
Paul Graham is Hurting the Children - rms
http://buzzboston.wordpress.com/2007/04/17/paul-graham-is-recruiting-the-children/
======
pg
This guy has not thought things through. Sure, hundreds of people apply to YC
every cycle, but we only develop a relationship with the few we fund. In fact
the thing I like least of all about YC is that it's effectively a machine for
making hundreds of smart hackers dislike us, or at least feel somewhat hurt,
every six months.

Also, like nearly everyone (including, fortunately, most imitators) he's stuck
on this idea that we like to fund undergrads. In fact the median founder is
around 25; it's harder to get funded as an undergrad than not.

~~~
mattculbreth
Yeah, not so clear what he means. It's not as if your fundees work for you
after all, they merely trade a bit of equity for your connections and
mentoring. Not really sure where this guy is going.

And besides, I don't think anyone dislikes you when you can't fund them. They
just get really determined to prove you wrong. :)

~~~
Readmore
Haha that is so true. The dream of hundreds of Hackers is to wag their finger
at PG and say. "I told you so!"

~~~
staunch
A few get inspired and work hard because they were accepted and the rest get
inspired and work hard because they were rejected.

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nostrademons
As opposed to Random Big Company, who would otherwise be getting this
$1million+ talent and paying them $50-60K?

------
bootload
_'... Microsoft is shooting at you, and it's just cover fire so that they can
move forward and you can't, because this is how the game is played ...'_ [0]

Why are readers worried about articles like this? More to the point why are
you reading them at all? They lack irony, humour and certainly lack a coherent
message. Here's mine. You don't read this site & pg's articles just to get
funded do you? If you do your missing the point. You are going for the egg
instead of the goose. [1] [2]

Don't play the game, move forward.

Reference

[0] Joel On Software, 'Fire And Motion'

<http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000339.html>

[1] Khosla, Vinod, _'... Khosla met staffer Andreas Bechtolsheim, a
workstation designer and research scientist at the Stanford University
network. Bechtolsheim had built a computer workstation and had begun licensing
his creation to companies for $10,000. Khosla talked his new colleague into
ceasing the licensing game in favor of manufacturing the workstations
themselves. "I want the goose that laid the golden egg, and I don't want the
golden egg," ...'_

<http://tinyurl.com/37hve4>

[2] If you still don't get it, "It's the information", not the lottery of yc.
Reading through pg's articles a clearer path is created in which you can avoid
the ugly trolls and other unexpected obstacles, in the maze of twisty little
passages creating startups.

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theremora
PG, Since the piece was mostly tongue in cheek I agree, not much thought went
into it. But it would only make sense that some of the team members not making
the cut ended up on a team that did. Also, it is common knowledge and
confirmed by large companies such as Google and Microsoft that they sometimes
buy companies for the value of the team rather than the product. So in the
general sense, the logic works.

After reading some threads in your news-YC section, I did find that some of
the companies not making the grade were ticked off. But, this can be handled
by setting expectations and delivering the rejection in the proper manner. We
all know that we desire what we cant have. Put it this way. I am sure that a
recruiter that had access to the list of contacts amassed through your funding
contests could show a fine ROI on your investment. No doubt there is value in
that network of contacts.

BTW the article is Titled: Paul Graham is Selling our children

~~~
brlewis
YC did set expectations and delivered the rejection in a manner that's hard to
beat. Have you seen the rejection letter? Have you seen the numerous places
where pg enumerates what things make a successful startup?

~~~
theremora
No to both. I was responding to PG saying people did not like YC after they
were rejected. So, you are proving the point that there is a network and
relationship created, even after they dont make the cut. And that is the value
I am speaking about. You dont need to defend YC. I am all for it. I am only
pointing out that there is value in the people that participate, maybe even
more than the ideas.

~~~
brlewis
What I'm saying is that YC did all it could to keep rejected applicants from
being ticked off, but that was not enough. Did you read the "Two kinds of
judgement" comments?

I was rejected and am not ticked off, but I'm more stubborn and thick-skinned
than most. I don't think I'm representative.

~~~
create_account
I agree. The whole point of the "Two Judgments" essay was probably PG's way of
soothing any hurt feelings among those YC rejected.

------
rms
Please, somebody think of the children!

~~~
extantproject
If you won't, who will?!

