3 ms·

I'm usually the first guy to critise french investment strategy in overhyped fields.. However, in this case we have : - really smart people, that really gradua

by bsaul 3y ago

I'm usually the first guy to critise french investment strategy in overhyped fields.. However, in this case we have : - really smart people, that really graduated from the very best french schools - that actually have real world experience in the top research facilities in the field, in the US. - that know each others very well - and don't rely solely on public funding (so they will definitely be held accountable for what they're doing with the money). This is waaaaaayyyyy above what we're used to. So, i have to say : congrats to the team, and godspeed !

cowpig 3y ago
> that really graduated from the very best french schools I find it shocking when people refer to what school someone went to as a credential in just about any context. I usually consider it a red flag, an indication that there is no functional understanding being applied in the evaluation
- constantcrying 3y ago
  It is usually also a social indicator that you have specific friends. It only means something if the school holds you to specifically high standards, which of course varies drastically.
- bsaul 3y ago
  not any context... the school they went to is specifically selecting math wiz.. Which seems a bit related to the field of ML (but please correct me if i'm wrong).
  - cowpig 3y ago
    Maybe as related as "this product was produced in Germany" would be related to a product's quality? In that there's a loose correlation there but if that's one of the main points in a product review it means the reviewer isn't doing their job.
    - bsaul 3y ago
      Not really... Germany also makes low quality products. It would be more akin to "this car has a 5 stars EuroNCAP security rating, so it's pretty safe". But it doesn't mean you'll survive any crash.
      - cowpig 3y ago
        Great schools have students who wouldn't be competent startup founders.
- bigyikes 3y ago
  It’s a useful heuristic that, when combined with other factors, can give you increased confidence in someone’s ability.
- ttoinou 3y ago
  Exactly. French people and society are big on famous school and toilet paper diplomas
  - bsaul 3y ago
    i don't think you realize what it means to have a polytechnic or even better normal sup ulm diploma. those schools don't draft people based on bullshit application. It's a super super hardcore science exam that only a few dozen people per year pass. It's a bit like the putnam, with bachelor-level math and physics curriculum. The mistake people make in France is to conclude that people coming from those schools will be good at just any position, management, running a huge company, etc. But in that specific case, they'll actually be doing hardcore science and ML all day long. It makes perfect sense.
    - ttoinou 3y ago
      I do agree those people are good in hard sciences. I did those exams and they're hard. About your comment about putting people in positions because of those diplomas, it's also because of the network you acquire at those kinds of schools, and cronyism. Granted, this kind of cronyism is less worse than in others countries where it can be more pernicious and less official :-)

by bsaul 3y ago

cowpig 3y ago

> that really graduated from the very best french schools I find it shocking when people refer to what school someone went to as a credential in just about any context. I usually consider it a red flag, an indication that there is no functional understanding being applied in the evaluation

constantcrying 3y ago
It is usually also a social indicator that you have specific friends. It only means something if the school holds you to specifically high standards, which of course varies drastically.
bsaul 3y ago
not any context... the school they went to is specifically selecting math wiz.. Which seems a bit related to the field of ML (but please correct me if i'm wrong).
- cowpig 3y ago
  Maybe as related as "this product was produced in Germany" would be related to a product's quality? In that there's a loose correlation there but if that's one of the main points in a product review it means the reviewer isn't doing their job.
  - bsaul 3y ago
    Not really... Germany also makes low quality products. It would be more akin to "this car has a 5 stars EuroNCAP security rating, so it's pretty safe". But it doesn't mean you'll survive any crash.
    - cowpig 3y ago
      Great schools have students who wouldn't be competent startup founders.
bigyikes 3y ago
It’s a useful heuristic that, when combined with other factors, can give you increased confidence in someone’s ability.
ttoinou 3y ago
Exactly. French people and society are big on famous school and toilet paper diplomas
- bsaul 3y ago
  i don't think you realize what it means to have a polytechnic or even better normal sup ulm diploma. those schools don't draft people based on bullshit application. It's a super super hardcore science exam that only a few dozen people per year pass. It's a bit like the putnam, with bachelor-level math and physics curriculum. The mistake people make in France is to conclude that people coming from those schools will be good at just any position, management, running a huge company, etc. But in that specific case, they'll actually be doing hardcore science and ML all day long. It makes perfect sense.
  - ttoinou 3y ago
    I do agree those people are good in hard sciences. I did those exams and they're hard. About your comment about putting people in positions because of those diplomas, it's also because of the network you acquire at those kinds of schools, and cronyism. Granted, this kind of cronyism is less worse than in others countries where it can be more pernicious and less official :-)