> We actually mock people who are scenesters who do it for the fame/social status, and we mock the scammers who build nothing real and get fake valuations.
Who is "we" here? Certainly not me. I personally am embarrassed for the YC community when I see things like this and also attacks on others on the private Bookface forum. If you have a problem with someone, say it to their face. Maybe they'll learn something. Or spend a day in their shoes instead of being so quick to judge and perhaps say nothing at all. This statement sounds very fratty and secretive, which is my least favorite part about YC. I am very grateful that I got into YC, but 95% of people got nothing but a template rejection email. YC gets the first 100 picks in the draft. With great power comes great responsibility.
Speaking for me personally I agree with the sentiment about making things but the highest value I prize is making something good for other people and then giving it to the world to make it a better place. Not putting so much emphasis on what value you capture; instead focusing on what value you create. That's why aaronsw is my favorite YC founder of all time. I am impressed by folks who build these big companies, but far from the value I prize most.
Strange to see people defend the fake parts of startups.
You are right that I can’t speak for the broader YC community but the wrong attitudes that are an epidemic in the startup community are the things that don’t help anyone. When startup founders are scenesters or don’t focus on solving real problems, you get all the terrible behavior you see on the show Silicon Valley, but worse still you see the world harmed. Employees lose their jobs and years of their lives, and suffer the most. Capital is lit aflame.
Your later comment seems to agree with me that impact/value is more important so we do seem to agree at a deeper level. Nice to see you here Breck.
Yes okay I agree with that sentiment. I think I just disagree with the wording, of mocking entire people instead of their undesirable behavior. Lots of “bad behavior” I think is honest mistakes, particularly for young outsiders who may struggle to understand the signal for the noise of SV. In those cases it’s easy to mock, but more helpful to provide guidance.
Edit: nice to see you here too! And the video was great. Very clear communicator. Sorry I harped on the "mocking" comment, and I'm guilty of it too sometimes, but I remember that for a lot of people who grew up far from the Valley, most of what they see is the "B.S." part of the pitches and they don't get to witness the more boring grind that is the majority of the truth. So sometimes they're just emulating the wrong parts and could benefit from guidance! That being said, you probably have interacted with 100x more startups than I have, so maybe my view of the dark patterns is a bit naive.
Who is "we" here? Certainly not me. I personally am embarrassed for the YC community when I see things like this and also attacks on others on the private Bookface forum. If you have a problem with someone, say it to their face. Maybe they'll learn something. Or spend a day in their shoes instead of being so quick to judge and perhaps say nothing at all. This statement sounds very fratty and secretive, which is my least favorite part about YC. I am very grateful that I got into YC, but 95% of people got nothing but a template rejection email. YC gets the first 100 picks in the draft. With great power comes great responsibility.
Speaking for me personally I agree with the sentiment about making things but the highest value I prize is making something good for other people and then giving it to the world to make it a better place. Not putting so much emphasis on what value you capture; instead focusing on what value you create. That's why aaronsw is my favorite YC founder of all time. I am impressed by folks who build these big companies, but far from the value I prize most.