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I couldnt finish reading the essay because I was distracted by the generally smug tone of it. 99.99% of people who read this article are not going to start the

I couldnt finish reading the essay because I was distracted by the generally smug tone of it. 99.99% of people who read this article are not going to start the next Google. Being a successful entrepreneur requires an incredible amount of luck, timing, skill, and risk taking. If you choose that path, great, but that in no way devalues the skill building, network building, and predictable income of working for someone else.

echelon 3y ago
Perhaps you're not the intended audience. There are certain people that deeply desire this and that understand their chances of success are low. Nevertheless, these people want to try and find encouragement in these types of essays. You don't need to be upset that this isn't for you. There are all sorts of shapes of people in the world. We benefit by having curious people at all strata of society, exploring various sorts of ideas and problems. It keeps us from deadlock.
- pepve 3y ago
  > You don't need to be upset that this isn't for you. The person you're responding to does not seem upset to me. You add an interesting perspective that some people want to find encouragement in these types of essays. And the personal jab just isn't necessary.
  - echelon 3y ago
    > The person you're responding to does not seem upset to me. I don't think we're reading this the same. To quote OP, >> I was distracted by the generally smug tone of it. The definition of "smug": > smug /sməɡ/ adjective. having or showing an excessive pride in oneself or one's achievements. > contentedly confident of one's ability, superiority, or correctness; complacent. This is why I responded. If you don't like the tone of the article, you don't need to suggest that the author has a superiority complex. > And the personal jab just isn't necessary. "smug" is a personal jab. I didn't make one.
gizmo 3y ago
The tone isn’t smug. pg simplified his language for a teenage audience. Simple arguments made simply can come across as smug because they lack caveats and polite hedging, but I don’t think the accusation of smugness sticks in this case. I also disagree about the incredible qualities entrepreneurs need and hardships they have to endure. Many incredible businesses are just good product + good distribution. Many kids think starting a startup is practically impossible, and pg correctly points out that it isn’t.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- lupire 3y ago
  It's a little easier if you are a PhD study at Stanford, or, in pg's case, friends with a famous genius at MIT. Starting is trivial. Succeeding is in fact practically impossible.
  - gizmo 3y ago
    Today it's a lot easier to match the level of success pg had with viaweb back in the 90s. No MIT genius required.
- gcr 3y ago
  When I was a teen, I had a strong aversion for being talked down to, and was resistant to attempts to patronize even if they were well-intended and even if they benefited me. Paul's leaving a significant fraction of the intended audience on the table here IMO: teens who are resistant to being told what to do and how to do it. :)
  - mkoubaa 3y ago
    That sounds like a disability to me
    - gcr 3y ago
      Well keep in mind that that's explicitly the audience pg's targeting with the article: > But you will avoid many of the annoying things > that come with a job, including a boss telling > you what to do. I happen to think that a healthy resistance to authority and sensitivity to condescension is a long-lasting tradition of being a teenager, but to each their own. :)
newyankee 3y ago
I mean even basic math cannot uphold the thesis. All the money and power in the world keeps consolidating upwards with the people closer to the apex of the pyramid deluding others that consistent climbing will help others reach there. A tale as old as time, but due to exponential growth of tech playing out much faster.

echelon 3y ago

Perhaps you're not the intended audience. There are certain people that deeply desire this and that understand their chances of success are low. Nevertheless, these people want to try and find encouragement in these types of essays. You don't need to be upset that this isn't for you. There are all sorts of shapes of people in the world. We benefit by having curious people at all strata of society, exploring various sorts of ideas and problems. It keeps us from deadlock.

pepve 3y ago
> You don't need to be upset that this isn't for you. The person you're responding to does not seem upset to me. You add an interesting perspective that some people want to find encouragement in these types of essays. And the personal jab just isn't necessary.
- echelon 3y ago
  > The person you're responding to does not seem upset to me. I don't think we're reading this the same. To quote OP, >> I was distracted by the generally smug tone of it. The definition of "smug": > smug /sməɡ/ adjective. having or showing an excessive pride in oneself or one's achievements. > contentedly confident of one's ability, superiority, or correctness; complacent. This is why I responded. If you don't like the tone of the article, you don't need to suggest that the author has a superiority complex. > And the personal jab just isn't necessary. "smug" is a personal jab. I didn't make one.

gizmo 3y ago

The tone isn’t smug. pg simplified his language for a teenage audience. Simple arguments made simply can come across as smug because they lack caveats and polite hedging, but I don’t think the accusation of smugness sticks in this case. I also disagree about the incredible qualities entrepreneurs need and hardships they have to endure. Many incredible businesses are just good product + good distribution. Many kids think starting a startup is practically impossible, and pg correctly points out that it isn’t.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
lupire 3y ago
It's a little easier if you are a PhD study at Stanford, or, in pg's case, friends with a famous genius at MIT. Starting is trivial. Succeeding is in fact practically impossible.
- gizmo 3y ago
  Today it's a lot easier to match the level of success pg had with viaweb back in the 90s. No MIT genius required.
gcr 3y ago
When I was a teen, I had a strong aversion for being talked down to, and was resistant to attempts to patronize even if they were well-intended and even if they benefited me. Paul's leaving a significant fraction of the intended audience on the table here IMO: teens who are resistant to being told what to do and how to do it. :)
- mkoubaa 3y ago
  That sounds like a disability to me
  - gcr 3y ago
    Well keep in mind that that's explicitly the audience pg's targeting with the article: > But you will avoid many of the annoying things > that come with a job, including a boss telling > you what to do. I happen to think that a healthy resistance to authority and sensitivity to condescension is a long-lasting tradition of being a teenager, but to each their own. :)

newyankee 3y ago

I mean even basic math cannot uphold the thesis. All the money and power in the world keeps consolidating upwards with the people closer to the apex of the pyramid deluding others that consistent climbing will help others reach there. A tale as old as time, but due to exponential growth of tech playing out much faster.