What I learned from this article:
1. Privilege opens doors not available to others.
2. Those with privilege are often oblivious to the advantages they have.
What I Learned Going Through YC as a 17 Year Old
61–70 of 155 posts
Re: What I Learned Going Through YC as a 17 Year Old
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you are right if trying to raise money at the idea stage but if you have built something people want, investors don't care about your background. Growth chart will get anyone funded.
Growth chart will get anyone funded anywhere. Not only in silicon valley.
Perhaps, but the terms elsewhere are atrocious compared to silicon valley.
Source: I have watched angel rounds and series A in both Silicon Valley as well as in the East Coast and India. I'm in my fourth decade now and on my 8th startup. Silicon Valley has some angels that are pretty generous about modest traction if they like the team. I haven't found such people in NYC and in India (though they may exist).
Re: What I Learned Going Through YC as a 17 Year Old
#63>we realized we needed to build a services business more than a technology business and that's not what we set out to do
Wouldn't surprise me if this applies to majority of applicants.
Re: What I Learned Going Through YC as a 17 Year Old
#64It may be true that you don't need to have worked in a white shoe firm to be respected in SV, but I'm pretty sure there's certain characteristics that are advantageous: - Got into a top university. Good grades are popular, unsurprisingly. A proxy for intelligence and hard work. - Speaks English. How many YC folks don't? I'm sure there are a lot of smart people in the world who just didn't grow up with English and so…
funny hearing you say high EQ and then looking at Zuck, Elon and even bill gates. all of whom are bordering on the spectrum
Maybe being a Harvard dropout with low EQ appeals more to VC. Elon makes up for it by working really work and having savior ego/massive hype that appeals to his fans and investors.
Re: What I Learned Going Through YC as a 17 Year Old
#65It may be true that you don't need to have worked in a white shoe firm to be respected in SV, but I'm pretty sure there's certain characteristics that are advantageous: - Got into a top university. Good grades are popular, unsurprisingly. A proxy for intelligence and hard work. - Speaks English. How many YC folks don't? I'm sure there are a lot of smart people in the world who just didn't grow up with English and so…
I vaguely remember Paul Graham said (and I'm paraphrasing very much) good grades or bigco background sends a signal that you're more cut out for working for others than running a business.
But of course, the two don't have to be generally mutually exclusive.
Re: What I Learned Going Through YC as a 17 Year Old
#66What I learned from this article: 1. Privilege opens doors not available to others. 2. Those with privilege are often oblivious to the advantages they have.
"Coming from a Boston suburb" was enough for you to dismiss his talent and effort as irrelevant? Geez.
Re: What I Learned Going Through YC as a 17 Year Old
#67It may be true that you don't need to have worked in a white shoe firm to be respected in SV, but I'm pretty sure there's certain characteristics that are advantageous: - Got into a top university. Good grades are popular, unsurprisingly. A proxy for intelligence and hard work. - Speaks English. How many YC folks don't? I'm sure there are a lot of smart people in the world who just didn't grow up with English and so…
funny hearing you say high EQ and then looking at Zuck, Elon and even bill gates. all of whom are bordering on the spectrum
Low EQ people seem more trustworthy. Maybe the super high EQ play low EQ as an act.
Re: What I Learned Going Through YC as a 17 Year Old
#68What I learned from this article: 1. Privilege opens doors not available to others. 2. Those with privilege are often oblivious to the advantages they have.
"Coming from a Boston suburb" was enough for you to dismiss his talent and effort as irrelevant? Geez.
I’d like to point out his site has pages and content other than this particular blog post.
Re: What I Learned Going Through YC as a 17 Year Old
#69What I learned from this article: 1. Privilege opens doors not available to others. 2. Those with privilege are often oblivious to the advantages they have.
"Coming from a Boston suburb" was enough for you to dismiss his talent and effort as irrelevant? Geez.
On another part of his homepage it says he went to MIT around the same time he did YC. As someone who interviewed for YC myself while attending MIT, I am not even going to pretend I got the interview entirely independent of my background and the opportunities it gave me - and indirectly, my ability and decision to finance a very expensive education, even after financial aid.
Now, he obviously had talent to even get into a top engineering school at that age, so there is some correlation as well as causation here. Still, unless he wasn’t admitted yet or actively hid the fact from YC, it seems highly unlikely it didn’t carry some weight - especially at that age, with so much less track record to look at.
Re: What I Learned Going Through YC as a 17 Year Old
#70What I learned from this article: 1. Privilege opens doors not available to others. 2. Those with privilege are often oblivious to the advantages they have.
Agreed. Pretty much every point needs to be followed up by "... if you're a white man."
- No one cares about your background ... if you're a white man. - You don't need a lot of experience ... if you're a white man.