How do we define an ambitious vs a non-ambitious idea?
How many people here are working on ideas that may not seem ambitious on the surface, but with long-term goals that are very ambitious?
Why you should choose an ambitious startup idea
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Re: Why you should choose an ambitious startup idea
#12Based on a lot of data, I'd say he's right. It's harder to work on an ambitious idea, but not proportionately harder.
To what data are you referring? Surely there are also tons of smaller tech startups (or other small businesses) that were somewhat stable while small, but that failed directly due to their ambition.
Re: Why you should choose an ambitious startup idea
#13I think ambition is in founders, not in ideas. A truly ambitious founder will take the smallest of ideas and turn it into something big.
Re: Why you should choose an ambitious startup idea
#14It depends on your life circumstances. I think it's easy to choose an ambitious startup once you have a success under your belt, and aren't worried about paying the bills (ie. have a small exit/cushion already). On the other hand, if you still got to pay the bills, and have a family, it makes sense to pursue a smaller idea that doesn't require $10 million in venture capital, or a team of 20 people. You say that you c…
Exactly, would Gabriel have been able to start DDG without the money from selling NamesDatabase (or other private money)? I think a lot of these guys who have "made it" forget how difficult resources can be for the rest of us, especially when talking about webscale projects.
I was certainly in a great situation. However, we weren't living off any more than my wife's salary (including any DDG investments), so I would say the answer was yes.
Re: Why you should choose an ambitious startup idea
#15Earlier quoted context omitted.
Exactly, would Gabriel have been able to start DDG without the money from selling NamesDatabase (or other private money)? I think a lot of these guys who have "made it" forget how difficult resources can be for the rest of us, especially when talking about webscale projects.
I was certainly in a great situation. However, we weren't living off any more than my wife's salary (including any DDG investments), so I would say the answer was yes.
Would someone who had a mortgage, and kids to pay tuition for had that luxury though?
Re: Why you should choose an ambitious startup idea
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
I was certainly in a great situation. However, we weren't living off any more than my wife's salary (including any DDG investments), so I would say the answer was yes.
Would someone who had a mortgage, and kids to pay tuition for had that luxury though?
We have kids and a mortgage.
Re: Why you should choose an ambitious startup idea
#17Tractionbook looks interesting, but there's a typo right at the top of the page: "traciton" -> "traction"
Re: Why you should choose an ambitious startup idea
#18If you want to disrupt higher ed first you have to realize how bloated it is and how it tries to do everything but educate students.
more on bloat: http://goldwaterinstitute.org/sites/default/files/Administra...
I've written some more about how oversold education is here:
http://www.thewesternwrangler.com/search/label/administrativ...
http://www.thewesternwrangler.com/2011/03/higher-education-r...
Re: Why you should choose an ambitious startup idea
#19If you want to disrupt higher ed first you have to realize how bloated it is and how it tries to do everything but educate students. more on bloat: http://goldwaterinstitute.org/sites/default/files/Administra... I've written some more about how oversold education is here: http://www.thewesternwrangler.com/search/label/administrativ... http://www.thewesternwrangler.com/2011/03/higher-education-r...
1 strategy might be to buy an established university and get rid of the wasteful excess.
Another strategy would be to attract the brightest away via some sort of YC/Theil education combo (we provide an education for a cut in your future income and we put you in touch with the brightest minds). You'd then have to overcome all the problems with licensing associated with the alliance between higher ed and local/state government (you can't train engineers, doctors, lawyers without approval from certification schemes, ...software engineers don't require certification yet). You would do this by demonstrating your students are smarter and more capable than the certified students.
Once you've taken down the licensing and certification scheme you open the road to disrupt higher education for everyone else.
Re: Why you should choose an ambitious startup idea
#20How do we define an ambitious vs a non-ambitious idea? How many people here are working on ideas that may not seem ambitious on the surface, but with long-term goals that are very ambitious?
The size of the market and obstacles in the way. For example, K-College education in the U.S. is about a $1 trillion a year economy. Government and self-interested trade organizations stands in the way of disruption (they don't want to be disrupted they want to keep their jobs at the expense of everyone else).