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Why don't rich people do more awesome things?

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Why don't rich people do more awesome things?

#31

Post by demian »

chernevik wrote: post #21
AretNCarlsen wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you start it with the intention of profiting? I think the OP is specifically looking for unprofitable-but-awesome ventures. For example, curing AIDS because you want people to not have AIDS is awesome, but curing AIDS because you want to sell AIDS medicine is not awesome.

Dude. If you cure AIDS, I DO NOT CARE why you did it. God may care, you may care, and that's all very important. Seriously. But me, I DO NOT CARE.

You will if they cure AIDS in order to charge you a fortune for the cure.

Re: Why don't rich people do more awesome things?

#33

Post by vaksel »

there are plenty of rich people who do awesome things...i.e. Bill Gates.

But there are also plenty of rich people who only think of themselves and growing their bank accounts.

It comes down to a person...if you'd care about others when you are poor, you'd continue caring about others when you have the means to help.

Re: Why don't rich people do more awesome things?

#35

Post by cdibona »

pg wrote: post #30

I can't afford to. If I could afford to, I would have quietly done it. But real estate in Palo Alto is very expensive, and most of YC's investments are still illiquid. (Not that I have 5-8% in any case. We assume we get diluted down to 2% by exit, and I am one of several partners in YC.)

It's also not worth it and you'd be rewarding the building owner. Bistro Elan could move two blocks in either direction, reduce rent and recoup moving costs in months. (and I hope they do)

Re: Why don't rich people do more awesome things?

#37

Post by jackowayed »

cdibona wrote: post #35
pg wrote: post #30

I can't afford to. If I could afford to, I would have quietly done it. But real estate in Palo Alto is very expensive, and most of YC's investments are still illiquid. (Not that I have 5-8% in any case. We assume we get diluted down to 2% by exit, and I am one of several partners in YC.)

It's also not worth it and you'd be rewarding the building owner. Bistro Elan could move two blocks in either direction, reduce rent and recoup moving costs in months. (and I hope they do)

Yeah, when I saw Paul's post, the first thing I thought was that it would encourage every landlord of a place that a lot of very rich people love to triple the rent and force a rich person to buy it at a favorable price.

Re: Why don't rich people do more awesome things?

#38

Post by javadev »

peteforde wrote: post #24
AretNCarlsen wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you start it with the intention of profiting? I think the OP is specifically looking for unprofitable-but-awesome ventures. For example, curing AIDS because you want people to not have AIDS is awesome, but curing AIDS because you want to sell AIDS medicine is not awesome.

I am the OP, and I'm not rich. BuzzData is designed to be useful and profitable in equal quantities. It must succeed at making money in order to continue being useful to people. If we work hard and stay focused on making something that people would be upset to lose, then I will become wealthy as a side-effect. I plan to use my wealth to become an angel investor, which is something I can't do unless I change my curren…

"I plan to use my wealth to become an angel investor..." There's an old saying about counting your chickens before they're hatched.

Re: Why don't rich people do more awesome things?

#39

Post by nitrogen »

thaumaturgy wrote: post #8

I'm not about to second-guess PG, or any other single person. Maybe the capital they have isn't liquid enough; maybe they have other obligations; who knows? And it's worth pointing out that doing more awesome things doesn't require wealth. Why don't more poor people clean up their neighborhoods? Why don't more startups choose to solve problems that would really improve peoples' lives? We should never point our finger…

For some reason this post by alnayyir is dead:

>Why don't more startups choose to solve problems that would really improve peoples' lives?

People keep bringing this up, but I never see examples. If I saw one, I'd chase it like an alcoholic that's spotted Jim Beam at the bottom of a hill.

To my detriment, and with gusto.

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