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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”

#71

Post by Keyframe »

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…

I like how 'these tech oligarchs' seem to know everything about everything and flap their gums giving advice left and right. What made them experts on everything? Because they seem to have some money? Is it the same thing when we laugh at people for listening to actors and musicians talk about politics?

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

#72

Post by skynode »

skynode wrote: post #45
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…

> They will just as quickly dilute your quality of life as they will dilute the shares in your company. Lol! I think this incentive-based version works better though. If the libertarian culture of Californian idealists is imposed across the board, we would probably witness the end of innovation (unless war and existential threats provide the incentive) Even if it's broken, don't fix it.

Lol! Undoubtedly down-voted by the libertarians. :)

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

#73

Post by petra »

TheOtherHobbes wrote: post #59
stvswn wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 domi…

I agree with a lot of what you said, but :

>> 15% of US households cannot consistently afford food, .. 5% hunger

What food are we talking about ? because basic grains, etc - the kind of meals indians eat, for ex.(and are very healthy and pretty tasty) - are extremely cheap. So is 15% possible ?

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

#74

Post by wincy »

pasbesoin wrote: post #50
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…

The current buzz is "basic income." While I'm not opposed to the idea that if you're born -- and if so much of the world values human life including and especially in the womb -- then you should have the opportunity to at least "get by" and not be per force exploited, much less sickened and killed. While I'm not opposed to it, there is a pre-cursor of ostensibly more limited scope, and perhaps of greater benefit than…

I would have a thousand children if I could. If I can pay for them all and don't draw benefits, who cares? People might think I'm eccentric, but it's not like I'm taking more than my fair share. Once the government is paying every one of my kids, suddenly people wants to have a say in the number of children I can have.

I also want my insurance to spend a million dollars if it means I can live for an extra week. Even if I'm absolutely miserable. Even if I'm unconscious. I don't care about your "not necessarily absolutely unlimited" healthcare plans that dictate how long I get to live. That's not your call, if I paid for insurance that says they'll spend a million dollars on end of life care they'd better spend a million dollars.

Just to preempt Poe's law here, I'm absolutely serious in both of my above statements. I'm not creating a straw man or using hyperbole. I think basic income and "free" healthcare would have strings attached that I quite frankly find disgusting.

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

#75

Post by [deleted] »

skynode wrote: post #45
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…

> They will just as quickly dilute your quality of life as they will dilute the shares in your company. Lol! I think this incentive-based version works better though. If the libertarian culture of Californian idealists is imposed across the board, we would probably witness the end of innovation (unless war and existential threats provide the incentive) Even if it's broken, don't fix it.

[deleted]

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

#76

Post by bigtimeidiot »

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…

>so why should i listen to this guys advice

Andreesen is a bit of a blowhard at times, but he's incredibly sharp and has a great track record. Trust, but verify.

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

#77

Post by jcoffland »

skynode wrote: post #72
skynode wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They will just as quickly dilute your quality of life as they will dilute the shares in your company. Lol! I think this incentive-based version works better though. If the libertarian culture of Californian idealists is imposed across the board, we would probably witness the end of innovation (unless war and existential threats provide the incentive) Even if it's broken, don't fix it.

Lol! Undoubtedly down-voted by the libertarians. :)

and people who like to see some supporting evidence in an argument.

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

#78

Post by zepto »

nostrademons wrote: post #53
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…

Right - so this is actually a hard problem worth solving, unlike many of the problems that SV solves.

Let's acknowledge that and stop treating these people like Heroes because they got rich.

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

#80

Post by runevault »

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…

To me take the ego out of ideas is more "don't tie the idea up in you." If you tie it up in yourself, people pointing out flaws in the idea can feel like a personal attack no matter the validity of the concern, which can make it harder to look for adjustments to your idea to find the most correct path, as the odds are your original idea will need adjustment to reach its final, valuable form.
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