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I don't even have words for how much of a dystopian idea this is. How do you even come up with this idea and think it's worth following through in any way. It's
by sen 5y ago
I don't even have words for how much of a dystopian idea this is. How do you even come up with this idea and think it's worth following through in any way. It's like a parody idea I'd expect to see on the Silicon Valley show.
Then for YC to back this and basically give their stamp of validation that it's worth continuing? THIS is what we're pouring money and resources into?
- tindals 5y agoNothing new though. Check the recent batches of YC. They have been funding meaningless, ridiculous products/companies like these because the people involved in these "startups" have a "diverse" background. I am not making this up to create outrage, you will find it yourself once you start looking at the compaines and the founders and people involved.
- dbingham 5y agoIs there any evidence that the "startups" that we should be frustrated are getting funded are the ones started by people from diverse backgrounds? Chris Evans, the founder of the startup in the OP, doesn't sound like someone from a diverse background.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- tindals 5y agoIt's in plain sight. YC even highlights it in their website. I'm not making it up. See this page of the list of YC funded compaines https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/ https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/ It explicitly lists "Black founded companies", "Latinx founded companies", "Women founded companies" At this point in America everything is a meaningless social cause/outrage driven thing. Diversity, renaming things even if those names have proper meaning in their current used context. It's all now a complete outrage and drama driven society.
- tindals 5y agoThere are many. Like I said, I an not making this up. Remember they funded a bunch of kids right out of college whose "startup" was a calendar widget for MacOS menu bar? Here's their Launch HN https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26425318 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26425318 That is just one example. Just go over the very recent Launch HNs from this year (there were multiple threads) and you will find many more.
- girvo 5y agoThey've also backed meaningless ridiculous companies with your standard straight white male tech-bro founders, too, though.
- elgernon 5y agoit's one if those ideas that sound bad initially but may turn out to be great in practice, like Airbnb and reputation is much stronger signal than leetcode hoops
- sellyme 5y ago> may turn out to be great in practice, like Airbnb As someone who thinks that affordable housing is a human right, I wouldn't describe Airbnb as "great in practice".
- pas 5y agoexactly. airBnB and Uber are all great on paper. carpool, but let's call it ride share, because you go there anyway. 5 seconds later it's a billion dollar machine fighting labor laws. while the other one was supposed to be a bit better couch surfing, while you are on a longer vacation, you let someone to vacation at your place, brilliant. 5 minu5 later cities' housing markets are in flames due to tourists due to the induced demand of cheap apartments. what the fuck. yeah, hotels and taxi services were awful (both due to fucking NIMBYism of ossified cities that are unable to zone for high density and build transit networks), but the solution should have been something human centered, not startupization of that awfulness and appification of selfishness. (yes, I used both services.)
- baby 5y agoI think that's another out-of-touch criticism where people who have no problem paying for expensive hotels don't understand why AirBnB provides value to people on a budget.
- sellyme 5y agoYou think incorrectly. I've never been able to afford a hotel when travelling, much less an expensive one. Much like I'll never be able to afford a house because of people who think that housing is an investment and not somewhere to live.
- 5y ago
- indigochill 5y agoYC also backed Dreamworld which is the most obvious of scams: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26898266 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26898266 Dunno what their validation process is, but every so often it reveals some glaring lapses.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- encoderer 5y agoCould you try to find words? There’s so much outage but not a lot of cogent criticism.
- MattGaiser 5y agoI like the idea. I get why it initially seems like buying jobs, but it is really just you being allowed to offer a guarantee that your word is backed up by something.
- encoderer 5y agoAs a job candidate I would consider doing this. As a former colleague I would consider staking somebody. As a hiring manager, I would not do this. It’s just too weird. Hiring is hard enough.
- MattGaiser 5y agoWould you change your mind if they managed to filter people sufficiently to make hiring take far fewer interviews and they could actually source good candidates? It is weird now, but my parents also think it is weird to interview 8 times for one job.
- encoderer 5y agoHonestly, no, not until it’s proven out. and I fear there will be a selection bias where more questionable companies would use this first before established and reputable companies. They need to make it not weird first like sign Uber or another 2nd tier tech company and socialize the idea so it’s acceptable for small companies. Otherwise you look like a scam.
- falcor84 5y agoBut this would make it disproportionally easier for people with wealthier friends/family while creating a chilling effect against people from a poorer background, or immigrants.
- 5y ago
- dang 5y agoStartups often pivot to other things well after YC funds them.
- itake 5y ago(American here. Not defending the concept. Just stating facts.) In developing countries, paying to have access to a job is common[0]. Highly sought after jobs for their social reputation (like airline attendent) often require applicants to pay a fee for the opportunity. You also see this in roles that accept bribes. When police collect cash bribes, their bosses need to see some of that money. One way they do is by requiring people to pay upfront a fee to get access to the role of bribe accepter. [0] - https://e.vnexpress.net/projects/in-vietnam-a-delicate-dance-with-and-against-bribery-3567043/index.html https://e.vnexpress.net/projects/in-vietnam-a-delicate-dance...
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- satellite2 5y agoIt's true, and that's exactly why it's a catastrophic idea and should be property identified as a form of corruption. In those countries (and you have some form of those issues creeping in western countries if you look attentively) you have an elite, a cast forming around some aspect of public management as the only way to get those kind of job is to get enough money to get it and the only way to get enough money is to be part of the cast. As such after only one generation those positions are filled by people that are 1) not the best and 2) often incompetent.
- baby 5y agoThis is what makes me think that when time comes to fund a start up, it'll be a piece of cake.
- smackeyacky 5y agoNot really. YCombinator throws a lot of relatively small amounts of money at the wall to see what sticks. Getting past that initial investment is the bit where you will fail. The runway the YCombinator cash will give you is not very long.