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So networking, "grabbing coffee" with investors and talking to potential acquirers are a waste of time, yet YC insists that startups go to one of the most expen

by S4M 10y ago

So networking, "grabbing coffee" with investors and talking to potential acquirers are a waste of time, yet YC insists that startups go to one of the most expensive place in the world just because it's more convenient to to those three things.

dang 10y ago
Here's a nice example of where we can apply the Principle of Charity (http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/charity.html http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/charity.html). That's the idea that you should respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of an argument, instead of a weaker one. Sure, you can interpret YC's advice as containing an obviously silly contradiction. But you could also interpret it as saying that you should fundraise when you need to, but not waste time on coffee meetings when you don't.
- asimuvPR 10y ago
  The romanticised idea of being a founder focuses on the lifestyle. Getting coffee is akin to "Let's play tennis sometime!" in other social circles. People want to be seen as founders but not a lot of them are willing or capable to do the work. Reality is that founding a startup is not glamorous. Its lots of hard work with no promise of anything.
  - dang 10y ago
    Yes, that's one of the advantages of doing a low-status activity. The people doing it really want to. We're seeing a similar shift with programming, too. When one's formative experiences were in the low-status phase, it can be weird and challenging to realize that's not true anymore.
    - asimuvPR 10y ago
      I'm still a bit shy when people ask about what I do. My answer is always: I fix and program computers. They don't probe anymore. To be honest, programming is not glamorous or even "cute". I find it really challenging (in a good way) and interesting. Sometimes even fun. But high status? Allow me to simply LOL.
cardine 10y ago
I love being in the middle of nowhere (relative to Silicon Valley) for that reason. It makes each of these very accurate points so much easier to attain. It's easier to make something people want because the people I spend my time talking to every day are my team and my customers. With all of the time spent talking to my customers I am incredibly in tune to exactly what they want. It's easier to stay focused because there is no outside pressure of people to grab coffee with, potential acquirers down the street, "networking", board of advisors, "partnerships", or any of those time sinks. And lastly it is much easier to "keep expenses low" when you don't have to pay for you and your entire team to live in one of the absolute most expensive places in the world. I have a top team of people recruited from top universities in the area, I have a beautiful office on a harborside pier right in the heart of the city with most of my team in walking distance, my expenses are a fraction of what it would be in Silicon Valley, and I'm still in a US city of comparable size to San Francisco. In my opinion, Silicon Valley is one of the worst places in the world to hit all of the points Jessica Livingston brought up.
- ScottBurson 10y ago
  Where are you?
  - cardine 10y ago
    Downtown Baltimore

by S4M 10y ago

dang 10y ago

Here's a nice example of where we can apply the Principle of Charity (http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/charity.html http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/charity.html). That's the idea that you should respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of an argument, instead of a weaker one. Sure, you can interpret YC's advice as containing an obviously silly contradiction. But you could also interpret it as saying that you should fundraise when you need to, but not waste time on coffee meetings when you don't.

asimuvPR 10y ago
The romanticised idea of being a founder focuses on the lifestyle. Getting coffee is akin to "Let's play tennis sometime!" in other social circles. People want to be seen as founders but not a lot of them are willing or capable to do the work. Reality is that founding a startup is not glamorous. Its lots of hard work with no promise of anything.
- dang 10y ago
  Yes, that's one of the advantages of doing a low-status activity. The people doing it really want to. We're seeing a similar shift with programming, too. When one's formative experiences were in the low-status phase, it can be weird and challenging to realize that's not true anymore.
  - asimuvPR 10y ago
    I'm still a bit shy when people ask about what I do. My answer is always: I fix and program computers. They don't probe anymore. To be honest, programming is not glamorous or even "cute". I find it really challenging (in a good way) and interesting. Sometimes even fun. But high status? Allow me to simply LOL.

cardine 10y ago

I love being in the middle of nowhere (relative to Silicon Valley) for that reason. It makes each of these very accurate points so much easier to attain. It's easier to make something people want because the people I spend my time talking to every day are my team and my customers. With all of the time spent talking to my customers I am incredibly in tune to exactly what they want. It's easier to stay focused because there is no outside pressure of people to grab coffee with, potential acquirers down the street, "networking", board of advisors, "partnerships", or any of those time sinks. And lastly it is much easier to "keep expenses low" when you don't have to pay for you and your entire team to live in one of the absolute most expensive places in the world. I have a top team of people recruited from top universities in the area, I have a beautiful office on a harborside pier right in the heart of the city with most of my team in walking distance, my expenses are a fraction of what it would be in Silicon Valley, and I'm still in a US city of comparable size to San Francisco. In my opinion, Silicon Valley is one of the worst places in the world to hit all of the points Jessica Livingston brought up.

ScottBurson 10y ago
Where are you?
- cardine 10y ago
  Downtown Baltimore