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I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA

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Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA

#441
post #307

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why doesn't a director have enough money saved up to support their family for at least three months? And I knew Navy folks who were away from their families for months at a time, so it is definitely possible (if not fun) to do this. But if you're becoming an entrepreneur for the fun, it's time to question your motives.

I'm guessing you don't have a wife and children. It isn't about the money, it's about not seeing them. You are also forgetting that it isn't just your sacrifice in terms of the time you are giving up with your wife and children for three months, but also that you are forcibly restricting them from being able to see you too. They didn't choose that. Once you have a family you have a bunch of responsibilities and you'v…

I was raised by a single mother, in part because my father didn't want the overhead of raising kids. I know many other people like that (or other similar situations like parents voluntarily enlisting in the military). Obviously an anecdote with sample size n=1, but different people make the choice of prioritizing different areas of life based on what makes them happy.

But I think for you it is clear that family comes before business. Which is a fine personal choice for you, but is it the kind of choice people putting their money in your business want to see you making?

(And yes I don't have kids or a wife.)

Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA

#443
Hey Sam, we have attempted to apply a couple times showing steady progression. Does it hurt to re-apply with same idea. To be fair, I know if I have seen a resume for the third time, I am conflicted with the applicants passion and my initial decision. How would say this can differ with your team or is it the same?

Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA

#445

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Truth is an absolute defence for libel.

> Truth is an absolute defence for libel. In the USA. In the UK, the opposite.

Nope.

In the UK truth is still a defense, but the difference is that the burden of proving truth is on the defendant rather than the plaintiff (like in the USA).

Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA

#446
Hi Sam,

I am planning on applying this batch, however; I have a friend who just finished his Ph.d in Computer Vision. I want to work with him on a different idea than the one I applying for at YC(robotics). It's in the "other interests" category, he is not a co-founder for my current application. If chosen, can a founder be added iff you don't like the initial idea?

Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA

#448
post #307

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why doesn't a director have enough money saved up to support their family for at least three months? And I knew Navy folks who were away from their families for months at a time, so it is definitely possible (if not fun) to do this. But if you're becoming an entrepreneur for the fun, it's time to question your motives.

I'm guessing you don't have a wife and children. It isn't about the money, it's about not seeing them. You are also forgetting that it isn't just your sacrifice in terms of the time you are giving up with your wife and children for three months, but also that you are forcibly restricting them from being able to see you too. They didn't choose that. Once you have a family you have a bunch of responsibilities and you'v…

[deleted]

Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA

#449

Hey Sam, Any comment regarding Jason Calacanis being banned from YC's upcoming demo day? Jason tweeted[1] his side but didn't know what the YC side of it was and was curious. [1] https://twitter.com/Jason/status/710176806184349696

Jason's been a great supporter of our company/vision, and we couldn't be happier to have him as an investor. This tweet really summarizes the kind of person Jason is: https://twitter.com/Dan_Fennessy/status/705889049987325952

Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA

#450
Allegations are circling the web that a side effect of the (also alleged) startup bubble is that there are more good founders than good ideas. The purported effect is to water down the societal value of the products and services that are produced by companies exiting accelerators and incubators.

A few obvious counter arguments come to mind right away, such as YC's startups in fusion energy and non-profits like Watsi. If I could, I'd Google up a histogram of funded startup business models as granular as 'restaurant food delivery' or 'pre-packaged home cooked meals' and see where the ideas are concentrated.

What is your opinion on the aggregate? Does YC have any formal or informal policies aimed at balancing the mix of weighty vs. frivolous businesses?

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