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I think the point is interesting, and I definitely question the social value of the social-media startup, and I hate to be the guy in the room arguing for what

by jholman 15y ago

I think the point is interesting, and I definitely question the social value of the social-media startup, and I hate to be the guy in the room arguing for what amounts to a modern-day aristocracy, BUT... In a sort of roundabout delayed fashion, startups ARE leading to tackling big problems. http://spacex.com http://spacex.com http://teslamotors.com http://teslamotors.com http://gatesfoundation.org http://gatesfoundation.org http://startupeducation.org http://startupeducation.org http://ubuntu.com http://ubuntu.com (maybe stretching it a bit) http://omidyar.com http://omidyar.com

mvzink 15y ago
This list is really a non-sequitur. First, I honestly can't count Ubuntu. So besides that: Gates Foundation, Startup Education, and Omidyar are essentially charity. Yeah, they are technically start ups, but... The other two's problem domains are really exceptions in the realm of "big problems": we've been doing space travel, we've been doing electric cars—these startups just do it better, but they aren't solving any new big problems. (They are solving many interesting technical problems along the way, of course.) It's also interesting that every one on that list (still discounting Ubuntu) was started with a pile of money by a previously successful entrepreneur. (And SpaceX and Tesla by the same entrepreneur, by the way.)
- jholman 15y ago
  Whoa, whoa. Those aren't startups. Those are organisations tackling big problems that are all funded by the wealth generated by startups. Did you ignore the words "aristocracy", "delayed", and "roundabout" in my comment?
  - mvzink 15y ago
    Aha, that went over my head. Apologies! In that case: excellent point.
dredmorbius 15y ago
Nice, I was going to suggest a similar list (Tesla and SpaceX definitely). There's Rocky Mountain Institute, Amory Lovins' energy conservation research lab. A little thin on product, but he's done a lot of the thinking that's materializing around low-energy transport and alternative energy now. There are numerous other players in the energy field as well. I'd argue that California's High Speed Rail Commission is, if not a private startup, at least a partnership tackling a Hard Problem (perhaps intractable, though I'd like to hope not). I'd be interested in seeing this list developed further.

by jholman 15y ago

mvzink 15y ago

This list is really a non-sequitur. First, I honestly can't count Ubuntu. So besides that: Gates Foundation, Startup Education, and Omidyar are essentially charity. Yeah, they are technically start ups, but... The other two's problem domains are really exceptions in the realm of "big problems": we've been doing space travel, we've been doing electric cars—these startups just do it better, but they aren't solving any new big problems. (They are solving many interesting technical problems along the way, of course.) It's also interesting that every one on that list (still discounting Ubuntu) was started with a pile of money by a previously successful entrepreneur. (And SpaceX and Tesla by the same entrepreneur, by the way.)

jholman 15y ago
Whoa, whoa. Those aren't startups. Those are organisations tackling big problems that are all funded by the wealth generated by startups. Did you ignore the words "aristocracy", "delayed", and "roundabout" in my comment?
- mvzink 15y ago
  Aha, that went over my head. Apologies! In that case: excellent point.

dredmorbius 15y ago

Nice, I was going to suggest a similar list (Tesla and SpaceX definitely). There's Rocky Mountain Institute, Amory Lovins' energy conservation research lab. A little thin on product, but he's done a lot of the thinking that's materializing around low-energy transport and alternative energy now. There are numerous other players in the energy field as well. I'd argue that California's High Speed Rail Commission is, if not a private startup, at least a partnership tackling a Hard Problem (perhaps intractable, though I'd like to hope not). I'd be interested in seeing this list developed further.