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Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

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Re: Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

#131
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Parker is arguing that in many cases, the engineer can actually have a bigger impact at the bigger company (e.g. because it leverages economies of scale and having lots of startups fragmentizes the talent pool).

It's a self-serving argument. A bigger overall impact is more likely when there are tons and tons of smaller companies out there trying ideas (i.e. the chance of one of them hitting the next big thing). If all these engineers just go work at Facebook instead, Parker will feel the biggest impact in his stock value. Individual engineers might do better at FB than they would have failing at their own company, but on the…

I'm not saying that I believe Parker's argument. I brought it up because the GP was considering the consequences of what would happen if Parker's argument were true. The GP, assuming Parker's argument were true, seemed to think that the conclusion was in the engineers' best interests.

What I'm saying is that, if you believe Parker's argument, it isn't necessarily against an engineer's best interests.

Re: Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

#132
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you write software for a big company then that piece of software could impact the lives of millions of people.

Yes this is true, and that is what the HFT developers say to themselves as well. Just a point of data.

But this is also what developers at hospitals say to themselves.

Re: Sean Parker: “Little Startups Are Ridiculously OverFunded”

#133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes.

You have a pretty low opinion of people who've managed to make large sums of money. If they're as stupid as you think, maybe that money would be better utilized by people who aren't?

Bah. The problem is that the feedback cycle is too long to penalize certain behaviours. It's not about stupidity, etc.
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