4 ms·

So what did Sam actually do besides a social media startup that was more or less a flop into being gifted a high position at ycombinator where he then had a few

So what did Sam actually do besides a social media startup that was more or less a flop into being gifted a high position at ycombinator where he then had a few good investments during literally the easiest time to invest in tech history? I’m sure there’s something I’m missing, but there’s not much public info.

Mithriil 3y ago
Do you even understand how much work is necessary to put in, to influence a whole industry massively and with the biggest players?
- jackblemming 3y ago
  Maybe some want to celebrate BSers like Adam Neumann or Elizabeth Holmes who are good at pretending to be important and conning investments, but it never really impressed me, sorry. I’ll stick to celebrating the actual brains, like Ilya Sutskever.
  - csours 3y ago
    As the farmer said, "We'll see" https://impossiblehq.com/well-see/ https://impossiblehq.com/well-see/ (or google "we'll see story")
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
ignoramous 3y ago
This is a common retort, but after his run at YC (hand-picked by Paul Graham) and OpenAI (taking on Google at AI is no mean feat, despite the backing), and his ongoing work with Helion Energy and WorldCoin, it is safe to say Sam has more than earned his place, perhaps may be twice over, among SV royalty. And he's not even 40. http://paulgraham.com/5founders.html http://paulgraham.com/5founders.html
- polygamous_bat 3y ago
  > WorldCoin Is that supposed to make him look good? Because it doesn't, in fact it makes him look very out of touch at best and a complete fool at worst.
  - vlod 3y ago
    It's very easy to criticize visions, especially after the fact. Not trying to subvert this thread. Do we think that cash will still exist in 50 years time? Assuming we don't, how will it work. He had a thought (maybe crazy) and went with it. I respect that, irrespective if we think it was correct or not.
- torginus 3y ago
  I just realized it's THAT Helion. Their fusion experiments are not without controversy. Here's a video on explaining how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bDXXWQxK38 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bDXXWQxK38 And here's a video explaining what's wrong with the scheme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vUPhsFoniw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vUPhsFoniw But the TLDW version is that environment required for fusing He3 with deuterium also leads to deuterium fusing with itself, a reaction that creates neutron radiation that irradiates its environment.
  - shakow 3y ago
    > that irradiates its environment. What is the issue, as long as the containment containers are properly designed?
    - codethief 3y ago
      Radiation damage to the reactor structure and radioactive waste, among other things.
  - joak 3y ago
    The second video is just a nonsense troll, if you want good level conversations and skepticism about Helion you'd better check what the fusion subreddit says about it https://old.reddit.com/r/fusion/search/?q=helion&restrict_sr=1 https://old.reddit.com/r/fusion/search/?q=helion&restrict_sr... Long story short: Helion plans a net-electricity demo in 2024 and to start selling to the grid in 2028. The timeline seems too good to be true but no one says it's impossible. Many says they have not enough publications and that there are many scientific unknowns. Failure is a possibility, success also. Given the timeline we'll know soon.

Mithriil 3y ago

Do you even understand how much work is necessary to put in, to influence a whole industry massively and with the biggest players?

jackblemming 3y ago
Maybe some want to celebrate BSers like Adam Neumann or Elizabeth Holmes who are good at pretending to be important and conning investments, but it never really impressed me, sorry. I’ll stick to celebrating the actual brains, like Ilya Sutskever.
- csours 3y ago
  As the farmer said, "We'll see" https://impossiblehq.com/well-see/ https://impossiblehq.com/well-see/ (or google "we'll see story")

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

ignoramous 3y ago

This is a common retort, but after his run at YC (hand-picked by Paul Graham) and OpenAI (taking on Google at AI is no mean feat, despite the backing), and his ongoing work with Helion Energy and WorldCoin, it is safe to say Sam has more than earned his place, perhaps may be twice over, among SV royalty. And he's not even 40. http://paulgraham.com/5founders.html http://paulgraham.com/5founders.html

polygamous_bat 3y ago
> WorldCoin Is that supposed to make him look good? Because it doesn't, in fact it makes him look very out of touch at best and a complete fool at worst.
- vlod 3y ago
  It's very easy to criticize visions, especially after the fact. Not trying to subvert this thread. Do we think that cash will still exist in 50 years time? Assuming we don't, how will it work. He had a thought (maybe crazy) and went with it. I respect that, irrespective if we think it was correct or not.
torginus 3y ago
I just realized it's THAT Helion. Their fusion experiments are not without controversy. Here's a video on explaining how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bDXXWQxK38 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bDXXWQxK38 And here's a video explaining what's wrong with the scheme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vUPhsFoniw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vUPhsFoniw But the TLDW version is that environment required for fusing He3 with deuterium also leads to deuterium fusing with itself, a reaction that creates neutron radiation that irradiates its environment.
- shakow 3y ago
  > that irradiates its environment. What is the issue, as long as the containment containers are properly designed?
  - codethief 3y ago
    Radiation damage to the reactor structure and radioactive waste, among other things.
- joak 3y ago
  The second video is just a nonsense troll, if you want good level conversations and skepticism about Helion you'd better check what the fusion subreddit says about it https://old.reddit.com/r/fusion/search/?q=helion&restrict_sr=1 https://old.reddit.com/r/fusion/search/?q=helion&restrict_sr... Long story short: Helion plans a net-electricity demo in 2024 and to start selling to the grid in 2028. The timeline seems too good to be true but no one says it's impossible. Many says they have not enough publications and that there are many scientific unknowns. Failure is a possibility, success also. Given the timeline we'll know soon.