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Is Y Combinator the next Aum Shinrikyo?

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Is Y Combinator the next Aum Shinrikyo?

#31

Post by shiro »

yamada wrote: post #29
shiro wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, that's why I said it's not perfect. The thing is, to some people, the cult's methodology works for their success (since many mind-control techniques are not evil by themselves, and can be used to improve one's life if used wisely). You have to look at not only those successful cases, but also the rest of cases---if the group has contributed to the success of a few celebrities, but not for the 99.9% of other memb…

So then how do you distinguish that? Like does YCombinator method make people succeed? Or is it good at identifying likely future successes and convincing them to associate with YCombinator? Or both? How do you gage the effect either way? In other words, does YC make the successes, or is it better at systematically finding them and associating with them?

You can't draw a concrete line, and it may take time. However, if, say, a few years later, 30% of YC companies succeeds big and 50% of them are producing good results (not necessarily in their startup, but by taking important roles in other companies), then people can hardly say YC is a destructive cult.

Re: Is Y Combinator the next Aum Shinrikyo?

#32

Post by yamada »

shiro wrote: post #31
yamada wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So then how do you distinguish that? Like does YCombinator method make people succeed? Or is it good at identifying likely future successes and convincing them to associate with YCombinator? Or both? How do you gage the effect either way? In other words, does YC make the successes, or is it better at systematically finding them and associating with them?

You can't draw a concrete line, and it may take time. However, if, say, a few years later, 30% of YC companies succeeds big and 50% of them are producing good results (not necessarily in their startup, but by taking important roles in other companies), then people can hardly say YC is a destructive cult.

Depends on how you look at it. Most web 2.0 innovations are just reiterations of low-yield activities designed to encourage phatic communication at the cost of personal and corporate productivity. Who knows what effect that will have on, say, our national economy?

Re: Is Y Combinator the next Aum Shinrikyo?

#34

Post by mattmaroon »

jamiequint wrote: post #9

+50% rate of success? Check.

In fairness, they're nowhere near 50% success yet. Only a few startups have actually "succeeded" by PG's definition (i.e. gotten rich). That's largely because most of their fundees haven't had time to get there yet.

They do have enough horses still in the race and running strong that I wouldn't bet against them, but their success rate right now is a something around 5% right?

Re: Is Y Combinator the next Aum Shinrikyo?

#36

Post by shiro »

yamada wrote: post #32
shiro wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't draw a concrete line, and it may take time. However, if, say, a few years later, 30% of YC companies succeeds big and 50% of them are producing good results (not necessarily in their startup, but by taking important roles in other companies), then people can hardly say YC is a destructive cult.

Depends on how you look at it. Most web 2.0 innovations are just reiterations of low-yield activities designed to encourage phatic communication at the cost of personal and corporate productivity. Who knows what effect that will have on, say, our national economy?

Time will tell. Meantime, all you can do is to watch the concrete numbers. Note that the line between destructive cults and other groups are not only blurry, but some cults may morph into a normal group over time, or vice versa.

If you really suspect a certain group is a cult and want to do something about it in a short span, watch a concrete prediction the group makes (somehow lots of cult leaders often makes them, e.g. the world will end by year 20XX). Then compare the outcome. Don't be destructed by what the member of the groups says, or how the group is organized and managed. Look for the objective evidence.

Re: Is Y Combinator the next Aum Shinrikyo?

#39

Post by gwenhwyfaer »

yamada wrote: post #5
gwenhwyfaer wrote: post #3

Stockpiling large quantities of biological and chemical weapons? Er... doubt it.

How do you know for sure though? None of these groups ever started out by communicating their ultimate intent at first. Aum started as a humble local yoga club.

See, if you'd just left it at the original post, without trying to defend it, it would have been funny. Now you just look sad.

Never mind. Being turned down isn't the end of the world; there's no reason you can't start up without YC funding.

Re: Is Y Combinator the next Aum Shinrikyo?

#40

Post by pg »

This is so dumb. It wouldn't work to have a cult of startup founders. Cult members tend to be passive people who need someone to tell them what to do. But if you funded startups started by people like that, they'd all go off and immediately fail.
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