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This. I love the way Linus rants in public. When I was 24, I got a rant in private from PG, and it was pretty shocking at the time: "You guys just set a new

by breck 2y ago

This. I love the way Linus rants in public. When I was 24, I got a rant in private from PG, and it was pretty shocking at the time: "You guys just set a new all-time record in losing by being based in SF and skipping events at YC. I doubt it will ever be surpassed. Peter Thiel was speaking today. When he described the kind of companies he liked to invest in, he was describing Jobpic. So after his speech I jumped up and excitedly told him about you. He was very intrigued by the idea. I went off to find you to introduce you, and you're not here. At least now I'll have a really good story when I tell each new batch that they'll miss out if they live in the city. --pg" 3 notes: 1. He was right, my cofounder should have been there (I couldnt be there). 2. The hyperbole made it memorable. My friends still tease me about this "playing hard to get with Peter Thiel? Ballsy" 3. The only sad thing is people are afraid to be like this in public, and put on a more politically correct face in public. Linus has had the guts to be the same person in public and private. Something worth emulating. Related read: https://breckyunits.com/assholes.html https://breckyunits.com/assholes.html

coldpie 2y ago
These days, not having met Peter Thiel looks like you dodged a bullet. (Also perhaps worth recognizing that the guy berating you for not patronizing YC is a founder of YC. I also think you're a loser for not buying my product ;) )
- breck 2y ago
  I disagree with you on PT (I love someone with the confidence to follow their own model of the world, rather than follow the crowd), but I agree with you that I need to buy some of your furniture! That's some beautiful stuff (https://www.aechairs.com/my-furniture/ https://www.aechairs.com/my-furniture/)! How long have you been woodworking?
  - skummetmaelk 2y ago
    Pretty wild to love someone who does what they believe in regardless of how insane it is.
  - coldpie 2y ago
    Causing massive harm to other people because it might possibly make the number in one's own bank account slightly larger seems like pretty miserable behavior to me. > I agree with you that I need to buy some of your furniture! That's some beautiful stuff! How long have you been woodworking? Thanks! About 8 or 9 years. I recently got into chairmaking. I haven't sold any yet, but my goal through the end of the year is to make a handful and then try to sell some at local maker markets in 2025.
    - breck 2y ago
      > About 8 or 9 years. Awesome! There's another woodworker I follow (https://nondot.org/sabre/Woodworking.html https://nondot.org/sabre/Woodworking.html) who is also a pretty good programmer ;). > Causing massive harm to other people because it might possibly make the number in one's own bank account slightly larger seems like pretty miserable behavior to me. I disagree with a ton of what PT says/does, but I respect how he always come about things in an original way--he's got his own model of the universe that he follows. From what I can tell he also is always learning, and willing to update his model when shown wrong. Most people just accept the model of the universe given to them by authorities.
      - coldpie 2y ago
        It is impossible to be an expert on everything. In fact it is really hard to be an expert on one single thing. At some point you have to either yield to the experts, or be wrong. It's a really stupid thing to choose to be wrong, instead of trust the experts. This is why we have careers and specialties ("authorities", to give it another word). When you break your arm, you don't go learn bone medicine from scratch while your arm turns gangrenous. That would be stupid. You go to the doctor because fixing broken bones is their specialty and not yours. Similarly, climate change is staring us in the face, and Thiel is going "nah, screw the experts, I know better" and spending his resources to send us straight into the surface of the sun. That's stupid. There's nothing to respect in his bold, willful ignorance causing harm to everyone on the planet.

by breck 2y ago

coldpie 2y ago

These days, not having met Peter Thiel looks like you dodged a bullet. (Also perhaps worth recognizing that the guy berating you for not patronizing YC is a founder of YC. I also think you're a loser for not buying my product ;) )

breck 2y ago
I disagree with you on PT (I love someone with the confidence to follow their own model of the world, rather than follow the crowd), but I agree with you that I need to buy some of your furniture! That's some beautiful stuff (https://www.aechairs.com/my-furniture/ https://www.aechairs.com/my-furniture/)! How long have you been woodworking?
- skummetmaelk 2y ago
  Pretty wild to love someone who does what they believe in regardless of how insane it is.
- coldpie 2y ago
  Causing massive harm to other people because it might possibly make the number in one's own bank account slightly larger seems like pretty miserable behavior to me. > I agree with you that I need to buy some of your furniture! That's some beautiful stuff! How long have you been woodworking? Thanks! About 8 or 9 years. I recently got into chairmaking. I haven't sold any yet, but my goal through the end of the year is to make a handful and then try to sell some at local maker markets in 2025.
  - breck 2y ago
    > About 8 or 9 years. Awesome! There's another woodworker I follow (https://nondot.org/sabre/Woodworking.html https://nondot.org/sabre/Woodworking.html) who is also a pretty good programmer ;). > Causing massive harm to other people because it might possibly make the number in one's own bank account slightly larger seems like pretty miserable behavior to me. I disagree with a ton of what PT says/does, but I respect how he always come about things in an original way--he's got his own model of the universe that he follows. From what I can tell he also is always learning, and willing to update his model when shown wrong. Most people just accept the model of the universe given to them by authorities.
    - coldpie 2y ago
      It is impossible to be an expert on everything. In fact it is really hard to be an expert on one single thing. At some point you have to either yield to the experts, or be wrong. It's a really stupid thing to choose to be wrong, instead of trust the experts. This is why we have careers and specialties ("authorities", to give it another word). When you break your arm, you don't go learn bone medicine from scratch while your arm turns gangrenous. That would be stupid. You go to the doctor because fixing broken bones is their specialty and not yours. Similarly, climate change is staring us in the face, and Thiel is going "nah, screw the experts, I know better" and spending his resources to send us straight into the surface of the sun. That's stupid. There's nothing to respect in his bold, willful ignorance causing harm to everyone on the planet.