71–80 of 112 posts
$6,000/founder and as many 0.375 FTE slaves as they can round up - MBAs around the globe rejoice, TechStars has solved the "I've got this amazing idea, if only I could find some developers" problem.
Jeff said it best when he was asked the question at an event in Boston, "What is better, YC or TechStars?" Jeff's answer: "You can teach a hacker business, but you can't teach a businessman how to hack". 'nuff said.
Ah yes...there's something magical about hackers that means they can learn business, but "businessmen" can never learn the mystical arts of hacking. Give me a break. Actually, rather than repeat myself, here's my comment from a couple weeks ago: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=515978
The subset of hackers who can learn "business" is greater than the subset of business people who can be hackers because the particular style of thinking needed to succeed as a hacker has a unique rigor and need for persistence, and is comparatively rare.
This is true for comparing any less common skill to a more common one. The subset of NFL quarterbacks who could be good programmers is surely proportionally greater than the subset of programmers who could be NFL quarterbacks.
It isn't all about arrogance (although I don't deny arrogance is a factor).
Jeff said it best when he was asked the question at an event in Boston, "What is better, YC or TechStars?" Jeff's answer: "You can teach a hacker business, but you can't teach a businessman how to hack". 'nuff said.
Ah yes...there's something magical about hackers that means they can learn business, but "businessmen" can never learn the mystical arts of hacking. Give me a break. Actually, rather than repeat myself, here's my comment from a couple weeks ago: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=515978
Jeff said it best when he was asked the question at an event in Boston, "What is better, YC or TechStars?" Jeff's answer: "You can teach a hacker business, but you can't teach a businessman how to hack". 'nuff said.
Ah yes...there's something magical about hackers that means they can learn business, but "businessmen" can never learn the mystical arts of hacking. Give me a break. Actually, rather than repeat myself, here's my comment from a couple weeks ago: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=515978
This is a common notion but after years of working in the software business I'm not convinced it is true at all. The successful biz guys I've known could easily learn some subset of programming. Most of the programmers I've known could not be a successful business person if their lives depended on it. YMMV.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ah yes...there's something magical about hackers that means they can learn business, but "businessmen" can never learn the mystical arts of hacking. Give me a break. Actually, rather than repeat myself, here's my comment from a couple weeks ago: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=515978
The subset of hackers who can learn "business" is greater than the subset of business people who can be hackers This is a common notion but after years of working in the software business I'm not convinced it is true at all. The successful biz guys I've known could easily learn some subset of programming. Most of the programmers I've known could not be a successful business person if their lives depended on it. YMMV.
namely, Impedance matching between -
a) investors with too much cash and too little time for small startups
b) startups who don't need or want large amounts of cash
but then you'd have to seriously compare with Open Source contribution - a faster way to learn, smarter people to work with and more social benefit...
OSS work likely has even more commercial potential...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Actually I know quite a few people in my unpaid internship (programming) who don't have "real" jobs and are not exactly rich either. What they do is learn the trade by day, and go home at night to contract out their work on e-lance or something. It's basically a homework assignment that pays for your education.
Well, that's a good plan. But it doesn't exactly erase the unfairness of the practice. Lack of sleep and stress will cost you both happiness and performance, though you may not recognize that when you're nineteen ;)
If I lived in the Valley and had an opportunity to hang out at YC dinners in exchange for a bit of free work, there was probably a time in my life when I would've taken that opportunity.
Random other note: cool that you play the banjo! I've recently begun teaching myself the fiddle.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm in an unpaid internship right now and I love it. The employer actually hires most of their talent through the unpaid internship program. They get to see if the people who do the internship are really there because they want to learn and contribute regardless of monetary compensation. I know everyone can't do this because at some point you need compensation, but the arrangement has taught me a great deal about how…
I know everyone can't do this because at some point you need compensation Which is why using unpaid internships to screen your hires is unethical. It's an artfully disguised form of class discrimination. Lots of very smart and hardworking people cannot afford to work for free. Apparently those people are at a severe disadvantage when applying to work at your company. And it's not as if unpaid internships offer financ…
What about equity? Most stock options end up being valueless. I'd say that a free summer at TechStars (or YC for that matter) would have a greater chance of tracing to some monetary reward than equity in most startups.