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Welcome Peter

blog.ycombinator.com

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Re: Welcome Peter

#51

Post by larrys »

kkhire wrote: post #7

There's no way any accelerator can be competitive against YC if Peter Thiel is going to be doing office hours

I think you are getting blinded by to much of a "halo".

After all that's a bit like thinking that someone has to go to an Ivy League school (let's say Harvard) or "game over".

We all know that there are many successful people that didn't, and that additionally aren't even college graduates (and didn't drop out of an Ivy School either).

And by the way, YC is not the entire entrepreneurial world either.

Re: Welcome Peter

#52

Post by staunch »

The world would benefit much more from him starting a worthy alternative to YC. Few others are in a position to do so. He probably thinks there would be no profit in competing against what he sees as YC's monopoly.

Re: Welcome Peter

#53

Post by mfisher87 »

pitchups wrote: post #23

Just finished reading Zero to One for a second-time, and it was interesting to see that Peter Thiel's contrarian approach to investing in startups ("What valuable company is nobody building") is very similar to PG's thesis that "all good ideas look like bad ideas to begin with (black swan investing) [0] It will be even more interesting to see if their combined insights and approach can increase their chances of ident…

>Regardless, this has to be among the most formidable grouping of startup talent and brains in the valley.

Awfully broad statement. I might agree if you added "cash" to the list. ;)

Re: Welcome Peter

#54

Post by forloop »

pekk wrote: post #30
forloop wrote: post #11

I hope Peter encourages start-ups in longevity and nootropics. Or just nootropics. If there's more smart people then additional anti-ageing tech will follow—since all arguments against said tech are fallacious; even if they seem reasonable prima facie!

That depends on what actual results you can deliver. If it's not very much, that's not a fallacy, it's a demonstration.

> That depends on what actual results you can deliver.

Nothing to do with me. I plan on purchasing the results.

> If it's not very much, that's not a fallacy, it's a demonstration.

Rats' lifespans have been doubled[0]. And there are medications which are used for other conditions being looked at: like rapamycin (or the development of a variant), and metformin.

There are also supplements like the newly released nicotinamide riboside.

Plus, people such as Google (via Calico) are developing treatments targeting the longevity gene FOXO3.

The area is vast. And you've just demonstrated my point. What you've said sounds reasonable, but is actually bullshit.

[0] http://www.kurzweilai.net/fullerene-c60-administration-doubl...

Edit: Grammar.

Re: Welcome Peter

#56

Post by eropple »

danmaz74 wrote: post #44
agorabinary wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Political extremist" is an empty ad-hominem --- please point out specifically what views of his are so distasteful.

“Most importantly, I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.” "Since 1920, the vast increase in welfare beneficiaries and the extension of the franchise to women — two constituencies that are notoriously tough for libertarians — have rendered the notion of “capitalist democracy” into an oxymoron."

This was the first thing I thought of, and to be honest I'd be interested in seeing how this circle is supposedly squared.

I'm working on something pretty awesome for which, for the first time, pitching it to YC seemed like it could be a good idea; to be honest, I wouldn't feel right doing that now with YC talking out both sides of its mouth.

Re: Welcome Peter

#57

Post by eropple »

chatmasta wrote: post #39
TomGullen wrote: post #33

Peter Thiel is a political extremist, and I don't like a lot of his views at all. My point of view is that this is bad for YCombinator, and that this is a bit of a shame.

Why would YC want an ideologically homogenous board of directors? Surely there exists great value in diversity of opinion?

Depends. Is somebody who decries the extension of franchise to women because they don't adhere to libertarian views somebody that you'd willingly associate with?

Personally, I wouldn't, because I like looking myself in the mirror, but your mileage may certainly vary.

Re: Welcome Peter

#58

Post by bbcbasic »

vasco_ wrote: post #22
api wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All those are valid. One you forgot: YC, like nearly all other accelerators, is implicitly age-ist. Note that I said implicitly. There is no explicit age discrimination that I am aware of, but the entire program is structured in a way that makes it horribly impractical for anyone who isn't a bachelor/bachelorette and childless. You must move to the Bay Area, put in family-unfriendly hours, and live on a quantity of m…

I disagree. I have 4 kids, I have been married for 15 and my co-founder had a 3 months old when we did YC. And we are from Portugal, so we were away from our families when we went through YC. It was hard and it required sacrifice, but it was certainly worth it and YC was super supportive. Our lives, and the lives of our kids are much better for it.

I am interested in your story then?

Did you incorporate in US and move your family to the US? Did the pressure to do long hours cease once you finished the YC programme and got funding?

> Our lives, and the lives of our kids are much better for it.

This implies some level of financial success from your participation :-)

Re: Welcome Peter

#59

Post by aros »

garry wrote: post #28
api wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All those are valid. One you forgot: YC, like nearly all other accelerators, is implicitly age-ist. Note that I said implicitly. There is no explicit age discrimination that I am aware of, but the entire program is structured in a way that makes it horribly impractical for anyone who isn't a bachelor/bachelorette and childless. You must move to the Bay Area, put in family-unfriendly hours, and live on a quantity of m…

This is absolutely false. It's an absurd thing to say that founders over a certain age are washed up — and it's a lie to say that is something we believe. Startups move to the Bay Area for three months and go anywhere it makes sense to put their startup afterwards. Many companies even move the founder's families over the three months (easier in the Summer). Also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9031697 and http:/…

You didn't refute a point to which you replied.

Re: Welcome Peter

#60

Post by aros »

nostromo wrote: post #47
api wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All those are valid. One you forgot: YC, like nearly all other accelerators, is implicitly age-ist. Note that I said implicitly. There is no explicit age discrimination that I am aware of, but the entire program is structured in a way that makes it horribly impractical for anyone who isn't a bachelor/bachelorette and childless. You must move to the Bay Area, put in family-unfriendly hours, and live on a quantity of m…

Literally everything is harder with young children. Not just YC. That doesn't mean the world is ageist. That means that parenting is hard work that comes at the expense of your other priorities.

Hence the reason he said "implicit."
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