4 ms·

As long as you like what you're doing and someone will employ you, right? Those folks probably have significant experience. Experience can't always trump creati

As long as you like what you're doing and someone will employ you, right? Those folks probably have significant experience. Experience can't always trump creativity, but this is pretty cool. I'd not mind learning from a coworker in their eighties, you know? <blanket statement warning> Silicon Valley's emphasis on young programmers and engineers in general is silly.

white-flame 11y ago
SV's emphasis is about bootstrapping on the cheap. Much of the startup culture is not about researching new involved technical solutions, or crafting something complex and intricate, but getting a simple social idea backed by stock tech out the door quickly & cheaply to effectively pull the slot machine lever. It is stupid and self-defeating beyond the immediate short term. But you can see where they come from, and they knowingly take the risk of patching up later once they have some success.
- michaelochurch 11y ago
  This is accurate. The "tech" industry is 95% marketing that uses technology, not actual technology. The bad guys have won in Silicon Valley and I don't see there being any way to reverse that.
  - monksy 11y ago
    Not sure why you're getting downvoted for this. But basically: Business won. They're getting their way and it's terrible for tech. It's going to be terrible for our industry, and it's going to be worse for our future.
    - icebraining 11y ago
      You're not sure why, in a forum ran by the paragon of SV, an opinion critical of SV culture is being downvoted? :) Besides, michaelochurch probably has a few downvotes by reflex at this point.
      - monksy 11y ago
        The thing about HN is that I'm only interested in the dev related articles. But I think you're right, and that you've pointed out something that argivates me about the HN crowd: It's not for devs. It's for the west coast/SV culture. (Which I'm not apart of)
        white-flame 11y ago
        Which makes you wonder what they mean by "Hacker News" in the first place.
        dang 11y ago
        https://news.ycombinator.com/hackernews.html https://news.ycombinator.com/hackernews.html
  - golergka 11y ago
    I agree with everything in your comment but the "bad guys" are sentiment. What is bad about it?
    - michaelochurch 11y ago
      It's not that "business guys" are bad. There are a lot of good business people out there. Look at Warren Buffett or Bill Gates. The problem in the Valley is that the dominant culture is now set by the people who moved West to take advantage of nerds and their poor negotiating skills. There's a personality type and it's not a good one. There are oilmen and coal miners and gold miners in the world, and Silicon Valley's leadership is comprised almost entirely of people miners who turn young male quixotry into gold. It's Hollywood for Ugly People. I don't dislike all business people. As with any other group, there are good ones who think long term and bad ones who raid companies and fail up. Technology just seems to be dominated, about 10-to-1, by the bad ones.
      - golergka 11y ago
        If "young male quixotry" can't turn themselves into gold themselves, then how are these people miners bad? And if they are, how do these people miners have any business at all?
        michaelochurch 11y ago
        If "young male quixotry" can't turn themselves into gold themselves Underestimating the power ratio between capital and labor, they're easily tricked into believing that hard work can overcome the massive social distance between them and the investor/founder caste. The best thing for them isn't a foolhardy attempt to "turn themselves into gold" in the short term; it's to leave and then to build something better in the long run.
agumonkey 11y ago
With time I came to think that age don't really matter, you can find ranty 20yos that think rushing is a quality and you can find ranty 80yos thinking not changing anything is the only way. If someone has a blend of sensitivity to history with a nice dose of inspiration and creativity, whatever his age, hire him.
tbrownaw 11y ago
Experience can't always trump creativity Creativity not guided by experience tends towards the wheel.

white-flame 11y ago

SV's emphasis is about bootstrapping on the cheap. Much of the startup culture is not about researching new involved technical solutions, or crafting something complex and intricate, but getting a simple social idea backed by stock tech out the door quickly & cheaply to effectively pull the slot machine lever. It is stupid and self-defeating beyond the immediate short term. But you can see where they come from, and they knowingly take the risk of patching up later once they have some success.

michaelochurch 11y ago
This is accurate. The "tech" industry is 95% marketing that uses technology, not actual technology. The bad guys have won in Silicon Valley and I don't see there being any way to reverse that.
- monksy 11y ago
  Not sure why you're getting downvoted for this. But basically: Business won. They're getting their way and it's terrible for tech. It's going to be terrible for our industry, and it's going to be worse for our future.
  - icebraining 11y ago
    You're not sure why, in a forum ran by the paragon of SV, an opinion critical of SV culture is being downvoted? :) Besides, michaelochurch probably has a few downvotes by reflex at this point.
    - monksy 11y ago
      The thing about HN is that I'm only interested in the dev related articles. But I think you're right, and that you've pointed out something that argivates me about the HN crowd: It's not for devs. It's for the west coast/SV culture. (Which I'm not apart of)
      - white-flame 11y ago
        Which makes you wonder what they mean by "Hacker News" in the first place.
        dang 11y ago
        https://news.ycombinator.com/hackernews.html https://news.ycombinator.com/hackernews.html
- golergka 11y ago
  I agree with everything in your comment but the "bad guys" are sentiment. What is bad about it?
  - michaelochurch 11y ago
    It's not that "business guys" are bad. There are a lot of good business people out there. Look at Warren Buffett or Bill Gates. The problem in the Valley is that the dominant culture is now set by the people who moved West to take advantage of nerds and their poor negotiating skills. There's a personality type and it's not a good one. There are oilmen and coal miners and gold miners in the world, and Silicon Valley's leadership is comprised almost entirely of people miners who turn young male quixotry into gold. It's Hollywood for Ugly People. I don't dislike all business people. As with any other group, there are good ones who think long term and bad ones who raid companies and fail up. Technology just seems to be dominated, about 10-to-1, by the bad ones.
    - golergka 11y ago
      If "young male quixotry" can't turn themselves into gold themselves, then how are these people miners bad? And if they are, how do these people miners have any business at all?
      - michaelochurch 11y ago
        If "young male quixotry" can't turn themselves into gold themselves Underestimating the power ratio between capital and labor, they're easily tricked into believing that hard work can overcome the massive social distance between them and the investor/founder caste. The best thing for them isn't a foolhardy attempt to "turn themselves into gold" in the short term; it's to leave and then to build something better in the long run.

agumonkey 11y ago

With time I came to think that age don't really matter, you can find ranty 20yos that think rushing is a quality and you can find ranty 80yos thinking not changing anything is the only way. If someone has a blend of sensitivity to history with a nice dose of inspiration and creativity, whatever his age, hire him.

tbrownaw 11y ago

Experience can't always trump creativity Creativity not guided by experience tends towards the wheel.