4 ms·

I may write an updated version, but not today. (It's Christmas.)

by pg 15y ago

arkitaip 15y ago
Surely this dilemma can be remedied with a line or two of Lisp ;)
dicroce 15y ago
Right now is the perfect time for people like me to see a list like that (plenty of free time to contemplate this week).
- kajecounterhack 15y ago
  It's also a great time to be away from our LCDs and together with family :]
  - tomjen3 15y ago
    Get an iPad, then you can bring the computer into the living room.
jpdoctor 15y ago
Here, let me help: 1. pg-bot technology for responding on holidays to posts about funding. The bot should have sufficient business sense for pointing young entrepreneurs in the right direction, but should also contain semantic sense for responding in a witty and lighthearted way... for example, in Haiku.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
3am 15y ago
Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
rokhayakebe 15y ago
Exactly. So we get our present on time :)
jc123 15y ago
Until the updated version gets written, just a reminder that's been said several times and that PG reiterated at this year's Startup School: focus more on solving problems instead of ideas.
- kelnos 15y ago
  Perhaps I'm just not seeing the distinction, but can't they be the same thing? You can use an "idea" to solve a "problem". An idea (whether self generated, or off a list from pg's head) could be rooted in a real-world problem.
  - sidi 15y ago
    most of the ideas that you start with actually change later. So, not a good idea to fit problems to an idea, they would almost never perfectly match.
  - cubicle67 15y ago
    eg problem = persistent storage idea 1 = reel to reel tape idea 2 = self contained cassettes idea 3 = hard disks idea 4 = floppy disks idea 5 = flash based drives If you concentrate on the problem (we build the most reliable/fastest/cheapest devices for persistent storage) instead of the idea (we build the most reliable/fastest/cheapest tape drives) then you're less likely to be screwed when the market or technology changes
    - glimcat 15y ago
      Unless your problem is "we solve epicycles" - neither is going to insulate you from obsolescence. The benefit to targeting a "problem" is that you have a preexisting need. An "idea" with no existing "problem" may require several years of extra lead-in where you are struggling to get people to understand what you do and why it should matter to them. It can work, but the ratios are less favorable for a VC-style investment which looks for fast turnaround with minimal risk and orders-of-magnitude payoff.
  - swalsh 15y ago
neurotech1 15y ago
Merry Christmas pg.
prakster 15y ago
It will be your Christmas gift :-)

I may write an updated version, but not today. (It's Christmas.)

by pg 15y ago

I may write an updated version, but not today. (It's Christmas.)

arkitaip 15y ago

Surely this dilemma can be remedied with a line or two of Lisp ;)

dicroce 15y ago

Right now is the perfect time for people like me to see a list like that (plenty of free time to contemplate this week).

kajecounterhack 15y ago
It's also a great time to be away from our LCDs and together with family :]
- tomjen3 15y ago
  Get an iPad, then you can bring the computer into the living room.

jpdoctor 15y ago

Here, let me help: 1. pg-bot technology for responding on holidays to posts about funding. The bot should have sufficient business sense for pointing young entrepreneurs in the right direction, but should also contain semantic sense for responding in a witty and lighthearted way... for example, in Haiku.

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]

3am 15y ago

Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

rokhayakebe 15y ago

Exactly. So we get our present on time :)

jc123 15y ago

Until the updated version gets written, just a reminder that's been said several times and that PG reiterated at this year's Startup School: focus more on solving problems instead of ideas.

kelnos 15y ago
Perhaps I'm just not seeing the distinction, but can't they be the same thing? You can use an "idea" to solve a "problem". An idea (whether self generated, or off a list from pg's head) could be rooted in a real-world problem.
- sidi 15y ago
  most of the ideas that you start with actually change later. So, not a good idea to fit problems to an idea, they would almost never perfectly match.
- cubicle67 15y ago
  eg problem = persistent storage idea 1 = reel to reel tape idea 2 = self contained cassettes idea 3 = hard disks idea 4 = floppy disks idea 5 = flash based drives If you concentrate on the problem (we build the most reliable/fastest/cheapest devices for persistent storage) instead of the idea (we build the most reliable/fastest/cheapest tape drives) then you're less likely to be screwed when the market or technology changes
  - glimcat 15y ago
    Unless your problem is "we solve epicycles" - neither is going to insulate you from obsolescence. The benefit to targeting a "problem" is that you have a preexisting need. An "idea" with no existing "problem" may require several years of extra lead-in where you are struggling to get people to understand what you do and why it should matter to them. It can work, but the ratios are less favorable for a VC-style investment which looks for fast turnaround with minimal risk and orders-of-magnitude payoff.
- swalsh 15y ago

neurotech1 15y ago

Merry Christmas pg.

prakster 15y ago

It will be your Christmas gift :-)