Because that's not what we started the company to do. See how this works? Yes: we could have made a bunch of money doing some variant of Starfighter that none of us were really committed to. But life is too short. Erin and I like what we're doing now instead, and Patrick likes what he's doing instead.
I feel like this is every HN discussion about "rates---comma---raising them": a mean-spirited attempt to convince the audience on the site that high rates aren't really possible, because if they were, the person telling you they're possible would be wealthy beyond the dreams of avarice. Once again: Patrick is just offering a more refined and savvy version of advice me and my Matasano friends gave him, and our outcomes are part of the record of a reasonable large public company.
This, by the way, is why I'll never write this kind of end-of-year wrap-up post (and, for the same reasons, why I'll never open source code unless I absolutely have to). It's also a big part of what I'm trying to get my hands around for the Starfighter wrap-up post. When we started Starfighter, everyone said "you're going to have such an amazing time because of all the HN credibility you have". But pretty much every time Starfighter actually came up on HN, I just wanted to hide under a rock. Even when the site is civil, it's still committed to grind away any joy you take either in accomplishing something near or even in just sharing something interesting you learned.
You could sort of understand an atavistic urge to shit all over someone sharing an interesting experience that was pleasant or impressive. There's a bad Morrissey song about that. But look what happens when you share an interesting story that obviously involved significant unpleasantness and an honest accounting of one's limitations: a giant thread full of people piling on to question your motives and life choices. You can't win.
It's like the worst possible version of "tall poppy syndrome", where the small- to- medium- sized anomalies get chopped down, but Elon Musk is a demigod.
I always appreciate blog posts, hn comments and tweets from both Patrick and you, but don't always make the effort to openly appreciate it, and maybe I should to balance the critics and cynics.
So. It seems clear to me that every project/venture that either of you have attempted, whether a mega success or not has clearly taught you both a lot, and both of you make attempts to pass some of that knowledge out. At times publicly, and frequently you'll see posts of people appreciating private feedback/help as well.
I admire specifically that when all three of you set out to do something that would have made you happy and be profitable. Yes, people like to talk of pivot, and changes; but if any of those change entirely what you wanted to build, what is the point? I'm glad you all chose to stop early enough to move on to the next thing, having learned new things along the way.
Your posts and Patrick's posts are always interesting, and insightful. I promise you, some of us lurkers are paying attention very closely.
Not even tall poppy syndrome, because if you dare to talk about how something went horribly wrong (aka you're a short poppy), people react in the way you describe above.
If you succeed, people have to tear you down (to feel better about themselves). If you fail and dare to be honest about it, people have to tear you down (in order to feel superior). People are terrified of failure because if it could happen to e.g. patio11 or you or me, it could definitely happen to them so they must immediately distance themselves by giving themselves the feeling of superiority, and because just telling themselves they're superior in a quiet room alone isn't good enough, they must perform it in public for an audience to get an extra hit. Clack clack clack go the claws.
I feel like this is every HN discussion about "rates---comma---raising them": a mean-spirited attempt to convince the audience on the site that high rates aren't really possible, because if they were, the person telling you they're possible would be wealthy beyond the dreams of avarice. Once again: Patrick is just offering a more refined and savvy version of advice me and my Matasano friends gave him, and our outcomes are part of the record of a reasonable large public company.
This, by the way, is why I'll never write this kind of end-of-year wrap-up post (and, for the same reasons, why I'll never open source code unless I absolutely have to). It's also a big part of what I'm trying to get my hands around for the Starfighter wrap-up post. When we started Starfighter, everyone said "you're going to have such an amazing time because of all the HN credibility you have". But pretty much every time Starfighter actually came up on HN, I just wanted to hide under a rock. Even when the site is civil, it's still committed to grind away any joy you take either in accomplishing something near or even in just sharing something interesting you learned.
You could sort of understand an atavistic urge to shit all over someone sharing an interesting experience that was pleasant or impressive. There's a bad Morrissey song about that. But look what happens when you share an interesting story that obviously involved significant unpleasantness and an honest accounting of one's limitations: a giant thread full of people piling on to question your motives and life choices. You can't win.
It's like the worst possible version of "tall poppy syndrome", where the small- to- medium- sized anomalies get chopped down, but Elon Musk is a demigod.