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Talk. About. A. Troll. (edit: ah, no wonder. the author is fake steve jobs blogger) This is almost as good as the article from the 90s making fun of the Intern

by zaidf 16y ago

Talk. About. A. Troll. (edit: ah, no wonder. the author is fake steve jobs blogger) This is almost as good as the article from the 90s making fun of the Internet and how useless it is. ...a place where smart kids arrive hoping to make an easy fortune building companies that seem, if not pointless, at least not as serious as, say, old-guard companies like HP, Intel, Cisco, and Apple. "Easy fortune" huh? That's what you call those 15-20 hours days many founders pull? This writer owes an apology to the Valley. Just another version of old dudes complaining about the new gen.

starpilot 16y ago
If you're not aware, most of the old guard companies pulled 15-20 hour days starting out too. And making a physical product is generally MUCH more frustrating than anything in web app land. Hurrying up and waiting, for a flawed product messed up by the machinists. Also much higher startup capital costs for anything nontrivial like semiconductors. Expensive equipment, office space, manufacturing space, all this stuff you need to start. Not just two or three guys with open source software working in a dorm. Studying the physical sciences is also more mentally taxing than coding PHP. I've gotten paid for both. You can't compare designing aircraft in CAD and Excel (what I do) that could kill someone if done improperly, with setting up email verification for your social networking site. Not even close.
- zaidf 16y ago
  Nothing I said belittles the efforts of past Valley heroes. As for it becoming cheaper to do a start-up now versus previously, well doh. That should not be an excuse to belittle today's start-ups as the author does so recklessly. And where is the discussion headed anyways? I am sure it was harder for entrepreneurs in 1900 than 1950 on the whole. Studying the physical sciences is also more mentally taxing than coding PHP. You make it sound like that is all a start-up is: some php code. Most successful start-ups are a lot more than php code. Also, having to walk ten miles before we had a means of transportation was more taxing than taking cars. What are we gonna do about that? Attack the whole world for not having it as hard as when folks had to walk 10 miles?
- kiba 16y ago
  Studying the physical sciences is also more mentally taxing than coding PHP. I've gotten paid for both. You can't compare designing aircraft in CAD and Excel (what I do) that could kill someone if done improperly, with setting up email verification for your social networking site. Not even close. You are not going to just go anywhere with just a social networking site. It's going to be much harder than that.
- jacquesm 16y ago
  There is quite a bit of software in modern aircraft and I guarantee you that the guys that write it and review it are just as aware of the fact that their software could kill if done improperly. It's very easy to think that your role (the designer) is the crucial one, but in the aircraft construction business there are very few jobs that require a less then 'mission critical' attitude.
rblion 16y ago
Don't shoot the messenger. His message: Before our arrogant, materialistic society hits the next iceberg or 'crash', it would be wise to create technology for the long-term survival of humanity and habitability of Earth. What problems are more important to solve? "The risk is that by focusing an entire generation of bright young entrepreneurs on such silly things, we’ll fall behind in creating the fundamental building blocks of our economy. The transistor and the integrated circuit gave rise to the last half century of prosperity. But what comes next? "If we distract people with the lure of easy money, with making companies that don’t solve anything hard, we’re going to wind up derailing the thing that has been driving our economy," Myhrvold says."
- zaidf 16y ago
  That implies: (a) we know what comes next (b) we know what today's entrepreneurs are focused on (c) we know what we are currently focused on will not help us achieve (a) Counter: (a) we don't really know what comes next (b) heck, we don't really know what all stuff folks are working on. Just because there are two well-known start-ups called Twitter and Facebook does not mean there aren't dozens of start-ups doing stuff with hardware and medicine. Don't blame the media's love affair with Twitter and Facebook to entrepreneurs not working on challenging stuff. (c) Lastly, these things the author sees as play may very well have a key role in solving the problems of tomorrow. If we distract people with the lure of easy money... The dot-com bubble ended a long time ago.
  - rblion 16y ago
    A.) It's called intuition for a reason. No one in the current paradigm sees the next one out, except maybe the brave scientist or artist who is peering over the horizon. B.) He or I never said there aren't ANY startups that are solving real problems, just that most are starting out chasing the shallow end of potential. Much of it can be attributed to people having to find a way to survive in a rapidly changing world. C.) You can use all the rhetoric you want, the bottom line is: the more minds there are collaborating to realize human potential, eliminate needless suffering, and healing our planet, the better. There is simply nothing else worth pursuing that has lasting value.
jacquesm 16y ago
> "Easy fortune" huh? It's easy money if you're a patent troll, he may be thinking that everybody has it that easy.

by zaidf 16y ago

starpilot 16y ago

If you're not aware, most of the old guard companies pulled 15-20 hour days starting out too. And making a physical product is generally MUCH more frustrating than anything in web app land. Hurrying up and waiting, for a flawed product messed up by the machinists. Also much higher startup capital costs for anything nontrivial like semiconductors. Expensive equipment, office space, manufacturing space, all this stuff you need to start. Not just two or three guys with open source software working in a dorm. Studying the physical sciences is also more mentally taxing than coding PHP. I've gotten paid for both. You can't compare designing aircraft in CAD and Excel (what I do) that could kill someone if done improperly, with setting up email verification for your social networking site. Not even close.

zaidf 16y ago
Nothing I said belittles the efforts of past Valley heroes. As for it becoming cheaper to do a start-up now versus previously, well doh. That should not be an excuse to belittle today's start-ups as the author does so recklessly. And where is the discussion headed anyways? I am sure it was harder for entrepreneurs in 1900 than 1950 on the whole. Studying the physical sciences is also more mentally taxing than coding PHP. You make it sound like that is all a start-up is: some php code. Most successful start-ups are a lot more than php code. Also, having to walk ten miles before we had a means of transportation was more taxing than taking cars. What are we gonna do about that? Attack the whole world for not having it as hard as when folks had to walk 10 miles?
kiba 16y ago
Studying the physical sciences is also more mentally taxing than coding PHP. I've gotten paid for both. You can't compare designing aircraft in CAD and Excel (what I do) that could kill someone if done improperly, with setting up email verification for your social networking site. Not even close. You are not going to just go anywhere with just a social networking site. It's going to be much harder than that.
jacquesm 16y ago
There is quite a bit of software in modern aircraft and I guarantee you that the guys that write it and review it are just as aware of the fact that their software could kill if done improperly. It's very easy to think that your role (the designer) is the crucial one, but in the aircraft construction business there are very few jobs that require a less then 'mission critical' attitude.

rblion 16y ago

Don't shoot the messenger. His message: Before our arrogant, materialistic society hits the next iceberg or 'crash', it would be wise to create technology for the long-term survival of humanity and habitability of Earth. What problems are more important to solve? "The risk is that by focusing an entire generation of bright young entrepreneurs on such silly things, we’ll fall behind in creating the fundamental building blocks of our economy. The transistor and the integrated circuit gave rise to the last half century of prosperity. But what comes next? "If we distract people with the lure of easy money, with making companies that don’t solve anything hard, we’re going to wind up derailing the thing that has been driving our economy," Myhrvold says."

zaidf 16y ago
That implies: (a) we know what comes next (b) we know what today's entrepreneurs are focused on (c) we know what we are currently focused on will not help us achieve (a) Counter: (a) we don't really know what comes next (b) heck, we don't really know what all stuff folks are working on. Just because there are two well-known start-ups called Twitter and Facebook does not mean there aren't dozens of start-ups doing stuff with hardware and medicine. Don't blame the media's love affair with Twitter and Facebook to entrepreneurs not working on challenging stuff. (c) Lastly, these things the author sees as play may very well have a key role in solving the problems of tomorrow. If we distract people with the lure of easy money... The dot-com bubble ended a long time ago.
- rblion 16y ago
  A.) It's called intuition for a reason. No one in the current paradigm sees the next one out, except maybe the brave scientist or artist who is peering over the horizon. B.) He or I never said there aren't ANY startups that are solving real problems, just that most are starting out chasing the shallow end of potential. Much of it can be attributed to people having to find a way to survive in a rapidly changing world. C.) You can use all the rhetoric you want, the bottom line is: the more minds there are collaborating to realize human potential, eliminate needless suffering, and healing our planet, the better. There is simply nothing else worth pursuing that has lasting value.

jacquesm 16y ago

> "Easy fortune" huh? It's easy money if you're a patent troll, he may be thinking that everybody has it that easy.