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Comment by aub3bhat | Hacker News Reader

One thing I don't understand is that the implicit, "us vs them" assumption in these articles. There is nothing preventing you from starting a company or becoming a "suit". Given the ample funding available over last few years, why not strike out on your own. Frankly to me these articles seem like an attempt to play to the risk averse crowd while blaming the market and painting a picture of a fair fantasyland, where your paycheck magically reflects the true value of your contribution.

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There is nothing preventing you from starting a company or becoming a "suit".

This seems to be a prevailing view here on HN and it is actually sad. There are a thousand reasons "preventing you from starting a company": family circumstances, disability, mortgage/debt, no savings, good executor but not a great businessman, etc. etc.

So dear HN, could you please stop repeating this useless, hypocrite mantra.

Ok so how about joining a startup? Its a job like any other (in most regards). And provides much the same education/experiences. If you can work at all, its possible to be in a startup.

Joining a startup in what capacity? Peanut salary + options is exactly what's being discussed here. OK salary/no options is not as common in the startup world. But then once you find that you are not a "suit" anymore (see parent comment to which I replied).

Ah. Not my experience. I've usually gotten good salary/lots of options. But in SF it may be different.

This isn't hypocrisy but rather a genuine question, I do agree that (family circumstances, disability) can be limiting. But at a certain level it does seems counter-productive to proclaim that you are being oppressed by an imaginary different class "suits". It drives an emotional response but offers very little in terms of actual solutions. Finally at "Hacker" News ran by an investment firm, how should not this hacker spirit be a prevailing opinion?

Mortgage/Debt/Lack of savings can be overcome. Regarding being good executor and not being great businessman, you won't really find out before actually having a business.

Circumstances can put you "below" certain other people, some of whom would try to abuse their status. Our response to that can be anywhere from obeying to quitting and even suing. But this is life, we still live in a survivalist world with social classes, things that are arbitrarily given to us (both material and non-material) and those given to others.

> Finally at "Hacker" News ran by an investment firm, how should not this hacker spirit be a prevailing opinion?

True, but as the front page shows right now the interests here are pretty diverse. Plus, purely motivational "Just do it" kind of posts are usually met with disapproval. My impression is that people here want to know more specific things about how to raise funds, how to run companies (the rules of the game), what technologies to use.

> Mortgage/Debt/Lack of savings can be overcome.

Uh-oh :)

I'd also add propensity to work on intellectually challenging problems instead of people problems to the list.

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