5 ms·

It’s really quite simple; Silicon Valley is maybe the one place in which I have ever found nearly everyone I meet has a “pay it forward” attitude. It is infecti

by borski 8y ago

It’s really quite simple; Silicon Valley is maybe the one place in which I have ever found nearly everyone I meet has a “pay it forward” attitude. It is infectious, and it means that as a “no name” startup founder, you have nearly infinite access to advice and capital, as long as you are convincing enough and tell a good story. There is no immediate expectation of return. I spent most of my life living in NYC, and I originally started Tinfoil in Boston (and went to school at MIT). Both cities are “startup hubs,” but the same attitude doesn’t exist. Boston was particularly bad about “what’s in it for me?” being the common theme of any conversation. The upshot is that now I volunteer my time often, and for free, to help others who are just starting out. I cannot predict who will be the next Google, but I enjoy helping smart founders, and I enjoy giving back in the same way I was given to. A few relevant essays: http://www.paulgraham.com/siliconvalley.html http://www.paulgraham.com/siliconvalley.html http://www.paulgraham.com/ronco.html http://www.paulgraham.com/ronco.html

mooreds 8y ago
I have found a similar ethic in Boulder, wonder if it arose separately or came from the valley?
- borski 8y ago
  I have heard great things about Boulder, but I've never been. This may very well be true.
ocschwar 8y ago
> Boston was particularly bad about “what’s in it for me?” being the common theme of any conversation. I'm really surprised to hear that said of the city where RMS wrote GNU while living in his car. Not my experience there at all.
- epistasis 8y ago
  The difference between GPL and BSD-like, to me , is that GPL says "what's in it for me?" Whereas BSD-like is "here you go take this for free, I may or may not got anything back for giving you my contribution."
  - sangnoir 8y ago
    More like "What's in it for the (end) USER?" What better way is there for a developer to pay it forward than to pass on all the rights they got (freedom to modify and inspect the software) to the end-user?
  - jimktrains2 8y ago
    I don't ask anything from you for me in order to use my gpl software, I ask that you give the same rights and privileges you had to your users. You don't even need to give me your contributions, just your users.
- borski 8y ago
  There are pockets. At MIT, as a student, it was definitely very pay-it-forward. But try starting a company in Boston and getting investment, or introductions, or do any sort of networking. It's literally impossible unless you have some way of scratching their back. I have heard this time and time again from founders that moved from Boston to the valley, and I have experienced it firsthand with my company.
  - eropple 8y ago
    Again I think you're overplaying this. Most of my network has never worked with me and likely would never work for me. But I don't have a particularly hard time getting in touch with anybody I'd like to. (And if anyone who's reading this would like to chat--well, email's in my profile. Don't be shy.)
eropple 8y ago
This categorically doesn't fit my experience here in Boston. The overwhelming majority of the people I know professionally are eager to help however they can. I would caveat that with the note that there is rather less appreciation of bullshitters, so startups with a lot of wank to them might have a harder time being taken seriously. But if you're serious, and you're nice, people will absolutely fall all over themselves to do you a solid.
- borski 8y ago
  Fair. I suppose my sample set is those who have moved away from there to the valley, so it’s self-selecting, but it was my experience as well.
- borski 8y ago
  I should add that the valley doesn’t have much of an appetite for bullshitters either, despite what the media would have you believe. Mistakes happen, because there’s a lot more money here, but by and large bullshitters do not get helped or funded.
  - longtoadenergy 8y ago
    In my experience, the only bullshitters who are successful have knowledge in key domains anyways. Running a company is hard, and you have engineers who think it's just math. Clinkle is a perfect example of this.
  - cbnotfromthere 8y ago
    Elon Musk is the best counterargument to your claim.
  - repolfx 8y ago
    I think that would depend a lot on how you define "bullshitters". Outright knowing scams? I'd agree with you. Startups with no plausible business model, a bunch of buzzwords and hopes and dreams and no clear elucidation of why anyone would become their customer? Seemingly endless fields of those in the valley.
  - 8y ago
hyperpallium 8y ago
Maybe the sunny weather encourages optimism? And orange trees fruiting in the streets. Always thought Douglas Adams' "horrifyingly sunny" Ursa Minor Beta was based on California.
growlist 8y ago
> nearly everyone I meet has a “pay it forward” attitude basically the opposite of what I've experienced in 15 years in tech in the UK, sadly.
- ENadyr 8y ago
  As a UK company founder, that spent a year in SF I wholeheartedly agree. London is getting a little better though but it's more of a cultural shift and will take time.

by borski 8y ago

mooreds 8y ago

I have found a similar ethic in Boulder, wonder if it arose separately or came from the valley?

borski 8y ago
I have heard great things about Boulder, but I've never been. This may very well be true.

ocschwar 8y ago

> Boston was particularly bad about “what’s in it for me?” being the common theme of any conversation. I'm really surprised to hear that said of the city where RMS wrote GNU while living in his car. Not my experience there at all.

epistasis 8y ago
The difference between GPL and BSD-like, to me , is that GPL says "what's in it for me?" Whereas BSD-like is "here you go take this for free, I may or may not got anything back for giving you my contribution."
- sangnoir 8y ago
  More like "What's in it for the (end) USER?" What better way is there for a developer to pay it forward than to pass on all the rights they got (freedom to modify and inspect the software) to the end-user?
- jimktrains2 8y ago
  I don't ask anything from you for me in order to use my gpl software, I ask that you give the same rights and privileges you had to your users. You don't even need to give me your contributions, just your users.
borski 8y ago
There are pockets. At MIT, as a student, it was definitely very pay-it-forward. But try starting a company in Boston and getting investment, or introductions, or do any sort of networking. It's literally impossible unless you have some way of scratching their back. I have heard this time and time again from founders that moved from Boston to the valley, and I have experienced it firsthand with my company.
- eropple 8y ago
  Again I think you're overplaying this. Most of my network has never worked with me and likely would never work for me. But I don't have a particularly hard time getting in touch with anybody I'd like to. (And if anyone who's reading this would like to chat--well, email's in my profile. Don't be shy.)

eropple 8y ago

This categorically doesn't fit my experience here in Boston. The overwhelming majority of the people I know professionally are eager to help however they can. I would caveat that with the note that there is rather less appreciation of bullshitters, so startups with a lot of wank to them might have a harder time being taken seriously. But if you're serious, and you're nice, people will absolutely fall all over themselves to do you a solid.

borski 8y ago
Fair. I suppose my sample set is those who have moved away from there to the valley, so it’s self-selecting, but it was my experience as well.
borski 8y ago
I should add that the valley doesn’t have much of an appetite for bullshitters either, despite what the media would have you believe. Mistakes happen, because there’s a lot more money here, but by and large bullshitters do not get helped or funded.
- longtoadenergy 8y ago
  In my experience, the only bullshitters who are successful have knowledge in key domains anyways. Running a company is hard, and you have engineers who think it's just math. Clinkle is a perfect example of this.
- cbnotfromthere 8y ago
  Elon Musk is the best counterargument to your claim.
- repolfx 8y ago
  I think that would depend a lot on how you define "bullshitters". Outright knowing scams? I'd agree with you. Startups with no plausible business model, a bunch of buzzwords and hopes and dreams and no clear elucidation of why anyone would become their customer? Seemingly endless fields of those in the valley.
- 8y ago

hyperpallium 8y ago

Maybe the sunny weather encourages optimism? And orange trees fruiting in the streets. Always thought Douglas Adams' "horrifyingly sunny" Ursa Minor Beta was based on California.

growlist 8y ago

> nearly everyone I meet has a “pay it forward” attitude basically the opposite of what I've experienced in 15 years in tech in the UK, sadly.

ENadyr 8y ago
As a UK company founder, that spent a year in SF I wholeheartedly agree. London is getting a little better though but it's more of a cultural shift and will take time.