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Create value for others and don’t worry about the returns

geohot.github.io

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Re: Create value for others and don’t worry about the returns

#241

Post by rustyhancock »

JonChesterfield wrote: post #201

This is a trap for engineers. If you don't worry about the returns, you won't get any. There are circumstances where that is fine. Be sure you're in one of them first.

It's a glib framing but people often simplify rent-seeking to maximizing returns far beyond value.

Geohot seems to be telling people to do the opposite. Maximise value and don't consider returns.

Is it hyperbolic yes? Is it perfectly acceptable opinion to have and post on your own blog? Yes.

I think sometimes we all get caught in the I don't agree with them entirely. get him!! Online.

Re: Create value for others and don’t worry about the returns

#242

Post by CrazyStat »

fragmede wrote: post #225
peepee1982 wrote: post #174

[flagged]

This trope also contains a trap, however. There have been major insights from people stepping outside their lane. Physicists went into econ and built a whole subfield called econophysics, with Pareto and Mandelbrot among them. Mathematicians have transformed biology with population genetics, which led scientists to predict how genes spread through populations. Or the SIR model for how infections spread. Hidden Markov…

Many of the advances in biology in the middle of the 20th century were also helped along by physicists who switched to biology, often inspired by Schrodinger's What is Life? (1946). The list includes Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and (coming from physical chemistry) Rosalind Franklin.

Re: Create value for others and don’t worry about the returns

#244

Post by swores »

mns wrote: post #237
peepee1982 wrote: post #174

[flagged]

Did he struck a nerve? All I'm seeing here are attacks on his person rather than discussing his post, which is not even that controversial, just some common sense stuff.

I haven't yet read what the post submitted here is about, and personally I already have the same opinion as the comment you replied to. So I suspect they just wanted to comment about that rather than caring about this specific post, to remind people not to make the mistake of assuming that someone being well known doesn't automatically mean they always know what they're talking about.

Re: Create value for others and don’t worry about the returns

#245

Post by civvv »

globular-toast wrote: post #230

Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil. Therefore having and not having arise together. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short contrast each other: High and low rest upon each other; Voice and sound harmonize each other; Front and back follow one another. Therefore the sage goes about doing nothing, teaching no-t…

ChatGPT could never

Re: Create value for others and don’t worry about the returns

#246

Post by vasco »

camillomiller wrote: post #228
vasco wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately you're so far from the point that I don't think it's worth explaining. But the wisdom I shared is not mine, it exists for thousands of years. People have known for a long time it's useless to spend too long worrying about things you can't change, and that they should focus on those they can. And that bitterness is not going to help you. Those are the only assertions I'm making. If you want to live bitte…

Stoicism must be the most misconstrued and misunderstood philosophical framework ever. It's just so good for the people in power, and Silicon Valley seems to have eaten it up perfectly and spit out a version of it that is quintessentially functional to convince people that questioning power is useless.

That is not what I said. You seem to assume people have no ability to change anything. I said people should focus on the things they can change.

> Disagree. You can still get fucking angry at how they’re capable of fooling others because of the skewed incentives we built in our capitalistic society

This is what I replied to. You cannot change that other people want to fool others. You can decide to fool others though. You can decide how you operate under a system you disagree with, and your contribution will help change it, to larger or smaller degrees. Being actually internally angry about "capitalism" day to day is completely useless though. Go be the economic agent you think more people should be. Work for someone with morals instead of maximize salary. Move to a country more similar to your values, so many things can be done than "be angry at capitalism".

I also don't see why being bitter and angry is a synonym to "questioning power" to you. You can think about things you disagree without getting angry presumably.

Re: Create value for others and don’t worry about the returns

#247

Post by cjs_ac »

fragmede wrote: post #225
peepee1982 wrote: post #174

[flagged]

This trope also contains a trap, however. There have been major insights from people stepping outside their lane. Physicists went into econ and built a whole subfield called econophysics, with Pareto and Mandelbrot among them. Mathematicians have transformed biology with population genetics, which led scientists to predict how genes spread through populations. Or the SIR model for how infections spread. Hidden Markov…

The common thread in all of your examples is people with mathematical training bringing mathematical formalisms to disciplines that lacked them.

If you're just offering the wisdom gleaned from your life experiences, they're unlikely to be more insightful that anyone else's.

Re: Create value for others and don’t worry about the returns

#248

Post by franciscop »

georgehotz wrote: post #23
franciscop wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think e.g. the AI/LLM boom is all rent seeking? Do you think there's no positive value for the world on the recently announced e.g. MacBook Neo and that it's purely a monopolistic activity? Those are 2 clear recent examples of big players making massive benefits for the world, and I'm okay if they get X% of that value as company valuation.

Not at all. OpenAI / Anthropic are producing tons of surplus value right now! Not to mention how great the Chinese open source LLMs are. And Apple's hardware division has always been fine. Apple's 30% tax for payments in apps is the ultimate rent seeking example though. Want to install your own apps, lol you can't. And if big AI companies follow in the steps of Google/Facebook it's bad for everyone. Let's recognize i…

Strongly agree! I was answering my parent comment that had a very negative view, it is indeed an amazing situation where' in!

Re: Create value for others and don’t worry about the returns

#250

Post by paulryanrogers »

ap99 wrote: post #232
mentalgear wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sound like a description of Elon and the X fanboys firehose.

You don't have to be a fanboy to respect outcomes. He's got a winning track record. You may not agree with his politics or his morals but that's separate from his effectiveness. Specifically he's effective at stepping outside the domain he currently operates into create inside another.

Effectively helping elect a dictator who is in love with fossil fuels undercuts at lot of his "wins". Never mind the Nazi saluting, fraudulent advertising, or bypassing safety regulations.
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