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I would think most founders who've been through YC would recognize Jessica's importance in the equation, so it's interesting that it is some sort of secret in t
by SwellJoe 11y ago
I would think most founders who've been through YC would recognize Jessica's importance in the equation, so it's interesting that it is some sort of secret in the industry at large. Even early on, before her first book was published, she was obviously on top of, and involved in, everything. She was the primary point of contact for damned near everything for founders.
So, it's an interesting phenomenon that even with such a preponderance of evidence, the story that gets told and re-told mostly leaves her out. Our industry has so many internalized prejudices that are invisible unless and until you're looking for them, it can seem perfectly normal for the story to be about a lone man building an empire with a few supporting characters. If the story were framed as building a "family", rather than a business empire, would Jessica's role be more prominent in the telling? I think one could tell it either way, but the tech industry doesn't have language for that, even though I think some of the best companies were as much a family as an empire (early HP, for example).
Gender roles are weird, is what I'm trying to say, and the tech industry is more rigid than many.
- Natsu 11y agoJust from PG's essays alone, I've always known how important she was. I remember him making it very clear, so it's sad that the media hasn't really given her proper credit. I don't blame her about not wanting to deal with journalists, though, after all that. I wouldn't either.
- jsprogrammer 11y agoI have not read all of PG's essays, but the few things that I have read here, talking about Jessica Livingston, including this essay, set her up as a magic oracle, sitting in obscure silence, judging everyone (on which basis, it is never revealed, except for appeals to "character", through a Social Radar). I don't disbelieve that is how it happens, but to me it just seems all a bit too magical. Like, founders should be betting their entire business that this person who won't talk to you can correctly divine your entire past and future trajectories just by watching you talk to her husband? Otherwise, they won't accept you into their family? It's a bit of a turn off and vaguely cult-like.
- Spooky23 11y agoIn a world of extroverts, people who STFU and listen often acquire seemingly magical powers.
- jsprogrammer 11y agoThere is huge value in observing and listening. Unfortunately, none of the descriptions demystify the magic. Maybe I am reading the descriptions incorrectly, but the actual logic behind the magic is never explained. The descriptions only contain an appeal to a magic oracle power. >But after the interview, the three of us would turn to Jessica and ask "What does the Social Radar say?" [1] The footnote for that quote says: >... >"She was always good at sniffing out any red flags about the team or their determination and disarmingly asking the right question, which usually revealed more than the founders realized." I'd be interested in reading or knowing more about the questions which were asked, instead of a direct appeal to authority (right question), what the questions revealed, and what the founders actually realized. As far as I can tell, these details never get discussed publicly.
- SwellJoe 11y ago"Unfortunately, none of the descriptions demystify the magic. Maybe I am reading the descriptions incorrectly, but the actual logic behind the magic is never explained. The descriptions only contain an appeal to a magic oracle power." Which says, to me, that pg doesn't understand it, either. He just trusts it based on historical reliability. I'd also be curious to know what some of those magically insightful questions were, but I don't think it nullifies the point of the article to not include them.
- Spooky23 11y agoInstincts matter. My grandfather was a pub owner -- he could talk to anyone about anything, and was often able to de-escalate people and situations. I remember him being a fluent reader of body language... he could size somebody up and immediately & accurately tell you that the person was trouble.
- 11y ago
- mattmaroon 11y agoI will say that no prospective YC founders ever really asked me about Jessica. They all asked me about Paul, and I told them to worry less about PG and more about her.
- mattmaroon 11y agoI will say that no prospective YC founders ever really asked me about Jessica. They all asked me about Paul, and I told them to worry less about PG and more about her.
- mattmaroon 11y agoI will say that no prospective YC founders ever really asked me about Jessica. They all asked me about Paul, and I told them to worry less about PG and more about her.
- kriro 11y agoI don't think "gender" is the best separator to use in this case. The post reads like the typical "fate" of an introvert (I guess it's fueled by "gender roles"). I wish pg would have used the term "introvert" instead of the dreaded "shy". In fact it perfectly matches some of the chapters in Susan Cain's "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking", a pop-sciency book that investigates the introvert/extrovert divide (intorverts are cast a bit too much into the hero role but overall a very good book).