paul

21 ms·

1. 151.▲
   by paul 12y ago

   "Next time, be so good they can't ignore you, simple as that." Exactly right!
2. 152.▲
   by paul 12y ago

   The best way to get into YC is to build a great business :)
3. 153.▲
   by paul 12y ago

   In general, there aren't any differences. We're looking for people who can create something that people will want. For hardware companies, that will likely require some hardware skills, so show us that you have what it takes to sh
4. 154.▲
   by paul 12y ago

   I'm sure we do, but honestly I don't know how to tell if someone is Mexican, or if they just have a Hispanic name.
5. 155.▲
   by paul 12y ago

   Drew originally applied with an SAT test prep company. He's lucky that he was rejected, otherwise he may have spent years working on that instead of starting DropBox.
6. 156.▲
   by paul 12y ago

   We have some very successful single-founder companies, such as Instacart. We suggest finding a cofounder not for our benefit, but for your own. Startups are hard, and doing it alone makes it even harder.
7. 157.▲
   by paul 12y ago

   You are wrong :) YC founders come from everywhere.
8. 158.▲
   by paul 12y ago

   Yes. "Natural" flavoring often means something manufactured by a genetically engineered bacteria.
9. 159.▲
   by paul 12y ago

   It's surprisingly unattractive, but I think people here may be underestimating the quality of the interaction design. Of course it's impossible to know without trying one, but they've clearly put some thought into it. The vid
10. 160.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    Why is that ludicrous? I've gotten > 50x return multiple times. If you invest in winners, it's not unreasonable -- that's where most of the money is made in this business, and why it matters to not get squeezed out of the
11. 161.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    I'm reminded of my favorite quote from Larry Harvey, "It wouldn't be a real community without assholes." :)
12. 162.▲
    Rigetti Computing (YC S14) Raises $2.5M to Create Commercial Quantum Systems(techcrunch.com)

    44 points by paul 12y ago|23 comments
13. 163.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    I think you misunderstood my point about YC and Google -- they would not exist without their foreign born founders. If you think the existence of Google is only of tenuous benefit to others, then I don't know what to say :)
14. 164.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    Again, it's a zero-sum thinking error to assume that there's some fixed number of jobs and therefore more people equals lower pay. I would have made substantially less at Google if it weren't for all of the foreigners making
15. 165.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    Given that I also mentioned state and local government, it should be clear that I'm referring to more than just immigration issues. I get your point though. I'm an evil capitalist who doesn't want to fund Americans because th
16. 166.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    I think if we ever start a second YC location, this will be the reason -- to help founders who are unable to get past the US immigration system. It's unfortunate that our government is becoming increasingly dysfunctional at every level
17. 167.▲
    Bikanta’s (YC S14) Tiny Diamonds Find Cancer Before It Spreads(techcrunch.com)

    179 points by paul 12y ago|66 comments
18. 168.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    Thanks Glen! 7cups is definitely among the startups that are helping to get us there. I believe that most conflict is ultimately rooted in internal conflict -- happy, healthy people don't go out and pick fights.
19. 169.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest... It's a fun story too. I don't know if we're actually born to run or not, but it's inspiring either way.
20. 170.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    That would definitely be bad and certainly not qualify as "better for everyone". It's important to have inspirational visions of the future, not just nightmares.
21. 171.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    All society is some form of collectivism :) As is often the case with disruptive innovation, I think the solution is something non-obvious and non-coercive, more bottom-up than top-down.
22. 172.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    That was a genuine mistake. It's funny how many people thought I did that on purpose :) You'll have to watch the video to get that part though...
23. 173.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    Thanks! I had just finished writing it and didn't have time to rehearse, so it was basically an article being read :)
24. 174.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    I believe the videos will be available in the next day or so.
25. 175.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
26. 176.▲
    My Startup School Europe talk: The Technology(paulbuchheit.blogspot.com)

    245 points by paul 12y ago|50 comments
27. 177.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    Remember when the HN consensus was that fb would never make money or be profitable? (And that mobile was unmonetizable) :)
28. 178.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    Those certainly aren't my goals, nor the path that I have followed or advised for others. For me, and for the most successful founders that I've known, creation is primarily an intrinsic activity.
29. 179.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    While those are definitely interesting numbers, it's important to understand that for rapidly growing companies, jobs and revenue are typically trailing indicators of success, while valuation is more of a leading indicator (though obvi
30. 180.▲
    by paul 12y ago

    It's worth reading the Xerox story: http://www.gatesnotes.com/media/features/books/Bill_Gates_Jo... Xerox was essentially the hot startup of the 1960's, and it's interesting how similar many of