It kind of drives me nuts that I've read a lot of this research elsewhere, and all of my experiences have either flew in the face of them, or there were major asterisks. It makes me wonder, who were the people being studied, because I can see all of this being true in the general population, and you can even see it in most of the valley.
There is something about the results that I don't trust, much like the way that I don't trust anything I read about what's good or bad for you. Years ago, they said fat was bad for you. Turns out, it's complicated. Then they said carbs were bad. All I can tell is that my parent's immigrant diet was healthier in ways that could not be assessed by "research."
I think it has something to do with the idea that 3% of YC applicants have a 100% chance of getting an interview.
If you follow PG's ethos perfectly maybe you choose to work at a great startup that is going to succeed and then you start your own. Work at Justin.tv, and then start Twitch/ZeroCater
I would disagree with the causality. The sort of person who can get an influential job in a top-tier startup is probably also the sort of person who can start a good company.
There is something about the results that I don't trust, much like the way that I don't trust anything I read about what's good or bad for you. Years ago, they said fat was bad for you. Turns out, it's complicated. Then they said carbs were bad. All I can tell is that my parent's immigrant diet was healthier in ways that could not be assessed by "research."