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> I don't see a feedback loop that makes it hard to escape poverty Really? You’re 16 years old, you’ve a high IQ and a passion for programming. Your parents

> I don't see a feedback loop that makes it hard to escape poverty Really? You’re 16 years old, you’ve a high IQ and a passion for programming. Your parents are alcoholics. You don’t have nice clothes. You don’t have perfect manners because it’s just not the world you live in. How do you get to the university admissions interview in the next town? How will you compete against the mannerly, well turned out student with no record of truancy. All you have is a high IQ and a passion. Will that cut it? > incentives Actors are sometimes irrational, you can’t rely on incentives.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
bumby 6y ago
Bill Gates has openly admitted how much his environment helped. Being genetically gifted as he is is only part of the equation. He also grew up in an affluent enough area to have early to computers as well as the time and supportive environment to pursue it. I wonder if people who claim environment doesnt matter have spent any appreciable time in poor neighborhoods. The absolute best will usually find their way out. I think a society should optimize for beyond those who are just in the vanishing tail of the curve
- webmaven 6y ago
  > Bill Gates has openly admitted how much his environment helped. Being genetically gifted as he is is only part of the equation. He also grew up in an affluent enough area to have early to computers as well as the time and supportive environment to pursue it. Not to mention the role his familial connections had in his landing that sweetheart deal with IBM.
  - dralley 6y ago
    For the unaware, his mom was an acquaintance of the IBM CEO by virtue of both serving on the board of United Way, and Microsoft came up in conversation between them. A few weeks later IBM contracted Microsoft to write the operating system for the first IBM "personal computer".
    - imtringued 6y ago
      He also promised to deliver the operating system within an insane deadline. He did so by by purchasing 86-DOS [0] (also known as QDOS) for $50k ($148,931.42 today) and porting it over to IBM PCs. He got business connections with IBM, he is a skilled negotiator, he got an expensive education paid by his parents, founded his own business with his parent's money (do you have a $150k allowance?) and knew intelligent but "poor" people who were even more skilled than him who he then could hire to actually do the important work. In short, he was born a billionaire. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/86-DOS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/86-DOS
WalterBright 6y ago
These days, you can start a successful internet business in your basement with just a computer. Nobody has to see you, your clothes, or your bad manners. You don't need a university education, though you can get one for free online as needed.
- bccdee 6y ago
  No, starting a business takes capital. You can build a Django website from your basement for free, but to turn it into a profitable business takes cash.
  - WalterBright 6y ago
    Freelance programming doesn't require any more capital than owning a computer. Anyone can start by contributing to open source projects.
    - bccdee 6y ago
      That's not "starting a business," that's just finding work.
      - WalterBright 6y ago
        It's a business in every way (be sure to register it with the government as a business). You can turn it into leverage by finding gigs for your programming friends, handling the negotiation, billing, and payment and thereby collecting a percentage. In fact, you can become quite wealthy doing this.
  - ericd 6y ago
    It does? A $5/mo droplet can serve a good amount of traffic. And there are lots of free ways to get some initial users, they just take time. I know because I’ve done exactly that. This kind of can’t-do attitude really saddens me. I see it all the time in these discussions about wealth inequality.
known 6y ago
aka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_running https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_running

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

bumby 6y ago

Bill Gates has openly admitted how much his environment helped. Being genetically gifted as he is is only part of the equation. He also grew up in an affluent enough area to have early to computers as well as the time and supportive environment to pursue it. I wonder if people who claim environment doesnt matter have spent any appreciable time in poor neighborhoods. The absolute best will usually find their way out. I think a society should optimize for beyond those who are just in the vanishing tail of the curve

webmaven 6y ago
> Bill Gates has openly admitted how much his environment helped. Being genetically gifted as he is is only part of the equation. He also grew up in an affluent enough area to have early to computers as well as the time and supportive environment to pursue it. Not to mention the role his familial connections had in his landing that sweetheart deal with IBM.
- dralley 6y ago
  For the unaware, his mom was an acquaintance of the IBM CEO by virtue of both serving on the board of United Way, and Microsoft came up in conversation between them. A few weeks later IBM contracted Microsoft to write the operating system for the first IBM "personal computer".
  - imtringued 6y ago
    He also promised to deliver the operating system within an insane deadline. He did so by by purchasing 86-DOS [0] (also known as QDOS) for $50k ($148,931.42 today) and porting it over to IBM PCs. He got business connections with IBM, he is a skilled negotiator, he got an expensive education paid by his parents, founded his own business with his parent's money (do you have a $150k allowance?) and knew intelligent but "poor" people who were even more skilled than him who he then could hire to actually do the important work. In short, he was born a billionaire. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/86-DOS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/86-DOS

WalterBright 6y ago

These days, you can start a successful internet business in your basement with just a computer. Nobody has to see you, your clothes, or your bad manners. You don't need a university education, though you can get one for free online as needed.

bccdee 6y ago
No, starting a business takes capital. You can build a Django website from your basement for free, but to turn it into a profitable business takes cash.
- WalterBright 6y ago
  Freelance programming doesn't require any more capital than owning a computer. Anyone can start by contributing to open source projects.
  - bccdee 6y ago
    That's not "starting a business," that's just finding work.
    - WalterBright 6y ago
      It's a business in every way (be sure to register it with the government as a business). You can turn it into leverage by finding gigs for your programming friends, handling the negotiation, billing, and payment and thereby collecting a percentage. In fact, you can become quite wealthy doing this.
- ericd 6y ago
  It does? A $5/mo droplet can serve a good amount of traffic. And there are lots of free ways to get some initial users, they just take time. I know because I’ve done exactly that. This kind of can’t-do attitude really saddens me. I see it all the time in these discussions about wealth inequality.

known 6y ago

aka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_running https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_running