How Not to Die • Hacker News Board

Re: How Not to Die

#71

Post by vlad » Thu, Aug 30, 2007, 11:33 PM UTC

nostrademons wrote: post #69

vlad wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

" It makes sense when you think about it. The yCombinator application weeds out people who are unintelligent; the interview weeds out people who are inflexible. So anyone who gets into the program is bound to be both intelligent and flexible. " That statement is self-serving, so, whether it is true or not, it stands that there must be a better way to express what you're saying (and without speaking for YCombinator, a…

There's a difference between "Everyone who gets into yCombinator is smart" and "Everyone who doesn't get into yCombinator is not". The former is true as far as I've observed; I don't have a whole lot to go on, but I've met a couple YC applicants at startup gatherings and frequent the sites of a few more, and they all seem like sharp cookies. I never claimed the latter. There are bound to be smart people that don't ge…

(It says you already replied 12 mins ago but I just finished editing my response, so you might want to get the update.)

Re: How Not to Die

#72

Post by utnick » Thu, Aug 30, 2007, 11:41 PM UTC

SwellJoe wrote: post #56

rms wrote: post #14

It's kind of depressing to not have any real startup peer group in Pittsburgh. News.yc is serving as a kind of substitute, for me. I'm really looking forward to when we get to turn our startup's shopping cart on and ask news.yc for feedback.

You need to get to a startup hub, if you're serious. It makes a huge difference in mindset, and odds of success. I've started companies in Houston, Austin, and now in the Valley. Austin was vastly better than Houston, but Silicon Valley is worlds apart from anything I've ever seen. The only benefit to not being in a startup hub is that you don't have as short of a runway during that very early self-funded stage. You…

this is really OT

im from austin, live in dallas short term now

but where did you find all the hot startup action in austin?

are there any groups or communities that you frequented? any websites that you conncected with other hackers on? is austinventures really the only game in town? It seems like austin has the free spirit startup culture, but I dont feel near the amount of startup community there as I do when I read about the valley on here and other startup oriented blogs/sites. maybe im just out of the loop tho. got any tips for an aspiring austin starterupper?

Re: How Not to Die

#73

Post by arey_abhishek » Fri, Aug 31, 2007, 12:02 AM UTC

Its a great post. Very reassuring to hear someone confirm and re-confirm that startups bring a lot of bad shit :) .

Re: How Not to Die

#74

Post by SwellJoe » Fri, Aug 31, 2007, 12:06 AM UTC

utnick wrote: post #72

SwellJoe wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You need to get to a startup hub, if you're serious. It makes a huge difference in mindset, and odds of success. I've started companies in Houston, Austin, and now in the Valley. Austin was vastly better than Houston, but Silicon Valley is worlds apart from anything I've ever seen. The only benefit to not being in a startup hub is that you don't have as short of a runway during that very early self-funded stage. You…

this is really OT im from austin, live in dallas short term now but where did you find all the hot startup action in austin? are there any groups or communities that you frequented? any websites that you conncected with other hackers on? is austinventures really the only game in town? It seems like austin has the free spirit startup culture, but I dont feel near the amount of startup community there as I do when I re…

I was lucky enough to end up sharing an office with another startup, further along than mine (they had 5 million in revenues and 20 or so employees), because I did some consulting work for them and they had some spare space for a while as they grew (Austin real estate was depressed in 03 when they were negotiating and so they got a good deal on a 3/4 of a floor in the Bank of America building at the corner of 6th and Congress).

Perl mongers was also pretty interesting, though not startup-y enough. PUG (Python Users Group) also met a few times, and they were a bit more dynamic.

There's also some money in Austin. Austin Ventures is well-known and well-regarded, and they do a lot of deals. A few angels exist there, and if you're doing anything related to oil and gas or telecommunications you can find investors, if you beat the bushes. Other areas are not as well served.

But, the valley is in a class by itself. I wouldn't recommend starting up in Austin to anyone, now that I know how big the difference is between the #1 startup hub and the #5 startup hub...as pg pointed out in his article about startup hubs, the drop-off is steep. Boston is barely half as good as Silicon Valley, and everything else is likewise half as good as the next step up (I believe the list goes SV, Boston, New York, Seattle, Austin, but I might be misremembering). Might as well be in Dubuque as anywhere other than the Valley.

Re: How Not to Die

#75

Post by rokhayakebe » Fri, Aug 31, 2007, 12:08 AM UTC

jsjenkins168 wrote: post #13

I will say it plainly: This is the most influential, well written essay I have ever read. It hit a chord very deep with me..

If I was a rapper, I would say "PG you the Truth, man". I wanted to say "you the shit, man", but that sounds bad although that means a good thing in music language.

Re: How Not to Die

#76

Post by aswanson » Fri, Aug 31, 2007, 12:45 AM UTC

far33d wrote: post #19

A good friend of mine once described pg as a "modern-day Horatio Alger for hackers".

Though not religious, I would compare him to Paul the Apostle, wiping the scales from his eyes after that talk to the Harvard kids to spread the startup gospel from city to city...

Re: How Not to Die

#77

Post by augy » Fri, Aug 31, 2007, 12:57 AM UTC

thingsilearned wrote: post #63

Argh! I just moved back to Minnesota....

Tell that big company, with that cool project, you changed your mind X commit your life to startups X and move back to SF. If you don't you are going to lose that unusable VIP pass to her pants ; )

http://thingsilearned.wordpress.com/2007/07/09/the-dangers-o...

Re: How Not to Die

#78

Post by wesleyb » Fri, Aug 31, 2007, 1:08 AM UTC

Inspiring (as always).

Re: How Not to Die

#79

Post by electric » Fri, Aug 31, 2007, 1:19 AM UTC

benhoyt wrote: post #21

Very helpful and inspiring. Thanks! But: > We're taking on some consulting projects, but we're going to keep working on the startup. All good if you're single, but what if you've got a wife and family and just need the cash? (Okay, feel free to say you shouldn't start a startup with a family, but it's too late... :-)

I have two kids, my wife works, I used to work at a high tech company and we had to save up for a couple of years before going the startup route. Now it is all startup -- so that is good.

We gave up a lot financially to be here. If you have kids and a family it does take a lot more work, but it is not impossible. Just work it out with your wife.

Re: How Not to Die

#80

Post by dfens » Fri, Aug 31, 2007, 1:32 AM UTC

benhoyt wrote: post #36

ph0rque wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not ask the wife to be the temporary breadwinner while you concentrate on your project?

It might be a good solution, except that we have a 6-month-old daughter. And I'm very happy that we do, but it does make startup decisions harder. :-)

Three words: "Working for Families"