #11
debt wrote: post #8

he's a media vc. facebook is basically his crown jewel and that's it. facebook/media is cool i guess, but i don't see how he know much about anything else such as robotics or ai. just look at andreesen horowitz investments. many are largely media companies(buzzfeed, stack exchange). they've tried doing finance which is a much bigger market but like clinkle clearly imploded and coinbase probably is next(literally tran…

Not necessarily about Marc, but I honestly find it so frustrating to see media outlets interview people who have zero experience writing, doing research, or leading an AI related company/research institution but still ask them about their opinion on the future impact of AI, while completely ignoring individuals who are on the forefront of the field. If you read interviews on the topic of say, cancer research, it woul…

halo effect. what's worse, asking a guy like Mark Cuban what he thinks about anything just b/c he has money. And is on a TV show.

Re: Marc Andreessen: “Take the Ego Out of Ideas”

#58

Post by seppin »

colmvp wrote: post #11
debt wrote: post #8

he's a media vc. facebook is basically his crown jewel and that's it. facebook/media is cool i guess, but i don't see how he know much about anything else such as robotics or ai. just look at andreesen horowitz investments. many are largely media companies(buzzfeed, stack exchange). they've tried doing finance which is a much bigger market but like clinkle clearly imploded and coinbase probably is next(literally tran…

Not necessarily about Marc, but I honestly find it so frustrating to see media outlets interview people who have zero experience writing, doing research, or leading an AI related company/research institution but still ask them about their opinion on the future impact of AI, while completely ignoring individuals who are on the forefront of the field. If you read interviews on the topic of say, cancer research, it woul…

halo effect. what's worse, asking a guy like Mark Cuban what he thinks about anything just b/c he has money. And is on a TV show.

Re: Marc Andreessen: “Take the Ego Out of Ideas”

#59

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

stvswn wrote: post #38
matt_wulfeck wrote: post #33

I'm getting tired of all of the hot air coming from these tech oligarchs. They're so enriched by a tech boom and a decade of easy money that we worship at their feet. Their vision and goal for the future is simply more money for themselves at the expense of others. "Guys look! An hour long commute is actually a good thing because you can spend it with your kids!" Why is it so hard to spend time with our kids now?! I…

What makes you jump to the conclusion that technology investment, or capitalism, or whatever you think is "bad" is "at the expense of others?" Currently, about 10% of the world's population lives in extreme poverty. It was 12% in 2012. It was 40% in 1990. The history of the world, post-war 20th century, is one of extreme progress for the lives of real people -- especially really poor people. So, what do you think dro…

This may surprise you, but people defined as "living in extreme poverty" weren't always unhappy to be there. Western standards of affluence are the economic default, but they don't include any measure of happiness, fulfilment, or contentment.

The factors that generate the last three are largely unrelated to median income. In fact they reliably go down when neoliberal "efficient allocation of capital" becomes the dominant ideology.

People are starving in the US and UK too. Did you know that around 15% of US households cannot consistently afford food, while more than 5% have "very low food security" which includes persistent periods of hunger or malnourishment?

Re: Marc Andreessen: “Take the Ego Out of Ideas”

#60

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

diminoten wrote: post #24
6stringmerc wrote: post #4

> So if technological change were going to cause elimination of jobs, one presumes we would have seen it by now. ...considering this statement was delivered while the US Workforce Participation is at 30+ year lows while productivity and technological change has made significant inroads during that time (ex: Macintosh 512k vs. iPhone 7), I think he's missing a large chunk of the, uh, big picture. Then, contrast one of…

Isn't it a... good thing, that workforce participation is down, assuming other indicators of economic health are holding steady/increasing steadily? Don't we, some day, want to get workforce participation down to zero, while maintaining other prosperity metrics? Also, I believe the theory is (assuming we even still have 8 hour work days), you work an hour in the car, work 6 at work, work an hour driving home.

>assuming other indicators of economic health are holding steady/increasing steadily?

They aren't. Which is a problem.

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