I'm surprised by the negative reaction that this post has received. I thought the actions were more "cheeky" than overstepping. But maybe that's more an indication that I am afflicted with the same easy morality.
Interviewing with YC? Don't overstep the limits like us (but be close)
31–40 of 51 posts
Re: Interviewing with YC? Don't overstep the limits like us (but be close)
#32"The problem is, while pg outwardly disapproved of our actions, we know he secretly loves founders that push the limits!" You know what, though: the response function around the limit is not a smooth bell curve; it drops sharply below the x axis as you go past the peak.
Would you have funded them had they not pulled their stunts?
Yes. We were influenced by the large number of YC alumni that they got to recommend them, but not by the dinners they organized for the applicants.
Re: Interviewing with YC? Don't overstep the limits like us (but be close)
#33Given the inherent dodginess of so many 'social startups' already ("get piles of users now, figure out how to make a big pile of money from later"), this whole 'naughtiness' stuff bothers me. It's a short hop from naughty to 'actively unethical'. Here's the question: given that you've already demonstrated that you don't really have a lot of regard for the privacy of fellow YC interviewees (however 'intentionally' you…
"given that you've already demonstrated that you don't really have a lot of regard for the privacy of fellow YC interviewees"
The only thing they really did wrong was publicly tweeting at everyone, had they just used people's twitters to look up their emails they would have been completely in the clear. And even then if they had still tweeted at a few people who were already in the bay area whose emails they couldn't find that would be kosher also, as long as the tweets were carefully worded. They took one short cut they shouldn't have, but otherwise it was a good idea that was well executed.
Re: Interviewing with YC? Don't overstep the limits like us (but be close)
#34Is anyone else somewhat annoyed by the wink-and-a-node style this post is written in? It's like, "Hey look how scrappy we are, willing to push the limits like this, but oh, that's not appropriate for you , you had better play it safe."
It is indeed difficult to find a charitable way to read this post.
There's more to an apology than the words "I'm sorry". One must also make a good-faith effort to convince the other party that you're not kidding.
Re: Interviewing with YC? Don't overstep the limits like us (but be close)
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
Would you have funded them had they not pulled their stunts?
Yes. We were influenced by the large number of YC alumni that they got to recommend them, but not by the dinners they organized for the applicants.
Is it possible that those two events are connected?
Re: Interviewing with YC? Don't overstep the limits like us (but be close)
#36Writing twitterbots to spam people? Man, I wouldn't have just yelled at you in an interview. I would have engaged in physical violence. Twitter spammers are right down there with Nigerian 419 scammers in my book. I'm disappointed to hear that YC is funding one of them.
Glad we have our priorities straight about behavior and what is and isn't right.
Re: Interviewing with YC? Don't overstep the limits like us (but be close)
#37Given the inherent dodginess of so many 'social startups' already ("get piles of users now, figure out how to make a big pile of money from later"), this whole 'naughtiness' stuff bothers me. It's a short hop from naughty to 'actively unethical'. Here's the question: given that you've already demonstrated that you don't really have a lot of regard for the privacy of fellow YC interviewees (however 'intentionally' you…
Although PG uses the word "naughty", I think "radical" is perhaps a more appropriate word. "Naughty" is not necessarily disruptive. "Radical", however, is almost always disruptive. "Radical" also strictly represents the root of something. Printing cardboard cereal boxes to sell at a convention sounds more "radical" than "naughty". Loading up big piles of airbeds for people to sleep on at another convention sounds sim…
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Re: Interviewing with YC? Don't overstep the limits like us (but be close)
#38Given the inherent dodginess of so many 'social startups' already ("get piles of users now, figure out how to make a big pile of money from later"), this whole 'naughtiness' stuff bothers me. It's a short hop from naughty to 'actively unethical'. Here's the question: given that you've already demonstrated that you don't really have a lot of regard for the privacy of fellow YC interviewees (however 'intentionally' you…
Although PG uses the word "naughty", I think "radical" is perhaps a more appropriate word. "Naughty" is not necessarily disruptive. "Radical", however, is almost always disruptive. "Radical" also strictly represents the root of something. Printing cardboard cereal boxes to sell at a convention sounds more "radical" than "naughty". Loading up big piles of airbeds for people to sleep on at another convention sounds sim…
I don't think radical is the word. They didn't invent a new way of doing things, they just leveraged what they could to its fullest extent - innovative...with a hint of naughty.
Personally, I don't get what people here are griping about...the only thing I wouldn't have done is the twitter bot.
Although...as long as they didn't go 'HEY YC FINALIST, come eat with us'...I really don't see a problem with the twitter thing either - its all a matter of tasteful tactic.
Re: Interviewing with YC? Don't overstep the limits like us (but be close)
#39These guys certainly seem mature and professional enough to run a company, especially funded with other people's money
Re: Interviewing with YC? Don't overstep the limits like us (but be close)
#40Given the inherent dodginess of so many 'social startups' already ("get piles of users now, figure out how to make a big pile of money from later"), this whole 'naughtiness' stuff bothers me. It's a short hop from naughty to 'actively unethical'. Here's the question: given that you've already demonstrated that you don't really have a lot of regard for the privacy of fellow YC interviewees (however 'intentionally' you…
To be brutally honest, if you're not a bit weird[1] you're probably not cut out to make it in the social space. We're talking about people who would have created a hot or not site 10 years ago without a thought about the pain it could cause people who always ended up 'not'. These aren't normally adjusted people. They have a lot of good points, and some very bad ones. If you want to look at it in a good way they're no…
unconventional?
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