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Be Good

paulgraham.com

201–209 of 209 posts

Re: Be Good

#202
I understand the concept of being good and benevolent, but not thinking about making money is the hardest part. It is really tough to ditch your job, and keep doing good for people whose psychology (at least on the Web) has become to expect everything for free. You can survive your own goodness for 6 months, 1 year but after that you surely expect something in return. And then, if you do not have or want VC funding but just want to run your startup based on the good old way of 'revenues' how long can your goodness keep you going? Even Jesus 'sold' his woodwork to feed himself, isn't it? :) People throwing money at you for the good you do to them is living on a charity. Whatever happened to the good old way of selling something in return for money?

Re: Be Good

#203
post #38

I admit that I haven't really explored this vein of thought, but what are the reasons that "good" startups (in the sense of good used in this essay) don't usually make their apps open-source?

Nice argument.

If we swallow Pauls line of reasoning that constitutes an oppurtunity: They could get even 'better' (i.e. profitable) by open-sourcing.

Re: Be Good

#204
Paul, I've been reading your stuff for six years, and that's the first one that made me cry.

It's the last step on a good path, and I was worried you would never take it. I'd been quite enamored of YC for a while, but I had my doubts about its ability to do good things.

It's also something I never thought of. I just always mentally separated "good, charitable" and "successful company" in much the same way as people generally separate "work" and "what you love".

Re: Be Good

#205
thios document is promagnificient and we are al;so poor youth from uganda,looking for financial aid fior our project so help us get new donors. thaks anguriamichael 2562854991 mkanguria@yahoo.com

Re: Be Good

#206
I have a real concerns with "Don't be evil" - 1. subvocalising "Don't" 2. focusing on the action "be evil"

As a cyclist, I often tell new cyclists: "if you see a rock in the middle of the road, focus on the clear road either side of the rock, focus where you want to go. If all you think is 'don't hit that rock' 'don't hit that rock' 'don't hit that rock' guess where your focus is? Guess what you will likely end up doing?"

I see Google's mantra in the same light. It is far better to focus on DOING something than NOT DOING something. "Be good" is a far better mantra to have, and that's before all the good reasons you cited, Paul.

Thanks for the essay, have been looking for some inspiration lately and had forgotten about YC and your essays.

Re: Be Good

#207
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Re: Be Good

#208
Thanks for a great read, I was recommended this essay by a good friend of mine, and it was time well spent!

Re: Be Good

#209
You made me think of the power and success of the Obama campaign. Lots of people donating $5 or $10 to his website was a lot like a charitable fundraising campaign. A unqiue, personal approach that focused on conecting with his 'users' and giving them what they wanted.
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