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How to Start Google

paulgraham.com

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Re: How to Start Google

#61

Post by bombcar »

joshuahutt wrote: post #57
eloisant wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

There are very different definitions of "rich." Take the old comparison between Gates and Jordan. "If Jordan saves 100% of his income for the next 450 years, he'll still have less than Bill Gates has today." You can become wealthy and comfortable working for a salary. But, the canonical way to get "FU money" is to win the lottery.

It's all about managing yourself and expectations.

Can a janitor save enough money to rival Gates? No. Not even close.

But the same janitor could save enough money to have "FU money" later in life, and only continue working as a janitor if he chose to do so.

Re: How to Start Google

#64

Post by temporarara »

seu wrote: post #5
hiddencost wrote: post #2

"If you look at the lists of the richest people that occasionally get published in the press, nearly all of them did it by starting their own companies." "Of the 137 people in the global study who achieved billionaire status in the 12-month study period, 53 of them inherited $150.8 billion collectively, more than the $140.7 billion that was earned by the 84 new self-made billionaires in the same time period, the UBS…

And still not taking into consideration that the majority of those "self-made" billionaires anyway inherited many privileges from their parents that helped them to "self make".

It also doesn't hurt to inherit just a few millions and combine it with hard work and luck if the alternative is just hard work and luck.

Re: How to Start Google

#65

Post by suyash »

humbleferret wrote: post #48

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 friend…

So, can we then say the title is 'click bait'?

Re: How to Start Google

#66

Post by [deleted] »

jjackson5324 wrote: post #53
eloisant wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

That depends entirely on your definition of rich. PG's definition of rich is probably 100x what yours is.

[deleted]

Re: How to Start Google

#67

Post by mbgerring »

confoundcofound wrote: post #35

It’s so deflating to see both YC & PG focus their content almost solely on the younger generations. As someone who came to tech later in their mid-30s, it’s not hard to feel like expired goods when the “thought leaders” of tech are unabashedly gunning for younger minds with little to no acknowledgement of those who may want to start ventures during later stages of life. The more I try to plug myself in, the more it s…

Average age of successful startup founders is 35-45. YC likes young founders because they’re impressionable and exploitable.

Re: How to Start Google

#68

Post by suyash »

tomhoward wrote: post #29
suyash wrote: post #18

Ok, so I am having a hard time buying the idea that just make a fun project if you want to create a something like 'Google'. Startup 101 teaches us that you need to solve a painful problem that lot of people have, that is the best way to create 'Google', so isn't the advise contradictory?

His advice is: - Work on a personal project that is motivating to you (obviously you won't work on it if it's not motivating to you) - It's a good sign if the project you're motivated to work on solves a problem that you and your friends care a lot about, because there's a good chance many more people will also want that problem solved and will buy/use your product. Sure, plenty of big companies were started via diff…

I didn't see the 2nd point but yes overall this clarifies.

Re: How to Start Google

#69

Post by tomhoward »

alismayilov wrote: post #62

I'm wondering if there is a research about which percentile of these two groups became rich: People who started a company vs People who worked for Tech companies.

Unless you're very early (and/or very lucky), you can't get "rich" (i.e., can choose never to work again and can invest in many other things) as an employee (though of course a highly-paid employee can become very well off and comfortable).

Yes you need to be lucky to get super-rich as a founder too, but you have a lot more control, i.e., you make the primary decisions that determine whether the company will make good products that people will use/buy.

Re: How to Start Google

#70

Post by YossarianFrPrez »

PG is remarkably consistent in his advice; much of his writing is about developing a nose for "what's missing" and having the chops and resources to attempt a solution.

Also, I think 'Google' in this instance is more for motivation rather than a literal comparison. He's leaving out the part that Google was founded by graduate CS students a) looking for a thesis, b) into node-link graphs, and c) inspired by academic citation metrics. Would PG advise anyone to go to grad school to learn how to find scientific-discovery-based startup ideas these days?

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