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How to Start Google

paulgraham.com

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Re: How to Start Google

#41

Post by jvanderbot »

Scubabear68 wrote: post #23

This essay glosses over the fact that most startups die a horrible death and earn little to no money for the founders. Somewhere in this essay it needs to say “99% of you who try this will fail”.

I wonder, over the course of a career in startups, what is the probability that you'll either found or be an early employee at one that makes up (financially) for the rest? Not hugely rich, but better than "normal" career.

Given it's a repeated game, and you gain knowledge at each round, I'd say the odds are probably pretty good that the highly dynamic / fast learning environment of early companies yields returns over a lifetime.

Re: How to Start Google

#42

Post by Kranar »

Scubabear68 wrote: post #23

This essay glosses over the fact that most startups die a horrible death and earn little to no money for the founders. Somewhere in this essay it needs to say “99% of you who try this will fail”.

I agree most startups fail, but no they don't die a horrible death nor do the majority of them earn no money for their founders. Many founders could have made more money through traditional employment, but you'll find very few startup founders are actually poor or become poor due to a startup.

There is an opportunity cost to starting your own company, but it's not some kind of horrible experience that will drive you to bankruptcy unless you're part of the 1% who manages a spectacular exit.

Re: How to Start Google

#43

Post by DonsDiscountGas »

elwell wrote: post #14

> But the more arbitrary a test, the more it becomes a test of mere determination and resourcefulness. So Leetcode is actually a good way to hire?

Sadly, yes, at least for a certain type of job. Probably not the best, but considering the effort involved on the part of the employer (ie very little) combined with the result, it's pretty good. Anything better requires a ton more effort (work trials) and/or doesn't scale well (personal referrals).

Re: How to Start Google

#44

Post by eloisant »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #21

While I agree with a lot of the criticisms that have been posted here (first and foremost that it is exceedingly bad advice to take advice on being successful from someone who is like six sigmas to the right of the curve on how their efforts were rewarded - it's like reading from Taylor Swift or Simone Biles or Usain Bolt about "to succeed you just need hard work and to believe!". As it's taken many, many years of th…

Also "the standard way to get rich"... It's much easier to get rich by getting hired at a FAANG than starting your own company.

You only get rich by starting your own company if you win the startup lottery. Otherwise you're better off getting a high paid job.

Re: How to Start Google

#45

Post by kdfjgbdfkjgb »

DonsDiscountGas wrote: post #40
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #21

While I agree with a lot of the criticisms that have been posted here (first and foremost that it is exceedingly bad advice to take advice on being successful from someone who is like six sigmas to the right of the curve on how their efforts were rewarded - it's like reading from Taylor Swift or Simone Biles or Usain Bolt about "to succeed you just need hard work and to believe!". As it's taken many, many years of th…

> I think it's also a good idea to keep in mind the general HN guideline of "Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says." "strongest" is highly subjective. I also don't think we should make things up and pretend the other person said them, which is much more commonly used to strawman, but steelmanning involves the same process.

you can steelman and still be explicit that you're steelmanning and how you're interpreting what you think they meant

Re: How to Start Google

#46

Post by w10-1 »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #32
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #21

While I agree with a lot of the criticisms that have been posted here (first and foremost that it is exceedingly bad advice to take advice on being successful from someone who is like six sigmas to the right of the curve on how their efforts were rewarded - it's like reading from Taylor Swift or Simone Biles or Usain Bolt about "to succeed you just need hard work and to believe!". As it's taken many, many years of th…

> soaking up as much knowledge and relationships while you're in school A family friend was recently admitted to a magnet school - it's not like an Ivy League level institution, but it's fairly prestigious in the area, and not easy to get to. I need to make sure to remind him that while it's good that he's feeling academically challenged, he should also focus on building friendships with people who are statistically…

Aristotle said friendships were the best example of happiness in life - not fame or success which rarely lead to happiness or even social benefit. Friendship is the best example because that's the only way to not only exercise your curiosity and virtues, but do so in knowing concert with people who understand and appreciate what you're doing, who are entirely different beings. I would hope that even high-achieving friendships can be built not on mutual utility but on common interest and expression.

Re: How to Start Google

#47

Post by ericd »

scarface_74 wrote: post #13
ericd wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's telling kids that they don't have to get a job, and one of the key objections is obviously going to be "but how will I get money". The emphasis in the essay is not getting rich, it's that it's a much more interesting path. And it is.

And then they hit the reality that thier startup is going to fail, even if they get funding in a non zero interest rate environment and they would have been better off just “grinding leetCode and working for a FAANG” (tm r/cscareerquestions) or even just working as a CRUD/Enterprise Corp dev and still be able to make the median household income in the US a couple of years out of school

They might have been better off financially - statistically, they probably would've been. But even my failed startups were more rewarding experiences by far than working in large companies.

And it doesn't preclude you from going and getting paid too much at a big tech co afterwards if it doesn't work. This field has been so lucrative recently that you can generally afford to not be earning at peak potential for a bit, so why not roam free for at least a bit, and let your interest take you where it will, rather than doing something you describe as a grind, just to earn the privilege to go sit in meetings for most of the day and count the years till you can afford retirement?

Re: How to Start Google

#48

Post by humbleferret »

This essay isn't a step-by-step guide to building 'Google', rather, a call for young people to consider entrepreneurship as a fulfilling alternative to traditional careers.

To maximise their chances of success, Paul suggests:

1. Become a builder: Gain expertise in technology or other fields you're passionate about. (Does not have to just be coding, either!)

2. Start personal projects: Build things you and your friends find useful. Paul suggests this is the fastest way to learn and potentially discover startup ideas.

3. Collaborate: Work on projects with like-minded people. This fosters skill development and could lead to finding potential cofounders.

I liked how Paul also emphasises the importance of good grades in order to access top universities, where you'll find other bright collaborators.

There are obviously many other paths, but if I wish I had this advice at 14 or 15.

Re: How to Start Google

#49

Post by twosdai »

vehemenz wrote: post #6
CPLX wrote: post #3

He left out the part about starting your company at a unique point in history where a generational technology shift was taking place that also happens to be a time when antitrust laws had recently been enforced (making your main competitor wary) but were about to be completely ignored for the next 20 years, so you could exploit your initial market position and engage in anti-competitive behavior to grow huge.

Or the part where your parents are professors and provide the educational opportunities and financial freedom to take risks that 99% of people don't have. I don't mean that to even sound bitter or cynical, but it's just a fact if you look at most founders, even the ones that fail miserably.

Take the risks you can with what you have.

Re: How to Start Google

#50

Post by jamil7 »

verelo wrote: post #38
Scubabear68 wrote: post #23

This essay glosses over the fact that most startups die a horrible death and earn little to no money for the founders. Somewhere in this essay it needs to say “99% of you who try this will fail”.

if i had a 1 in 100 shot of becoming google I'd just do it 100 times. I'm pretty sure its more like 99.99999%

That’s… not how that works.
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