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I once had lunch with PG after having come back from a VC meeting. I had just moved to California then and was wearing business attire. PG stopped mid-sentence

I once had lunch with PG after having come back from a VC meeting. I had just moved to California then and was wearing business attire. PG stopped mid-sentence to ask me if I had on french cuffs and then told me how investors like startup guys to be scrappy haha. And from a PG essay http://www.paulgraham.com/bubble.html http://www.paulgraham.com/bubble.html "And what would be wrong would be that how one presented oneself counted more than the quality of one's ideas. That's the problem with formality. Dressing up is not so much bad in itself. The problem is the receptor it binds to: dressing up is inevitably a substitute for good ideas. It is no coincidence that technically inept business types are known as "suits."

slantyyz 15y ago
>> It is no coincidence that technically inept business types are known as "suits." I thought that term originated back when working people had to wear uniforms, and that it was more of a class separation thing.
- lucasjung 15y ago
  It's actually a truncation of the term "empty suit." In other words: all style, no substance; all looks, no accomplishments; all money, no ideas; etc.
mechanical_fish 15y ago
dressing up is inevitably a substitute for good ideas This is perhaps a little strong, but I did think about this when I read this line from the original post: You are building the future, so dress like it. No. Engineering is about the things, not the people. Our goal is to draw attention to the work, not the worker. There's a reason why Steve Jobs became famous for always wearing the same, very neutral uniform on stage. He does this because it really isn't about him. It's about the product. The product is the star. Engineers dress like stagehands because that is our aspiration. The message we're sending is: Don't watch me. Watch the product. I'm focused on the product and you should be as well.
fleitz 15y ago
It really depends on who you're talking to, for the most part especially dealing with clients, you get better treatment wearing a suit. However you dress, you should look good, if you're confident in t-shirts and khakis presenting to a room full of suits then do it, if you're more confident in a suit then wear a suit.
kellysutton 15y ago
Ah, but what if you had great ideas and dressed well to back them up?
- tptacek 15y ago
  Answer, for most ideas relevant on HN: approximately the same thing as if you have great ideas and dress in jeans and a t-shirt.

slantyyz 15y ago

>> It is no coincidence that technically inept business types are known as "suits." I thought that term originated back when working people had to wear uniforms, and that it was more of a class separation thing.

lucasjung 15y ago
It's actually a truncation of the term "empty suit." In other words: all style, no substance; all looks, no accomplishments; all money, no ideas; etc.

mechanical_fish 15y ago

dressing up is inevitably a substitute for good ideas This is perhaps a little strong, but I did think about this when I read this line from the original post: You are building the future, so dress like it. No. Engineering is about the things, not the people. Our goal is to draw attention to the work, not the worker. There's a reason why Steve Jobs became famous for always wearing the same, very neutral uniform on stage. He does this because it really isn't about him. It's about the product. The product is the star. Engineers dress like stagehands because that is our aspiration. The message we're sending is: Don't watch me. Watch the product. I'm focused on the product and you should be as well.

fleitz 15y ago

It really depends on who you're talking to, for the most part especially dealing with clients, you get better treatment wearing a suit. However you dress, you should look good, if you're confident in t-shirts and khakis presenting to a room full of suits then do it, if you're more confident in a suit then wear a suit.

kellysutton 15y ago

Ah, but what if you had great ideas and dressed well to back them up?

tptacek 15y ago
Answer, for most ideas relevant on HN: approximately the same thing as if you have great ideas and dress in jeans and a t-shirt.