Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A Startup That Wants to Build Cities

buildcampus.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 84 posts

Re: A Startup That Wants to Build Cities

#41

Post by twelvechairs »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #36
darkmighty wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps they could sign with a company or group of companies that don't rely on physical location, e.g. software companies. Even then, it would only have potential if it filled a bunch of other checkboxes of desirable qualities people wanting for those companies might want which are not filled by established cities, like great outdoor activities nearby, proximity to large cities, extremely low property costs ...

But if they don't rely on physical location, why would anyone want to live there? (assuming you mean remote workers) What I'm reading / glancing over is that they want to create campusses, modeled after some SF software company headquarters. That would only work in SF, because said software companies aren't going to move out of SF anytime soon. Even then they'd stick to bigger cities where the jobs are.

The only real reason is cost of living. If you build it yourself you could omit half a dozen middle men who make money from real estate as well as potentially local taxes, planning regulations you dont agree with, etc. You could then pass this on in part as higher wages.

Re: A Startup That Wants to Build Cities

#42

Post by jeremyrwelch »

didn't expect the post to hit frontpage so quickly! Just thought some other HNers might be interested.

regardless of the lofty plans, what they have actually built already is pretty great. The communities indeed evolve overtime, but the team is careful about how they transition communities and how quickly they add new people.

The services are useful too. Literally showed up at my place and Internet, common room furniture, cleaning, basic kitchen utensils all already provided and working. Sure there are some kinks in the processes, but remarkably smooth considering all the logistics.

And did I mention the month to month lease? I wish this company existed years ago when I was moving cities more often.

Re: A Startup That Wants to Build Cities

#43

Post by jeremyrwelch »

makeitsuckless wrote: post #32

Ah, the arrogance of completely ignoring history and human nature. The problem with building a community of like-minded people is that after a few generations it won't be a community of like-minded people that have chosen to be there anymore. And I'm not even talking about any other form of social and economic reality. All else remaining the same (it won't), just bringing in new generations will change the entire dyn…

this is definitely a hard problem, but what they've accomplished so far is IMO better than alternatives. they are careful about adding new roommates, and allow existing roommates to give lots of input during the process. definitely seems to work better than standard Craigslist or friends-network only roommate searching.

not sure how it resembles a cult? their goal is not for all the communities to be the same, but rather for there to be many diff types of communities, each of which evolves over time as roommates come and go.

Re: A Startup That Wants to Build Cities

#44

Post by kristiandupont »

epicureanideal wrote: post #30
davidw wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://journal.dedasys.com/2007/04/26/ideas-are-worthless/ Ideas may be worth something, but how would the market for them work?

For the record, I'm very much open to buying ideas (or other information) that help me make more money. If you're selling ideas that would help me make more money, and willing to make payment conditional upon me being able to utilize your ideas (and I'll certainly try, given that it's in my interest) post your contact info and I'll get in touch. I realize there isn't a very efficient market for ideas, and I have diff…

Well for one thing, the term "idea" isn't very well defined. If you are talking about something like Elon Musks Hyperloop, I can see that it might be worth money. But someone else might consider "Uber for dog walkers" an idea. And it is to some extent, but how would you know before you buy? No worries, you say, you'll just make a clause that says that you only pay for an idea if you execute it? Right, but then you are looking to buy an idea without knowing anything about it, and if you hear it but don't like it, you have now exposed yourself to the anger of the idea-guy if you ever go on to do something related.

I have once upset an acquaintance because he felt that I stole his idea. After that incident, I have actually started to ask people not to tell me their ideas unless they are cool with me possibly using them some day. Otherwise, I just risk making enemies with very little upside.

Re: A Startup That Wants to Build Cities

#45

Post by pforpineapple »

epicureanideal wrote: post #30
davidw wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://journal.dedasys.com/2007/04/26/ideas-are-worthless/ Ideas may be worth something, but how would the market for them work?

For the record, I'm very much open to buying ideas (or other information) that help me make more money. If you're selling ideas that would help me make more money, and willing to make payment conditional upon me being able to utilize your ideas (and I'll certainly try, given that it's in my interest) post your contact info and I'll get in touch. I realize there isn't a very efficient market for ideas, and I have diff…

What you are talking about is not an "idea", but a "plan".

Re: A Startup That Wants to Build Cities

#46

Post by jamessb »

davidw wrote: post #26
epicureanideal wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know a way of solving this, but "ideas are worth nothing, execution is everything". If anyone's willing to value the idea as significantly more than nothing, I'd be happy to discuss. See my reply to commenter below. I for one don't believe ideas are worth nothing, and am willing to pay for ideas/information useful to me.

http://journal.dedasys.com/2007/04/26/ideas-are-worthless/ Ideas may be worth something, but how would the market for them work?

At least for companies that recognise they have a problem, and want ideas for how to solve it, such a market already exists - Innocentive https://www.innocentive.com/ar/challenge/browse

This includes various classes of challenge, including the Ideation Challenge:

"An InnoCentive Ideation™ Challenge is a broad question formulated to obtain access to new ideas, similar to a global brainstorm for producing a breakthrough idea or market survey which may include ideas for a new product line, a new commercial application for a current product, or even a viral marketing idea to recruit new customers. Ideation™ Challenge submissions are typically about two written pages, and Seekers receive a non-exclusive, perpetual license to use all submissions."

Re: A Startup That Wants to Build Cities

#48

Post by pantalaimon »

Animats wrote: post #20

It's not that building a new city is hard. Real estate developers do it routinely. The problem is jobs. There are, at present, quite a few places in the US with more houses than jobs. Only in a few places, such as SF and some areas of Oklahoma where there's heavy drilling activity, is the reverse the case. If you want to buy an empty town of new houses, there are plenty in San Bernardino. Vacant lots run about $7500.…

Hah, there are more houses than jobs in Berlin, but that doesn't stop people from coming.

There is more than work and housing to make a vibrant city.

Re: A Startup That Wants to Build Cities

#49

Post by netcan »

twelvechairs wrote: post #41
Cthulhu_ wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But if they don't rely on physical location, why would anyone want to live there? (assuming you mean remote workers) What I'm reading / glancing over is that they want to create campusses, modeled after some SF software company headquarters. That would only work in SF, because said software companies aren't going to move out of SF anytime soon. Even then they'd stick to bigger cities where the jobs are.

The only real reason is cost of living. If you build it yourself you could omit half a dozen middle men who make money from real estate as well as potentially local taxes, planning regulations you dont agree with, etc. You could then pass this on in part as higher wages.

Nonsense. The middle men are part of the economy of real estate. Building, selling, reselling, tenanting… These are all economic activities with associated costs. These costs are higher where you are working within an existing cities where there are already people, property owners, residents, communities, local governments.

So, yes building in the middle of nowhere reduces your costs. Mostly because land is cheap, but also other reasons. The thing is, those reasons are both cause an effect of the higher value of those houses. people will pay through the nose to live in a roach infested box in central London, Manhattan & San Francisco fro precisely those reasons. These places have people, jobs, vibrancy and the tangle of all these that makes it very to build on a large scale but give these places an unmistakably organic feel.

Re: A Startup That Wants to Build Cities

#50

Post by brudgers »

Looking at the website beyond the landing page, their current business is yuppie boardinghouses. Which isn't really building cities and doesn't scale in that direction because what makes cities hard is economic diversity...Greyhound Stations and methadone clinics have to go somewhere or it's just prettier gated suburbia.
Post reply on HN