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I've started to call YC a "business factory;" commodification of creative human endeavors never goes well. By eliminating the human ability to adapt and grow fr

I've started to call YC a "business factory;" commodification of creative human endeavors never goes well. By eliminating the human ability to adapt and grow from consideration, we remove most of the value. [Edit] As badly as some people want to believe you can replace one person with any other, it is just not true.

manquer 3y ago
You cannot replace every person with another person , there are few truly unique people like great philosophers or scientists or some artists but they are few in a generation and businesses don’t employ those geniuses in the first place. You cannot replace someone with anyone yes, but there are people who can do most jobs . It is usually a process or documentation problem when someone is deemed irreplaceable in an organization, rarely the role is so unique only one person can do it . YC is a business factory ? That is the always been the mandate ? to create businesses of a specific type , I am confused why would you think that something recent. I wouldn’t call founding a startup creative, it is lot of things but creative is probably not in the top 10 for me . I don’t think it has every been for YC either, most of their success stories are not what I would call creative solutions to either business building or product development
- EchoChamberMan 3y ago
  You focus on individuals, completely ignoring the team dynamic, the systemic nature of things. Do you think teams, sports, military, corporate, or otherwise, who develop teamwork and comraderie would mind if you switch their captain? Replace their teammate with whom they have developed trust with a complete stranger? You can certainly replace people, or even a leader, but the cost is vast, and the transition frought with existential danger to the system. People grow and develop working relationships. It takes time and energy to cultivate. Google found psychological safety as the number one predictor of team success. Destroy the team, destroy most of the value. The YC site talks about helping founders, not mass manufacturing businesses for their own gain. What is your top 10 list of founder traits?

manquer 3y ago

You cannot replace every person with another person , there are few truly unique people like great philosophers or scientists or some artists but they are few in a generation and businesses don’t employ those geniuses in the first place. You cannot replace someone with anyone yes, but there are people who can do most jobs . It is usually a process or documentation problem when someone is deemed irreplaceable in an organization, rarely the role is so unique only one person can do it . YC is a business factory ? That is the always been the mandate ? to create businesses of a specific type , I am confused why would you think that something recent. I wouldn’t call founding a startup creative, it is lot of things but creative is probably not in the top 10 for me . I don’t think it has every been for YC either, most of their success stories are not what I would call creative solutions to either business building or product development

EchoChamberMan 3y ago
You focus on individuals, completely ignoring the team dynamic, the systemic nature of things. Do you think teams, sports, military, corporate, or otherwise, who develop teamwork and comraderie would mind if you switch their captain? Replace their teammate with whom they have developed trust with a complete stranger? You can certainly replace people, or even a leader, but the cost is vast, and the transition frought with existential danger to the system. People grow and develop working relationships. It takes time and energy to cultivate. Google found psychological safety as the number one predictor of team success. Destroy the team, destroy most of the value. The YC site talks about helping founders, not mass manufacturing businesses for their own gain. What is your top 10 list of founder traits?