After the end of the startup era • Hacker News Board

Re: After the end of the startup era

#81

Post by odiroot » Sun, Oct 22, 2017, 5:21 PM UTC

caust1c wrote: post #44

rpmcmurphy wrote: post #40

The world does not need more Mark Zuckerbergs, it needs millions of small and mid-size businesses working on the build out of low carbon energy sources. Converting the world electricity supply to run off renewable sources will require tens of trillions of dollars of investment over a period of decades. It's not a small opportunity, but unlike the app economy, it's not a winner take all market. This is mostly a good t…

I agree the future is built on small businesses. But to have the most impact on the environment we could all just stop eating so much meat.

We could stop flying, driving and buying electronics from Asia. Are you willing to do it?

Re: After the end of the startup era

#82

Post by auggierose » Sun, Oct 22, 2017, 5:22 PM UTC

freehunter wrote: post #47

saralily wrote: post #41

> Big businesses and executives, rather than startups and entrepreneurs, will own the next decade; today’s graduates are much more likely to work for Mark Zuckerberg than follow in his footsteps This is a tautology and reflective of the mindset that produces articles like this one. There is only one Zuckerberg. Unicorns are by definition rare, and disrupting entrenched business interests is rare because they are entr…

Yeah this is another example of how SV exists in a bubble and can't see the broader world. Today's graduates are more likely to work for Zuckerberg than to follow him, as were yesterday's, as were the day before's and so on. It only seems like everyone is a founder because that's how it was in SV. It only seems like every stopped creating startups because that's how it is in SV. But like everything else in the world,…

I am not an expert in this, but SV has actually a great record on taking on super hard problems. It's just that Facebook is not one of them.

Re: After the end of the startup era

#83

Post by ghthor » Sun, Oct 22, 2017, 5:23 PM UTC

maxxxxx wrote: post #57

kloncks wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you not think the world needs SMBs over larger corporations with more resources? Are there any economic study or more academic writings on this topic. I'd be curious.

For one it would be a major factor in reducing income inequality. Large companies are designed to funnel profits to relatively few people. I also strongly believe we would see more innovation and generally a more resilient economy.

This is merely because of the structure that has been dominate for organizing large corporations. It is authoritarian heirarchy, which is essentially the kings of old. We need new ways of organizing our companies, new ways of empowering the employees, and better ways of distributing and holding the value of the company among more equal ownership proportions. This is a tough sell, but I think this period of history will go down as a dark age of freedom in the private sector and the next age will be the empowerment of individuals as the owners and decision makers in large organizations.

Re: After the end of the startup era

#84

Post by jv22222 » Sun, Oct 22, 2017, 5:24 PM UTC

To my way of thinking the pendulum is swinging away from funded startups to folks bootstrapping side projects.

So, on the "large" end you'll have the googles, facebooks, etc and on the "micro" end you'll see a bloom of people starting small projects like those shown on indihackers.

It's something I've been hoping for since 2011!

http://justinvincent.com/page/1392/entreporn-the-fallacy-tha...

Re: After the end of the startup era

#85

Post by placebo » Sun, Oct 22, 2017, 5:25 PM UTC

I think this was a very sober presentation of things, however it seems that it underestimates our inability to tell how the future will pan out, especially when we're moving on an exponential function of technological progress and creativity. Sure, the Internet window is closed and so is the mobile apps window but no one saw either of them coming - likewise, I can't tell yet what the next really big thing will be or when (unfortunately) but I wouldn't mourn garage entrepreneurship just yet.

Re: After the end of the startup era

#86

Post by ChuckMcM » Sun, Oct 22, 2017, 5:26 PM UTC

Having lived through three "deaths" of silicon valley so far I will reserve judgement until the price of housing goes down to the national median

Re: After the end of the startup era

#87

Post by krtkush » Sun, Oct 22, 2017, 5:26 PM UTC

thinkloop wrote: post #74

caust1c wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree the future is built on small businesses. But to have the most impact on the environment we could all just stop eating so much meat.

I prefer figuring out how to incorporate the externalities instead of banning/quitting things. Meat at twice the price would probably solve the problem.

My bet is on lab produced meat.

Re: After the end of the startup era

#88

Post by hedora » Sun, Oct 22, 2017, 5:26 PM UTC

It’s almost as bad as when we solved all of physics in 1917.

I’d write more, but I have to go to the chemist’s to buy some westinghouse relays for my Bell systems electrified collating typewriter-telegraph.

Re: After the end of the startup era

#89

Post by cubano » Sun, Oct 22, 2017, 5:27 PM UTC

caust1c wrote: post #44

rpmcmurphy wrote: post #40

The world does not need more Mark Zuckerbergs, it needs millions of small and mid-size businesses working on the build out of low carbon energy sources. Converting the world electricity supply to run off renewable sources will require tens of trillions of dollars of investment over a period of decades. It's not a small opportunity, but unlike the app economy, it's not a winner take all market. This is mostly a good t…

I agree the future is built on small businesses. But to have the most impact on the environment we could all just stop eating so much meat.

Why would we do that when are bodies are specifically evolved for eating both vegetables and meat?

I, for one at least, consider along the millions of years that evolution tried a version of homo sapiens that couldn't eat meat, and it was selected against...why would we now attempt to overturn the apparent wisdom of that selection?

Re: After the end of the startup era

#90

Post by fapjacks » Sun, Oct 22, 2017, 5:28 PM UTC

hedora wrote: post #88

It’s almost as bad as when we solved all of physics in 1917. I’d write more, but I have to go to the chemist’s to buy some westinghouse relays for my Bell systems electrified collating typewriter-telegraph.

Yes! Jeez, thank you. These articles are nothing but clickbait, but more insidious clickbait than the other stuff, because it's cloaked behind a faux point: It's not actually a thoughtful piece of writing, but it's trying to dress up like one.