Giles Bowkett: You Fuckers Are Adorable | Hacker News Reader

Giles Bowkett: You Fuckers Are Adorable

gilesbowkett.blogspot.ca

101 pointsraganwald20 comments

Just so I have this clear, is the author making fun of wanna-be entrepreneurs with just an idea looking for technical co-founders?

I think people like that have value, but only if they can raise money and land a co-founder. They might not deserve as much credit as they want, but they aren't worthless. I can't tell if the author thinks so.

That said, it is likely annoying to be constantly pitched by non-technical people who downplay the difficultly of building things.

Yeah, I can't tell you how many Valley newbs say they have a startup idea, they just need coders, and ooh, they can't tell you anything about the idea because you might steal it.

These are the same people who end up living in their cars, then moving back home with Mom and Dad.

> and ooh, they can't tell you anything about the idea because you might steal it

In my experience the fact that someone needs to hide it usually means that they have little to bring to the table other than that idea.

Weird, couldn't reply to this, but then, after I posted the above comment, I suddenly could reply... Must be a timing thing.

It is a timing thing to prevent flaming or irrational replies. You can always click "link" and then you can reply.

Why can't I reply to the comment below this one?

Anyway, in response: yes, i agree, if someone can't tell you their idea, it's probably shit. Most of the time, when someone won't tell you their idea for fear of you stealing it, their idea is Groupon for cats! Or Travelocity for Jews! Or something else equally stupid.

I think of them more like canaries in the coal mine, once they start getting traction I know that we're in another bubble.

The problem is that history is literally full of such individuals having great success. They have the idea, they don't have the skills - so they get others to do the work necessary, and profit.

This is a reality in the world today, all there is to it.

I've been approached by a couple people like this for a technical co-founder position. I got scared off when i actually met them and discovered i had more product experience then them and they had no significant connections or marketing experience to bring to the table.

I love it. It reminds me of all those CEOs of companies with revenue in the 0$ range.

at least it's not negative?

He said revenue, not cash flow.

If I open a store and someone comes in and robs the register for my changemaking cash, is that negative revenue?

It's revenue (as evidenced by your register tape) plus a loss. Negative cash flow, positive revenue.

Insightful I'd say. There are quite a few individuals in startup space these days who are kind of innocently/ignorantly parasitic towards people who do actual work. And it's not a problem of parasites to say no.

Agree 100%. If you want to start a startup and are not willing to learn to code you are either a coward or stupid or lazy.

You don't need to be a full-on hacker, but if you haven't even tried to implement your vision (coders and funding be damned), you are a full-on phony.

Best title, in my opinion: Owner.

"Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled." (Howard Stevenson)

'Course, cut out man in the link isn't pursuing opportunity, he's whining about not having them.

So I guess Zennström and Friis of Skype fame aren't entrepreneurs?

Their entrepreneurial moment came years earlier. Skype was founded on the back of their conventional capital ($$$) earned from earlier ventures.

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