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Ask PG: What Is The Most Frighteningly Ambitious Idea You Have Been Pitched On?

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Re: Ask PG: What Is The Most Frighteningly Ambitious Idea You Have Been Pitched On?

#201

Post by TikiTDO »

Eliezer wrote: post #47
pg wrote: post #42

I'm sorry if this is an unsatisfying answer, but if you mean convincingly pitched, I couldn't answer a question like that without disclosing the long-term plans of startups that would prefer to keep them secret. If you mean unconvincingly pitched, it would probably be the applications we get from people who've discovered new power sources that violate the laws of physics.

Can you say where the scariest and most ambitious convincing pitch was on the following scale? 1) We're going to build the next Facebook! 2) We're going to found the next Apple! 3) Our product will create sweeping political change! This will produce a major economic revolution in at least one country! (Seasteading would be change on this level if it worked; creating a new country successfully is around the same level…

Oh finally, now I can just say I'm 10 on the Yudkowsky Ambition scale. You've saved me much explaining.

Re: Ask PG: What Is The Most Frighteningly Ambitious Idea You Have Been Pitched On?

#202

Post by rms »

Alex3917 wrote: post #121
Eliezer wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Holy schmaloly, that actually is a 3 if it works. Anyone else got 3 or higher?

"Anyone else got 3 or higher?" I have a drug that could massively raise the IQ of the world's population, in total more than the power of all the world's computers combined. And it costs only a couple pennies per person per year. Iodine.

We should put it in salt or something...

Re: Ask PG: What Is The Most Frighteningly Ambitious Idea You Have Been Pitched On?

#203

Post by mietek »

chronophilic wrote: post #196
Eliezer wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you say where the scariest and most ambitious convincing pitch was on the following scale? 1) We're going to build the next Facebook! 2) We're going to found the next Apple! 3) Our product will create sweeping political change! This will produce a major economic revolution in at least one country! (Seasteading would be change on this level if it worked; creating a new country successfully is around the same level…

Does anyone know of a sort of hacker news for 3 and up? I think it would be good for my blood pressure to find a place where people don't equate "changing the world!" with "finding a new way to sell socks on the internet!"

I wish.

Maybe we should create one?

Re: Ask PG: What Is The Most Frighteningly Ambitious Idea You Have Been Pitched On?

#204

Post by poppysan »

martindale wrote: post #122
untog wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A local, social offers app is going to be "equivalent of the invention of electricity"? I don't mean to sound down on the idea- I'm sure it could work out great. But come on.

No worries, it's easy to be down on the public message right now. We're all pretty confident in the plan to overhaul the way commerce works in general, possibly to the end of supplanting "money" entirely. :)

Don't know if this is sarcasm or not... hmmm...

Re: Ask PG: What Is The Most Frighteningly Ambitious Idea You Have Been Pitched On?

#205

Post by tim_iles »

swombat wrote: post #168
powertower wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Edit: It's not a drug - but it will, imho, produce a change in the basic human condition, if/when implemented. He's probably talking about an idea similar to the H+ neural implant ( http://www.youtube.com/user/HplusDigitalSeries ). It's a nano device that is injected into or around your spine/brain, and after a week it learns how to interface with your body. Then it links out to the network and you can do all the t…

Nope. Fair enough on the downvotes, btw, you're right - I didn't add much to the conversation. I don't feel ready to share/discuss that idea yet. Funny, considering I'm a strong proponent of "ideas are nothing, execution is everything"...

Guess it's a case of not being ready to execute on the idea yet? If so, not sharing until you're ready to start executing would be your best option.

Re: Ask PG: What Is The Most Frighteningly Ambitious Idea You Have Been Pitched On?

#206

Post by mammalfriend »

Eliezer wrote: post #47
pg wrote: post #42

I'm sorry if this is an unsatisfying answer, but if you mean convincingly pitched, I couldn't answer a question like that without disclosing the long-term plans of startups that would prefer to keep them secret. If you mean unconvincingly pitched, it would probably be the applications we get from people who've discovered new power sources that violate the laws of physics.

Can you say where the scariest and most ambitious convincing pitch was on the following scale? 1) We're going to build the next Facebook! 2) We're going to found the next Apple! 3) Our product will create sweeping political change! This will produce a major economic revolution in at least one country! (Seasteading would be change on this level if it worked; creating a new country successfully is around the same level…

This is neat. Just keep in mind that there's a difference between transformative innovation and a successful business.

Re: Ask PG: What Is The Most Frighteningly Ambitious Idea You Have Been Pitched On?

#208

Post by lukeck »

sanj wrote: post #135
Eliezer wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you say where the scariest and most ambitious convincing pitch was on the following scale? 1) We're going to build the next Facebook! 2) We're going to found the next Apple! 3) Our product will create sweeping political change! This will produce a major economic revolution in at least one country! (Seasteading would be change on this level if it worked; creating a new country successfully is around the same level…

Where does the internet fit into this hierarchy? How about the web? 3-6 ?

I'm not sure where it sits on the scale but the internet, web and associated technologies allow anyone to share without the limitations of physical media, an idea with any other person across any distance from across the room to as far as people spread in future and across time from instantly through to the end of civilization.

I'd say that's a fairly fundamental change for humanity.

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