Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Leanest Startup in Silicon Valley

inc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 34 posts

Re: The Leanest Startup in Silicon Valley

#21

Post by mindcrime »

fusiongyro wrote: post #20
mindcrime wrote: post #8

Man, I love this guy. I'm not convinced that the idea is big enough to get him where he wants to go, but the moxie, the hustle, the spirit... you can't help but root for somebody like this. I'm shocked he didn't get into YCombinator, to be honest. Pg always talks about how it's about "the team, not the idea," and if anybody has the moxie to get in as a solo founder, I'd have thought it would be Kurt. Anyway, Kurt, ke…

> you can't help but root for somebody like this. I can. Dude left his wife three hundred miles away so he can live out of a car to work on his idiotic startup. "Moxie"? I'm sure that's something his second wife will be able to appreciate. In the meantime, I agree with "Herbert": he's a tool, and this moronic stunt is transparent and far from endearing.

I'm not a huge Teddy Roosevelt fan, but I think his words fit this discussion quite well:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Re: The Leanest Startup in Silicon Valley

#22

Post by fusiongyro »

mindcrime wrote: post #21
fusiongyro wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> you can't help but root for somebody like this. I can. Dude left his wife three hundred miles away so he can live out of a car to work on his idiotic startup. "Moxie"? I'm sure that's something his second wife will be able to appreciate. In the meantime, I agree with "Herbert": he's a tool, and this moronic stunt is transparent and far from endearing.

I'm not a huge Teddy Roosevelt fan, but I think his words fit this discussion quite well: It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because t…

Those words are appropriate for Elon Musk, not a bum writing a social alarm clock out of his car.

Re: The Leanest Startup in Silicon Valley

#23

Post by damonpace »

Repeat after me...You do not have to suffer to build a business. So many stories like this are sensationalized in the media and it convinces so many young entrepreneurs that it's a right of passage to struggle while building a business. It's not true. Yes, other entrepreneurs had determination and some sacrifice...but they most likely didn't suffer so dramatically, nor make their loved ones suffer along with them. Don't fall for the trap. Be smart enough to build a business without the struggle.

Capitalism says that in order to improve your life you must first improve the lives of others. The more lives you improve, the better your life will become. If you eliminate your own self interest of a good life, you have forgotten the biggest reason you are building a product in the first place. You aren't respecting your life, your wife, your business or your customers by doing this.

Stop struggling and build something valuable that people will pay you for. Living out of a van down by the river may get you a few news articles and motivational speaking gigs, but your struggle is not related to your success. I've been there...I've done it. It is irrelevant and unnecessary.

Re: The Leanest Startup in Silicon Valley

#24

Post by rokhayakebe »

This guy needs to start a rent-your-car-for-the-night-as-a-bed , an AirBnB for your car. Or a startup that sells kits allowing you to turn any car into a place to live while camping or travelling cross country. Or a startup that sells life-saving kits allowing you to live out of your car for up to x days in case of an emergency.

Re: The Leanest Startup in Silicon Valley

#25

Post by tptacek »

damonpace wrote: post #23

Repeat after me...You do not have to suffer to build a business. So many stories like this are sensationalized in the media and it convinces so many young entrepreneurs that it's a right of passage to struggle while building a business. It's not true. Yes, other entrepreneurs had determination and some sacrifice...but they most likely didn't suffer so dramatically, nor make their loved ones suffer along with them. Do…

Best HN comment in months.

Re: The Leanest Startup in Silicon Valley

#28

Post by wavesounds »

kurtvarner wrote: post #6
tomjen3 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brilliant. By living in a car, you will have very few distractions, though I wonder how do you get electricity and an internet connection?

I wrote about the logistics of everything here (although a few things have changed since this post) http://kurtvarner.com/post/19347794553/man-car-startup

Sell the Civic get a Toyota Previa - my buddy whose been living in his car for years owns 3! Some people enjoy living in their car, especially if your work requires travel or you like being able to move someplace new easily or just don't want to stress over things like paying rent. That's great Palo Alto wont give you a ticket. I think Walmart parking lots are all safe as well. I always thought an app telling you safe places to sleep in your car or camp for free or even good dumpsters to dive would be a handy thing to have - get in touch if you want to work on it, I doubt its the right audience to get rich off of though :-)

Re: The Leanest Startup in Silicon Valley

#29

Post by dbecker »

mindcrime wrote: post #8

Man, I love this guy. I'm not convinced that the idea is big enough to get him where he wants to go, but the moxie, the hustle, the spirit... you can't help but root for somebody like this. I'm shocked he didn't get into YCombinator, to be honest. Pg always talks about how it's about "the team, not the idea," and if anybody has the moxie to get in as a solo founder, I'd have thought it would be Kurt. Anyway, Kurt, ke…

Maybe YCombinator judges applicants based on productivity rather than suffering.

I don't mean that as a criticism. He may be a great guy... he may be productive too.

But sleeping in a car (or a mansion) is unlikely to be the key to success.

Re: The Leanest Startup in Silicon Valley

#30

Post by aswanson »

damonpace wrote: post #23

Repeat after me...You do not have to suffer to build a business. So many stories like this are sensationalized in the media and it convinces so many young entrepreneurs that it's a right of passage to struggle while building a business. It's not true. Yes, other entrepreneurs had determination and some sacrifice...but they most likely didn't suffer so dramatically, nor make their loved ones suffer along with them. Do…

Amen. Kindly dead the romanticism of starving and being pushed to the brink...realize the first, last, and only thing that matters is providing a solution for a human want. Period.
Post reply on HN