gist

Entirely and obviously self serving in that not only is this probably the only 'business' world that Paul has been exposed to (he started a tech company) but Paul also benefits (as do VC's and angel investors) from the entire eco system of young people taking chances with a small chance of success. The investor (and YC) wins with lots of people trying regardless of how many fail.

And note that the chances of founders and companies that have passed and been anointed with money is below (how much? I don't know) companies that haven't even made it to that round (to be potentially winnowed out). And have spent time and perhaps family money.

Will point out that I benefit from all of this (let's call it 'pick axe' for short) but I would or could never with a straight face and conscience write or give the same advice to kids in high school. Shoot for the moon? Risky. Sure if you have family money to fall back on possibly take the chance.

Especially and in particular 'how to start google' (meaning something with huge potential).

Oh yeah back in olden times I started a company right out of college and did pretty well and sold it (with ZERO investor money).

Lastly the joke that existed back and forever was someone saying 'find a good lawyer' as if doing so is a matter of knowing you had to do it not the specifics of how to do it.

Believe it or not a larger percentage of students at an IVY (or otherwise notable university say Stanford) have busted their ass to get into that school and not coasted 'oh I don't want to work that hard'. Absolutely there are people who have been admitted that have not (family, money, legacy whatever). Just the same there are the same type of students who have gone to a non notable school that may have been Ivy material and not gotten admitted for various reasons (didn't care, couldn't afford, family, whatever).

The thing is about the student body at a top school (IVY or notable again) is the percentage and general feel of the student body that fits the 'busted their ass to get to that school' instead of not caring that much. And really living working and dreaming about going to the top school including but not limited to sacrifices that they might have made.

> THAT's why you go to an Ivy. It's where the successful go.

I'd rephrase that as 'going to an Ivy (or equal non Ivy notable school like Stanford) - gives you - all things equal - a better chance of success' (by various points made by others who have replied to the parent comment).

Now what's interesting is the parent comment 'why would anyone ... a joke' clearly shows that they don't understand at all the value or branding. As if it's some type of mass delusion of stupid people.

> It’s kind of interesting to hear from someone who had a job offer from SBF until they asked questions

Well the OP counters his own speculation (but even if he didn't who knows what really happened):

"(indeed, I was missing the domain knowledge and operations experience required for my role, as I had only ever been a trader)."

What's interesting about this is the tendency for people to assume the reason 'asked questions' as completely true.

> The purpose of a Michael Lewis book is not to tell you who the good guys & bad guys are.

The purpose of most books (like this book or by a similar author or topic) is to sell books and entertain. The value to most readers is not knowing the truth but to be engaged and entertained. Similar to movies based on real events (which take liberties with happenings and story telling to make the movie interesting and watchable and profitable).

This is one of a series of articles intended to downplay the benefits of weight loss drugs even to the point of being fostered by those in industries most impacted by weight loss drugs (the traditional weight loss industrial complex).

I never understand (ok I understand but take issue with) these types of questions. Sure nice to read ideas people give on HN but really isn't this a classic case of RTFM. Where that means 'do some reading spend some time do some research and FIGURE IT OUT ON YOUR OWN'. What changed (old timer here btw) in culture where everyone wants the answer from someone else. There is a wealth of free information on the internet that can be had. Do some work yourself then come back with specific questions (on another forum probably) and tie up the loose ends.

Part of being an entrepreneur is figuring things out on your own with nominal help from others. In the old day btw when you 'started a business' (was not called a 'startup') you not only didn't have money to buy expensive help you were lucky to even get any help. You wore most if not all hats.

Yes took a bit of fiddling but that does work thanks.

To place contents in a file (not claiming this is the most efficient way but it works)

OCRTHISFILE="ocr-test.jpg"

shortcuts run ocr-text -i "${OCRTHISFILE}"

pbpaste > ${OCRTHISFILE}.txt

or to view output and place in file:

OCRTHISFILE="ocr-test.jpg"

shortcuts run ocr-text -i "${OCRTHISFILE}"

pbpaste | tee ${OCRTHISFILE}.txt

ft link and archive.is link doesn't work for me but I found this:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3wkgg/the-lawyer-who-took-o...

It's a bit click bait since they are targeting draftkings not 'sports betting'

Well a random check of one cable (Gemini Bermuda) shows it was decommissioned in 2004. I wonder how up to date the rest is (based on this one entirely random check).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(submarine_communicatio...

Yes. It is a post by the head of a small investment firm simply trying to align themselves with the halo of Charlie Munger.

Also this in particular is particularly ridiculous:

"It’s a fair bet that your present troubles pale in comparison. Whatever it is, get over it. Start over. He did it. You can, too."

First that's quite a bit of an assumption. After all divorce and a medical problem (like Charlie had) as well as a child dying IS something you can get over. There are people that for sure have much worse situations than that. But even if that was not the case it's never a good idea to frame someone's problems by comparing to something worse that someone got through.

You are upset that you have let's say diabetes? Oh get over it 'it's not cancer'.

You have cancer? Oh get over it it could be pancreatic cancer.

And so on.

Many problems you can't just 'get over'. (Addiction and mental health issues holding you back are just 2 examples)

What you mean is probably 'as far as public billionaires goes'. And with regards to 'down to earth' like anyone of prominence they don't care about you or wouldn't help you in any way (and couldn't possibly). So we are not talking about the guy next door who lends you his saw and is already around for advice and a helping hand.

Don't think for a second they aren't selfish in their own way they would have to be in order to be involved and run an enterprise of that magnitude.

What does down to earth mean anyway? Most people probably think that it means you appear to be more like the common man and don't have the typical trappings of wealth (or if you do nobody knows about them).

A writer contacted me about my thoughts (unrelated and separate from this event) about how the disclosure of vulnerabilities and methods of hacking (of all types and in almost all situations) aids bad actors vs. helps companies protect their systems (by knowing vulnerabilities that are often so obscure they would reasonably never be exploited).

Point is what is the upside of disclosure (I think) vs. the downside. Nobody is suggesting no disclosure but the writer seemed to think that the security industrial complex has lawmakers believing that everything should be open and there should be constant white hat hacking which seems to feed and benefit the security industry.

I am curious if anyone has a thought on this topic.

To all who say 'handled so poorly'. Nobody know the exact reason OpenAi fired Sam. But go ahead and jump to conclusions that whatever it was didn't warrant being fired. And that surely the board did the wrong thing. Or maybe they should have released the exact reason and then asked hacker news what they thought should happen.

> Based on our math, we’ll be 25 to 30 years into our careers before her medical education with have a better ROI than my career choice. I didn’t even push for top-dollar jobs.

This has quite frankly zero relevance to anything. The analysis depends on what you her husband does (I mean seriously how does that prove a point at all) and your choice and abilities (totally arbitrary based on a host of factors especially given the tech scene over the last decade.

I mean ROI? So someone makes a career decision by comparing to what their partner makes or what ROI is?

> AMA is unwilling to fix this

This has to do with residency slots and residency slots are determined by how many hospitals can accept residents. Now you can say AMA is a roadblock to that but there are a slew of other roadblocks in addition (if true not sure it is) to having more residency slots.

You can think idealistically that you can re-imagine the whole system but massive change in something entrenched like that (where lives matter) most likely is not practical.

> Just need to use a direct carrier like Intercity, NOT a broker.

So because you mentioned it I just called them for transporting by enclosed carrier on the east coast between 2 cities. High end car enclosed carrier.

Intercity wanted $1995 for the same transport that the car dealer (a high end car dealer well established no less) want $1600 dollars for.

Intercity essentially said 'busy time of year etc etc'. Didn't give remarkable reasons why they would be better than anyone else. Picked up the phone right away and was otherwise business like.

https://intercitylines.com/request-a-quote/

Also their website to get a quote they want an 'auction' number. That made me call them (which I would normally never do.)

Additionally their price was higher than other brokers I had checked including the one that just moved a car for me (same route) not enclosed who quoted both enclosed and not enclosed.

Would like to point out that the job of a broker is not to match you with anyone but match you with people who they know and trust and have used. And specifically the broker I used (for the last open move) made a total of about $250 the rest paid to the driver on delivery.

> This is such a Hacker News suggestion.

Also the fact that it's assumed that everyone attending wants to sit in the audience and go crazy and MAKE SOME NOISE. It can and is annoying to many people.

One other thing is artist may want an active crowd for their own benefit ie they are making a video live recording for further sale or to post to youtube whatever. (Point is good for artist but not for many all of those attending).

Unclear how a rich person can even be defined at all. It's a pretty wide swath of differing income levels as well as assets.

Says Billy Joel most likely far richer than at least a typical front row seat buyer. Btw while I would consider myself a fan I'm not obsessed with Billy Joel and also he has certainly how do you say 'his issues' (ie addictions and so on).

Also who is to say because they don't act ridiculous or obsessed they aren't 'real' fans. What is a real fan anyway? I hadn't heard there was a universal accepted definition.

Data presented is almost to perfect (and this is not saying to be clear that global warming doesn't exist just raising the issue). For example accuracy of data from the 1800's or early 1900's. Noting there does not appear to be anything on the site that explains where the data came from to make up these charts. Spining globes with info from the entire world? How did that get into these charts? Why is the assumption that what is presented here is vetted and correct (specifically again no way easily to dig back to see what was used to compile all of this).

> Apple was entirely Woz

Literally the most absurd statement. Woz wasn't even involved in anything Apple did later which led to the huge size they are now and the existing product line. Doesn't even matter if the iphone (or imac) was Job's idea or not. He was the driving force that made that happen

Anyone who doesn't recognize what Jobs did for Apple doesn't understand business. The better mousetrap does not have consumers beat a path to your door. (Technology? See Sony Betamax vs. default VCR).

Wozniak on the other hand is way overblown in capabilities. It's 100% true that Jobs needed a Wozniak. But there were many that could have filled that role. Jobs was truly unique and while he had for sure people who helped him realize the dream (and of course luck and timing ... that he was able to motivate and berate with his reality distortion field etc) no question he was the unique driving force behind Apple (when they started and when he returned after being forced out).

Will mention that the TOS can say one thing but that doesn't mean there is not a viable legal option that the previous owner has. The fact is the previous owners simply doesn't want to have aggravation or maybe doesn't know who to contact to try to get compensated appropriately is more or less what is going on here.

I don't understand the entitlement. People choose a profession. The dynamics of earning a living with that profession have changed. The fact that others are making money from that profession (or companies) doesn't matter and shouldn't change that. The fact that other venues or ways to make money that formerly didn't exist shouldn't change that. It's capitalism not socialism at work.

If actors/writers can't earn a living from the profession quite frankly 'too bad'. Am I the only one who was raised and was told that you can't earn a living doing acting or entertaining unless you are 'a star'? The problem was going down that road and becoming dependent on it and not thinking things might change.

By the way what is going to happen to all of the people that have jobs in and around the industry that makes gasoline powered cars. Nobody seems to concerned about that. I don't mean just people who build gas powered cars but the entire industry supplying parts that will not be needed by EV (or parts for gas pumps etc you get the point).

> It isn't the education that Harvard provides that makes students valuable, it's the selection process.

As I am sure others will note there is much more to it than even what you have mentioned.

For one thing as a rule and for sure a generality (based on my own personal experience) you are around more high performing people (to be clear not everyone but enough of them) to pull you up as well and be able to learn from them and be in a great environment (while at school and possibly after). (This applies to any 'top' school not just Harvard). Again very generally a top school is going to have overall a better faculty (or teaching assistants). Better facilities. More connections to hiring companies. (Well known, right?)

Later after you graduate a degree from a top University is branding and gets you exposure and better opportunities.

There is also the very positive branding and halo that one gets from going to a top school. It's part of the reason that even if Kia or Hyundai made a car that was as good as or better than a Porsche 911 it wouldn't matter.

In fact there is a saying I heard once something like 'Sophia Loren without a nose is not Sophia Loren'.

> Get rid of the selection process and admit less intelligent and less well connected people and those people won't achieve the same results.

As mentioned the branding alone is worth it's weight in gold.

That said important point is the value as with any branding is driven a great deal by the media and popular culture. (Super important point right off "IVY League" branding goes a long long way).

> P.S. I love rejecting Ivy League grads

Saying 'I love' makes you lose credibility and deprecates the points you are making.

> I dropped out of college and my earnings last year (still in my mid/late 20s, have easily another promo or job hop before 32) are over double the Harvard median, therefore dropping out of school causes you to earn 8x the national median.

Good luck going forward. This is a small slice of your life. Things can and do change with earnings. As many old timers might tell you there are always many 'changes of fortune' where people who are beneath you early on end up surpassing you later in life.

In the example you use (cristianmd7 OP) you should put a large X or make it clear the wikipedia example is the villain. Also put your example (what you write) in a larger color.

I would also include an about page with a writeup of your qualifications to be doing this (as specific as you want to get w/o personal info if you don't want it there).

Finally I'd also offer a service that is not a newsletter basically an 'ask me' type where a non tech person can email questions and get short replies.

> and another has a PhD in CS

Sorry to say but 'big deal'.

> one of the authors have been investing in machine learning since 2016

Ditto.

I have been doing something (in another field) since the mid 90's. I would say most people would consider me an expert. I get referrals for what I do from 'top' people investors in tech. I also went to what most would consider 'a top college'. I would never want to be positioned as being right or expert because of the amount of time I spent doing something or the college that I went to, or who trusts me, but actual things that I have done that point to my expertise (not a halo of some type).

Pompous to use the word 'canon' to describe what amounts to a bunch of links and thoughts/opinions. Implies the authors of the various articles are the authoritative source/experts to which there is no point disagreeing.