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So basically YC is in the "micro-loan" business??? If so, then I think the original premise of the comment is valid and interesting ... that "YC startups are l

So basically YC is in the "micro-loan" business??? If so, then I think the original premise of the comment is valid and interesting ... that "YC startups are less ambitious (perhaps by design)".

pchristensen 19y ago
No, more like realistic. It's like how every kid wants to be an astronaut, but there are only 100 in the world. Or how every actor wants to be the next Brad Pitt but very few actors (dozens ever?) achieve that level of success. Creating a billion dollar, public company from scratch is something very, very few people have ever done. Getting rich (single or double digit millions) has been done millions of times and so although difficult, is a reasonable goal to pursue. And the $$ is probably the least useful thing YC provides. If I had to guess, I'd say the most useful things they provide are (in this order): (actually turned into its own post: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=147984 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=147984
- dennykmiu 19y ago
  By the way, I am very supportive of YC and I am in awe of what is being done within this community. But I can't help but to make the connection. As it turns out, money is also the least useful commodity that the Microloan Foundation provides. The following is out of their mission statement ... "We provide ... basic business training and continuing guidance ... enables them to develop self-sustainable livelihoods ..." http://www.microloanfoundation.org.uk/about_us.asp http://www.microloanfoundation.org.uk/about_us.asp
  - pchristensen 19y ago
    Well, add connections to the right people and that's about right then. Although the goal is a little higher than sustainable livelihoods.
    - dennykmiu 19y ago
      Thanks for tolerating my twisted sense of humor.
- kuldeep_kap 19y ago
  Thanks for putting this aptly, it does sound convincing to me and I do agree very much that YC puts startups at very strong position and holds the metaphor correct that it helps a kid become an astronaut. May be we will see this astronaut touch the mars, one day.
  - pchristensen 19y ago
    Not exactly my point, more like encouraging kids to become a pilot instead of an astronaut. You can do everything right and still not become an astronaut, but if you're smart and work hard you can probably become a pilot.

So basically YC is in the "micro-loan" business??? If so, then I think the original premise of the comment is valid and interesting ... that "YC startups are less ambitious (perhaps by design)".

pchristensen 19y ago

No, more like realistic. It's like how every kid wants to be an astronaut, but there are only 100 in the world. Or how every actor wants to be the next Brad Pitt but very few actors (dozens ever?) achieve that level of success. Creating a billion dollar, public company from scratch is something very, very few people have ever done. Getting rich (single or double digit millions) has been done millions of times and so although difficult, is a reasonable goal to pursue. And the $$ is probably the least useful thing YC provides. If I had to guess, I'd say the most useful things they provide are (in this order): (actually turned into its own post: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=147984 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=147984

dennykmiu 19y ago
By the way, I am very supportive of YC and I am in awe of what is being done within this community. But I can't help but to make the connection. As it turns out, money is also the least useful commodity that the Microloan Foundation provides. The following is out of their mission statement ... "We provide ... basic business training and continuing guidance ... enables them to develop self-sustainable livelihoods ..." http://www.microloanfoundation.org.uk/about_us.asp http://www.microloanfoundation.org.uk/about_us.asp
- pchristensen 19y ago
  Well, add connections to the right people and that's about right then. Although the goal is a little higher than sustainable livelihoods.
  - dennykmiu 19y ago
    Thanks for tolerating my twisted sense of humor.
kuldeep_kap 19y ago
Thanks for putting this aptly, it does sound convincing to me and I do agree very much that YC puts startups at very strong position and holds the metaphor correct that it helps a kid become an astronaut. May be we will see this astronaut touch the mars, one day.
- pchristensen 19y ago
  Not exactly my point, more like encouraging kids to become a pilot instead of an astronaut. You can do everything right and still not become an astronaut, but if you're smart and work hard you can probably become a pilot.