3 ms·

A great team won't make a bad idea a winner. You should choose a great idea primarily. As they say you can't polish a turd.

• argonaut 11y ago
  I didn't say that. You should evaluate both; as it stands most of the Apply HN apps have little info about the founders. It should be clear that evaluating a startup based on the idea alone (in the pre-traction phase) is untenable.
  • booop 11y ago
    > A lot of people are evaluating too much based on the ideas, rather than the background of the founders and whether that background gives them the experience to execute the idea. I don't want to accuse you of backpeddaling, but your point would have been more clear if you had said "overlooking the background" instead of "rather than the background" Teams are important, but recent events have shown that we've been giving teams with bad ideas more credit than they deserve because of their credentials or alma matter. Maybe YCF will help someone with a great idea build a great team :)
    • argonaut 11y ago
      > A lot of people are evaluating too much based on the ideas I could have been more clear, but I think the original comment I made is still accurate, even from a pedantic point of view. How have recent events shown that? I don't think recent events have shown that. Also, you can't build a great team if there's nobody good on the founding team from the start.
• snowwrestler 11y ago
  It's true that you can't polish a turd, but I'd suggest you're looking at the wrong thing. A turd idea with a strong team won't succeed, but a strong team can abandon a turd idea and still be a strong team. There are plenty of great products that were built as the 2nd or 3rd ideas of a strong team. A good idea with a turd team won't succeed. And when the idea fails, the team is still a turd.