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Despite Y Combinator Growth, Paul Graham Still Coding

forbes.com

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Re: Despite Y Combinator Growth, Paul Graham Still Coding

#32

Post by saraid216 »

georgieporgie wrote: post #27
PhilipG wrote: post #21

This should come as no surprise. Writing code is a medium of expression like writing english or drawing or using a piece of software via a GUI. Like most of us I imagine Paul would do all of these on a daily basis.

That's a really interesting thought. Is there any correlation between programming and writing abilities? (not that you were saying that) They're superficially dissimilar, but each is a creative endeavor that deals with formulating ideas and organizing them into a particular flow... It does seem that a number of great programmers are gifted writers, as well, but this could be blogger selection bias.

In my experience, a good coder is also a good writer and, if they get over the visceral fear of public speaking, a good speaker.

Re: Despite Y Combinator Growth, Paul Graham Still Coding

#34

Post by ccollins »

pg wrote: post #16
katem wrote: post #13

Is there a list of common problems Y founders make?

There's a general list of common mistakes here: http://paulgraham.com/startupmistakes.html

From Mistake 10: "People interested in local events (that one is a perennial tarpit)". Would you please give an example or elaborate a little bit more on that?

I fear I may heading for the tarpit...

Re: Despite Y Combinator Growth, Paul Graham Still Coding

#35

Post by wheels »

philwelch wrote: post #5
warwick wrote: post #2

I really don't like the bias in the headline. It seems to imply that coding isn't something you'd do after you got growth. Why not "How Coding Helps Y Combinator Manage Growth" or "Paul Graham Keeps Coding to Help Y Combinator Keep Growing"?

I think the implication is that pg would be too busy running YC to code. Even if it doesn't happen to him, it happens to a lot of founders.

I think there are a lot of founders who don't code on their company's product anymore (though it's apparently not a pure factor of size – Gates and Zuckerberg are known for actually writing code many years in), but it'd be weird if they didn't write code at all. It would imply that writing code is never the most efficient way to accomplish a task that they want solved. Even with infinite resources at your beck and call, it's often faster to write a quick script than to explain to someone else what that script should do (and to continue to do so through whatever iterations seem appropriate).

I'm tempted to say that those who don't continue to hack were never really hackers in the first place. For a hacker, writing code is just one of the normal ways to interact with a computer.

Re: Despite Y Combinator Growth, Paul Graham Still Coding

#37

Post by patrocles »

warwick wrote: post #2

I really don't like the bias in the headline. It seems to imply that coding isn't something you'd do after you got growth. Why not "How Coding Helps Y Combinator Manage Growth" or "Paul Graham Keeps Coding to Help Y Combinator Keep Growing"?

Despite IBM Growth, Lou Gerstner Still Golfing

Re: Despite Y Combinator Growth, Paul Graham Still Coding

#39

Post by pg »

ccollins wrote: post #34
pg wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a general list of common mistakes here: http://paulgraham.com/startupmistakes.html

From Mistake 10: "People interested in local events (that one is a perennial tarpit)". Would you please give an example or elaborate a little bit more on that? I fear I may heading for the tarpit...

This is one of those ideas that people think of, notice that no one is already doing it, and decide that there is therefore an opportunity. But the reason no one is already doing it is not that no one has thought of it. It's one of the most common startup ideas. The reason no one is doing it is (I believe) that users don't want it.
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