How to Avoid Distractions and Start the Right Company
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Re: How to Avoid Distractions and Start the Right Company
#2Altman’s on point here: don’t follow a trend, focus on solving problems. And choose something hard. When money is growing on trees, pick a major problem with a huge upside should you solve it. Startups are hard; at least make it have a chance of being really worthwhile.
— Someone who picked a small problem.
Re: How to Avoid Distractions and Start the Right Company
#3Altman’s on point here: don’t follow a trend, focus on solving problems. And choose something hard. When money is growing on trees, pick a major problem with a huge upside should you solve it. Startups are hard; at least make it have a chance of being really worthwhile. — Someone who picked a small problem.
If it's not too forward, what problem did you pick?
Re: How to Avoid Distractions and Start the Right Company
#4Distractions are everywhere, and one of the most insidious things in startups. Once you become a founder there is lots of "fun" stuff to do: go to conferences, have coffee meetings with important people, etc.
The discipline is to be able to say "No". To be honest it is still a skill I feel I haven't mastered yet, 7+ companies later :)
I recommend reading Essentialism, by Greg McKeown.
Re: How to Avoid Distractions and Start the Right Company
#550 likes and 2 comments over an hour seems like too little engagement to be second on the list. Are posts about Sam effectively sticked on HN? Is there any more information on how the front page works?
Re: How to Avoid Distractions and Start the Right Company
#6Altman’s on point here: don’t follow a trend, focus on solving problems. And choose something hard. When money is growing on trees, pick a major problem with a huge upside should you solve it. Startups are hard; at least make it have a chance of being really worthwhile. — Someone who picked a small problem.
"Fall in love with the problem, not the solution"
Re: How to Avoid Distractions and Start the Right Company
#7The annoying pop-up over the content appeared just as I started reading "beware the distractions" so I closed the tab. Good advice.
Re: How to Avoid Distractions and Start the Right Company
#8I always feel bad when I see startups come from a rich guy chasing fame or increasing the family wealth, they have a great and vital tool (money) but not a problem to solve nor an edge in the industry they are attacking. Kind of ironic, but hey throwing money to random ideas at least generates jobs and moves the economy.
Re: How to Avoid Distractions and Start the Right Company
#950 likes and 2 comments over an hour seems like too little engagement to be second on the list. Are posts about Sam effectively sticked on HN? Is there any more information on how the front page works?
I'm a simple man: I see something by Sam Altman, I upvote and read it. I suspect many folks on HN (you know, being on a YC site) are the same.
This, and HN simply working based on an upvote algorithm, seems much more plausible than there being some kind of conspiracy to amplify Sam's posts.
Re: How to Avoid Distractions and Start the Right Company
#1050 likes and 2 comments over an hour seems like too little engagement to be second on the list. Are posts about Sam effectively sticked on HN? Is there any more information on how the front page works?
HN heavily biases towards new posts that have early traction. Keeps the page fresh.