This smells like the new corporate motivational poster, except for cooler kids. IMO a little pretentious, just make something people want, without the wall ornaments.
Even the most formidable people often put "ornaments" in their sight to remind them of things they might otherwise forget. So it's mistaken to conclude that such things are as a class useless. And I know from experience that this particular sentence is useful, because the same sentence is printed on YC t-shirts, and surprisingly often I find myself in office hours answering founders' questions by pointing to their shirts and saying "make something people want."
This is honestly why I sometimes have a hard time taking YC seriously... your essays are really informative and insightful, and YC does and sponsors some really cool things, but the inability to either neutrally run a web forum or stay hands-off instead of jumping in with borderline flames when HN or YC engenders any kind of negative feedback puts a dent in that good impression.
"I don't like it" or "I think it's pretentious" is a useless post.
The essence of my discomfort with this is that because this is YC's slogan, having a YC startup publish it with the blessing of YC the organization seems a bit like self-worship. I never got the sense through any of your writings that you'd advocate for this sort of thing. I guess I interpreted it more as YC worship than a what's presented by the message, and I doubt I am the only one that might think that.
My humble 2 cents. Thanks for HN.
Your writings are readable and often useful but not exactly highbrow affairs… Perhaps the horse you're sitting on is not as tall as you seem to imagine.
A good example I like is Bruce Lee's letter to himself on his chief definite aim: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/03/my-definite-chief-aim.h.... Some may find this stupid, pretentious, or cheesy, but I bet it was useful for Bruce Lee and that is what matters.
I just got one because (1) I find myself coming back to this saying a lot, (2) I like this motivational type of stuff (I actually want all of little posters up in FB), and (3) donating to Watsi is a good thing to do.