freax

7 ms·

31.
by freax 18y ago
...but if you look at the companies he _actually_ funds, it ain't so. http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/03/14/y-combinator-demo-day-r...
32.
by freax 18y ago
I forgot it was 2008. Cripes, I'm getting old.
33.
by freax 18y ago
It still doesn't make sense. You say two years ago you had this max-timeframe criteria; but there's a startup you funded two years ago that has yet to launch. Well, you can't use them as an example of your foresight if they accidentally s
34.
by freax 18y ago
I think what's being overlooked by the article is the actual development of some good technology -- there seems to be so much focus on the exit rather than what a startup is actually doing. So many of these Web 2.0 startups seem to want t
35.
by freax 18y ago
From your previous letter: "We rejected a lot of proposals [...] because the project seemed too big to start on only three months of funding." All your non-defunct fundees are still "building", but that's not the same as accepting groups yo
36.
by freax 18y ago
> The reason there aren't more Googles is not that investors encourage innovative startups to sell out, but that they won't even fund them. This goes for YC as well. Surely there are some technically innovative applicants that don't
37.
by freax 18y ago
Don Knuth wants to see your "O" face.
38.
by freax 18y ago
> But how many days must later be spent debugging issues like this? Will this time spent debugging be counted against your productivity gains you attribute to Lisp? This is exactly the sort of problem Erlang has nailed down. http://
39.
by freax 18y ago
> Since everyone has to obey artificial rules, there's no harm in making the rules prevent damage to the players. You're begging the question here. Many of these drugs are overwhelmingly beneficial -- e.g. Human Growth Hormone. Proh
40.
by freax 18y ago
> the cost to rent a converter box (dual tuner HD DVR) is now $14 a month. Considering I'd need one for every TV in my house, that would effectively quadruple my cable bill! Good Lord. I can only imagine the fearsome startups you'd l
41.
by freax 18y ago
> In short, the easy pickin's have long gone, and now we need complex tools and complex coding styles to get more performance from more cores using the existing languages. I don't think more complexity is the answer here. All this
42.
by freax 18y ago
Why is this an either/or? Anyway the only kickass UI is the nipple. Somehow it's just more compelling than any given layout of tabs and checkboxes....
43.
by freax 18y ago
Except brainteasers are vulnerable to prior exposure. Once you've heard enough of them you have a bunch of tools at the ready for any others that use the same kinds of intuitive leaps -- and you may not even need to do that if you get aske
44.
by freax 18y ago
I don't think that assumption would hold up to statistical analysis.
45.
by freax 18y ago
> all we've seen is an application form with 120-word answers, and maybe a demo. The reject group also includes applicants that have stuff to show that you didn't even look at.
46.
by freax 18y ago
The mistaken assumption is reading things into the statement that aren't there. I'm simply talking about having done something concrete and functional rather than only having a proposal. You're leaping to conclusions by projecting some
47.
by freax 18y ago
Well, everyone is special, Tim.
48.
by freax 19y ago
> if you have customers, nobody cares what your pedigree is. If you already have customers, you're doing YC a favor by applying.
49.
by freax 19y ago
> YC backs teams not ideas. Every team works on an idea. A lot of the last batch are underwhelming: http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/03/14/y-combinator-demo-day-r... > AT Interview stage, from one application form how familiar d
50.
by freax 19y ago
> but everyone thinks they must be a great product advisor Saying PG is better than the average random person with an opinion isn't giving a lot of credit.
51.
by freax 19y ago
> 1. Product advice: Paul Graham is one of the most astute product advisers i know. I am sure this is true, but how many product advisers do you know? When I look at that last batch of acceptees... I am very surprised at some who m