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Things Overheard at TechCrunch Disrupt

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Re: Things Overheard at TechCrunch Disrupt

#11
post #4

Ug. I'm going to defend them despite the easy ability to mock. Each industry has it's jargon of puff words to convey complex things. In my field of physics, for example, we'll often use a short-hand word to cover a very complicated idea, with the understanding that everyone should know what your talking about... and if they don't they should go learn more about it. Entanglement, emergence, wavefunction. The problem i…

Which could have been said in jest, to be fair.

Re: Things Overheard at TechCrunch Disrupt

#12

I love that this article was written by Kevin Roose :). Had to do a double-take to make sure I wasn't reading an Onion knockoff. On a more serious note, this article highlights what is a big annoyance of the startup community. Namely that people are focused on building a startup for short term profit rather than (genuinely) trying to change the world in a big way. It's in some ways analogous to the short-term mindset…

People are following the money - it's VERY hard to find backing for a 'change the world in 20 years' kind of company, but relatively easy to find it for a 'make $40m in 5 years' type of company.

Re: Things Overheard at TechCrunch Disrupt

#13

I love that this article was written by Kevin Roose :). Had to do a double-take to make sure I wasn't reading an Onion knockoff. On a more serious note, this article highlights what is a big annoyance of the startup community. Namely that people are focused on building a startup for short term profit rather than (genuinely) trying to change the world in a big way. It's in some ways analogous to the short-term mindset…

Taken together, insofar as they are markers of and contributors to phenomena including a shift from employment to entrepreneurship, and the positive face of the shift away from lifetime employment and more towards individual control of one's own relationship with the market, startups of all kinds are changing the world in a big way.

Re: Things Overheard at TechCrunch Disrupt

#15
post #12

I love that this article was written by Kevin Roose :). Had to do a double-take to make sure I wasn't reading an Onion knockoff. On a more serious note, this article highlights what is a big annoyance of the startup community. Namely that people are focused on building a startup for short term profit rather than (genuinely) trying to change the world in a big way. It's in some ways analogous to the short-term mindset…

People are following the money - it's VERY hard to find backing for a 'change the world in 20 years' kind of company, but relatively easy to find it for a 'make $40m in 5 years' type of company.

I completely agree. I think people are following the path of least resistance to getting money, and this is the crux of what annoys me about the startup community. The goal is not transform an industry, at whatever cost, regardless of what anyone says, but get $40m as quickly as possible. Very few people have genuine convictions that they are hell bent on achieving, or at least it doesn't show.

Re: Things Overheard at TechCrunch Disrupt

#16
post #4

Ug. I'm going to defend them despite the easy ability to mock. Each industry has it's jargon of puff words to convey complex things. In my field of physics, for example, we'll often use a short-hand word to cover a very complicated idea, with the understanding that everyone should know what your talking about... and if they don't they should go learn more about it. Entanglement, emergence, wavefunction. The problem i…

I think it's worth distinguishing jargon from corporate speak. "Swimming in the social-stream," for example, isn't jargon. It's cringeworthy business talk.

Re: Things Overheard at TechCrunch Disrupt

#17
My goal is to make millions quickly with a nifty but superficial startup idea and then create a giant research lab focusing on science I find interesting (superconductivity, md simulations, neutrino research, etc...)

Well, that's the plan anyway. Real-life will probably be a lot different.

Re: Things Overheard at TechCrunch Disrupt

#18
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People are following the money - it's VERY hard to find backing for a 'change the world in 20 years' kind of company, but relatively easy to find it for a 'make $40m in 5 years' type of company.

I completely agree. I think people are following the path of least resistance to getting money, and this is the crux of what annoys me about the startup community. The goal is not transform an industry, at whatever cost, regardless of what anyone says, but get $40m as quickly as possible. Very few people have genuine convictions that they are hell bent on achieving, or at least it doesn't show.

Optimizing for a goal less likely to fail sounds like a good idea for young entrepreneurs that don't have any significant net worth or previous successes.

After they are financially setup for life, more seem to gravitate towards the really big, risky, transformative ideas.

Re: Things Overheard at TechCrunch Disrupt

#19
"Disrupting the disruptors."

Not sure what the speaker meant but in my view that could mean upstaging these hollow throw-together startups with some sound engineering. No hype solutions to the same "problems" that "Just work better" (because they are designed better) and cost less.

Re: Things Overheard at TechCrunch Disrupt

#20

I love that this article was written by Kevin Roose :). Had to do a double-take to make sure I wasn't reading an Onion knockoff. On a more serious note, this article highlights what is a big annoyance of the startup community. Namely that people are focused on building a startup for short term profit rather than (genuinely) trying to change the world in a big way. It's in some ways analogous to the short-term mindset…

I would suggest that a lot of people think somewhere along the lines of "if I can make a few million ASAP I can focus on the world changing ideas later". Unfortunately, this approach leads to a lot of "me too" type ideas.

The other side of it is that it's very hard to go out and change the world with your first project when you're unknown. Lots of famous entrepreneurs have had many failures and minor successes before being able to command the backing, respect and trust required for changing the world via business.

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