The Seeds of the Next Big Thing Are Being Planted Now | Hacker News Reader

The Seeds of the Next Big Thing Are Being Planted Now

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24 pointsterpua22 comments

Don’t stop working on side projects and ideas that interest you, because those ideas not only might turn into brilliant products or services but also might turn into the economic catalyst that spurs our economy onward.

Or more realistically, turns in to something that allows you to quit your job (if you're not happy there) or make some fun side money. While everyone else is "right sizing" (puke) - laying off good people that cost a small fortune to hire in the first place, wasting time restructuring, cutting revenue drivers (oh yes) and slashing R&D costs - you'll be building.

If you own a business and are contemplating lay offs, remember how much those good people (if applicable) cost to hire. What if you reduced bonuses instead? Or lowered everyone's salary instead of firing people? Of cut some nice to have but not necessary perks? Or gasp eliminated your own salary if you can afford it. There's many many other options as well. Almost everything is negotiable. Most people I know would rather take a pay cut than be fired.

It always puzzles me how adamantly companies speak of the importance of hiring and retaining talent. But then, when something bad happens, they treat everyone like a fucking commodity.

To think that less than 1.5 months ago, angels I talked to were saying deal flow was as high as ever.

It makes sense... when everything is going down, only the strongest, most innovative ideas will be able to rise to the top. If someone comes to you know pitching 'Digg, but for XX and YY' you're going to laugh, but when someone shows you an idea that does to XX what google did to search, you're going to throw all the money you can at them.

My dream pitch is, perhaps obviously, "Digg, but with integrity." and I'm the living proof that it lacks that.

what are you working on now?

I have a job now. For http://tripadvisor.com. Saving lots of money, and actually working on a cool project, but I can't talk about it.

Hacker News?

i hope this guy is planning on launching his own start-up.

he'd be wise to read Paul Bucheit's oft-quoted advice = limited life experience + over-generalization.

while 'inspirational' it lacks the quality of reading someone who's been there and done it...

Next Big Thing = Revolution in America

2000 and the current situation are not the same. The credit crunch is a lot worse.

the next "big thing" is not going to be a website of any kind

sell me a car that gets 120mpg and costs less than 25k, you have the next big thing

sell me solar panels that can erase my utility bill for $5k installed, you have the next big thing

make a website that connects me to people with my interests and lets me comment on news, and you will be eating ramen

ETC

You never know. Who knew a search engine would change our lives so drastically and quickly?

Did it really change our lives? (It's easier to argue for eBay changing lives I guess.)

I use Google every day and so do millions (billions?) of people. It depends how you measure it, but Google has probably affected more people than Ebay.

I don't know about you, but it changed mine.

Google is basically my first destination when I have a question on anything -- whether it's looking for a restaurant, or solution to a bug I can't fix. I can't imagine my life without Google anymore.

Don't you remember the days without Google? I used to have 4-5 search engines open when I need to search for something -- Yahoo, Infoseek, Altavista, Meta Crawler, Excite... Thank goodness for Google I don't have to waste hours looking for something!

The next big thing is always a superhuman effort to transform the world. You can do that, by making the entirety of human knowledge available (Wikipedia, Google), with a website, but the website itself won't be enough, yes.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/is-information-over...

How about solving information overload, 4.6% of our GDP, with web/mobile technology?

http://store.ovum.com/Product.asp?pid=36856

How about cutting the cost of enterprise software, 1.5% of our GDP, using web/mobile technology?

How about using web/mobile technology to improve supply chain management, logistics, warehousing, shipping, transportation, and manufacturing so that as a country, we can transition to solar energy at the least cost and afford to produce a 125mpg car that costs less than 25k?

We have only barely begun to use computers and the internet to their full potential, you just have to look in the right places for the big ideas.

How about using web/mobile technology to improve supply chain management, logistics, warehousing, shipping, transportation, and manufacturing so that as a country

salesforce.com is taking resumes now, don't delay

You sound like Henry Ford's customers, who thought they would be happy with a faster horse.

The economics of starting a website are still very attractive compared to those alternatives. You can start with a few thousand dollars. You can't sell a car without (random guess) a billion dollars. You can't sell solar panels without (random guess) a 100 million dollars.

The economics of starting a website are still very attractive compared to those alternatives.

which is why every superposition of possible websites has been explored eleventeen times. seriously, come up with your idea, i will point you to three people already doing it

how about a website that features webcams places in the most crime-y areas of each major city, so we can watch what's happening?

On one hand, I can your point. On the other, I remember similar sentiments being expressed in 2001 and 2002.

Besides, you don't always have to be working on the "next big thing" in order to be successful. I know lots of successful, and wealthy, people who innovate in fields that are hundreds of years old.

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