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It's kind of a big claim, that the most important thing that people got from Thiel Fellowship was the network. If that's really and truly the case, then how is

It's kind of a big claim, that the most important thing that people got from Thiel Fellowship was the network. If that's really and truly the case, then how is this different from the universities of old? I don't mean that as a challenge. I really do mean to pick it apart. You can argue that this one is more meritocratic. It's also blatantly clear that it had an admissions committee of one. Edit: And as someone else pointed out, you don't get the hard skills training that you get in university.

throwaway2016a 10y ago
I think university networks are overrated a bit. When you're just one of thousands of graduates you need to bring more to the table than just having the same alma mater. All your peers are trying to leverage the same connections to fit through a skinny pipe. For every one time I leverage my college network I have 10 where I leverage my network I built after college.
- lambdasquirrel 10y ago
  That's true. Then what'd happen to the Thiel Fellowship if you were to scale it the same way? I think you can likewise make the argument that it's kind of an extra-fancy MBA.
mcguire 10y ago
The network is the important part, I'm given to understand, about YC. This article and the Thiel Fellowship are implicit admissions that it's not what you know, but who. And that entrepreneurs don't need to know things, only people. Whichmay go towards explaining why they tend not to address fundamental problems.
zachlatta 10y ago
Hey, I'm part of the program. The fellowship's community is one of the few places I've found people like me, my age, who are so obviously better than me that I feel out of place being in the same room. As with all communities, the quality of people vary (regardless of how you define quality), but the fellowship has the highest concentration of smart young people that I've ever experienced. I never went to university and don't have that as a point of reference, but I have a hard time believing I'd find a similarly concentrated group anywhere else.

throwaway2016a 10y ago

I think university networks are overrated a bit. When you're just one of thousands of graduates you need to bring more to the table than just having the same alma mater. All your peers are trying to leverage the same connections to fit through a skinny pipe. For every one time I leverage my college network I have 10 where I leverage my network I built after college.

lambdasquirrel 10y ago
That's true. Then what'd happen to the Thiel Fellowship if you were to scale it the same way? I think you can likewise make the argument that it's kind of an extra-fancy MBA.

mcguire 10y ago

The network is the important part, I'm given to understand, about YC. This article and the Thiel Fellowship are implicit admissions that it's not what you know, but who. And that entrepreneurs don't need to know things, only people. Whichmay go towards explaining why they tend not to address fundamental problems.

zachlatta 10y ago

Hey, I'm part of the program. The fellowship's community is one of the few places I've found people like me, my age, who are so obviously better than me that I feel out of place being in the same room. As with all communities, the quality of people vary (regardless of how you define quality), but the fellowship has the highest concentration of smart young people that I've ever experienced. I never went to university and don't have that as a point of reference, but I have a hard time believing I'd find a similarly concentrated group anywhere else.