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If technology startups were founded more on business principles and less on hot air, tech hand-waving, and "the Facebook of X", then this probably wouldn't be s
by was_hellbanned 13y ago
If technology startups were founded more on business principles and less on hot air, tech hand-waving, and "the Facebook of X", then this probably wouldn't be so much of an issue.
Speaking as someone who got a home computer at eight, back when it was still extremely uncommon, and who never stopped programming, I actually think we vastly overvalue this whole "you have to have been hacking since age 13" angle. There are so many other elements that go into actually delivering solid product that I just don't think we can point to that as the issue to focus on.
This is a symptom of a problem, not a qualification of proficiency.
- coroxout 13y agoI very much agree with this. I'm a woman and at age 13 I was, if not actually "hacking", at least teaching myself to code simple games/graphics. However, "delivering solid product" is a very big leap from that. I'll never be an elite ninja rock star coder or a big name entrepreneur. Conversely, there are plenty of posts on HN from people, mostly 20-something and male, saying they just taught themselves to code from scratch within the past year. Some of those people are already doing pretty damn awesome things, and thankfully they usually get encouraging feedback rather than told they'll never make it because they weren't geeky enough in junior high. (And I was a big nerd all through school, so believe me, I'd love that to be a meaningful qualification!)