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almost
Freebase Launches
rams
Crack?
null
4
14
2007-08-23 15:33:40 UTC
45,659
45,644
chmac
How To: Make a Laser Espionage Microphone
kkim
That is deeply awesome. Only of use if you want to listen to a window that you can hit almost perfectly straight on though. They have the two components at quite an angle, that wouldn't be practical if you were trying to be discreet...
null
1
12
2007-08-23 15:41:18 UTC
45,660
45,619
rokhayakebe
What happened to you after you were rejected?
palish
Well, first you get to rethink your idea and ask yourself" WTF is wrong here?" Then you start tweaking it here and there, making it simpler (but better) and a few months later you find that maybe the original idea wasn't all that, and the current one is more solid. Now you have been working hard to make the necessary changes and you are going to launch this Fall. BTW the letter hurts.
Has anyone applied to YCombinator, been rejected, then built something popular?There was a line from the rejection email:"We realize this process is fraught with error. It's practically certain that groups we rejected will go on to create successful startups. If you do, we'd appreciate it if you'd send us an email making fun of us; we want to learn from our mistakes."Has anyone done that? If not, YCombinator picks the winners pretty well.
9
22
2007-08-23 15:42:05 UTC
45,671
45,510
abstractbill
Online CSS grid generator
sabhishek
I remember when I first did some web programming, way back in 1996, people were already warning against pixel-based code. Seriously, what happened? Did people decide it's just too difficult to do percentage-based layouts?
null
0
6
2007-08-23 16:00:57 UTC
45,672
45,666
mynameishere
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
Notepad
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
20
7
2007-08-23 16:01:47 UTC
45,673
45,603
jbert
c10k: Handling 10 thousand symultaneous connections.
euccastro
See also: http://brad.livejournal.com/2230083.htmlepoll-driven jabberd from Brad "LiveJournal" F, scaling to 25k connections in 97Mbyte of RAM.
null
0
13
2007-08-23 16:02:10 UTC
45,675
45,081
geebee
Is There Anything Good About Men?
jyrzyk
I enjoyed the talk, and I agree with some of what he says. My real problem with the talk is that isn't testable - it makes an observation, then goes back into the facts to justify it. I'm not seeing enough of the hypothesis-testing approach that is the cornerstone of real science.I don't want to seem like I'm being too hard on the guy. After all, some questions just can't be approached this way. We can measure the effectiveness of a new drug on blood pressure through hypothesis and testing, but it would be very difficult, maybe impossible, to use this approach to determine why the first world war was fought. Sometimes you just have to go back through the facts and construct a plausable case. But it isn't science anymore.Aside from that, I agree (for what it's worth) with much of what he has to say, but I still think he has understated the degree of exclusion women have experienced from male networks. It's really damaging.Suppose that it's true, as the author stated, that men are more likely than women to be wired for risk. Sounds reasonable enough. But that might still mean that for every 5 people with the ability and inclination do do something risky (say, found a startup), 4 are male and one is female. But the way males form networks often excludes the women - even in the modern day. I don't think it's on purpose, and there's rarely any malice, but it's just as damaging. You generally pick friends for your startup. The people you get drunk with, stay up all night completing the compiler class with, cram into a hotel room in vegas with... and you tend to do these things with close friends who are almost always other guys. If 4/5 are guys, then the odds that a man will find like-minded buddies is much higher than it is for women. I double majored in Math and English. It was a trip. I'd count the ratio of men to women in each class, and it was usuall between 5:1 and 10:1. And in the math class (sorry to say it), many of the women were planning on becoming math teachers. This means that the women with the ability and inclination to do startups have to break into the boys club or they'll be left in the cold. So far, they're usually left in the cold. If this weren't the case, I have no doubt we'd see far more women in fields that require a high degree of risk, creativity, and collaboration.
null
0
32
2007-08-23 16:03:20 UTC
45,677
45,616
rokhayakebe
How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?
dawie
Brainstorming is a waste of time.
I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.
11
10
2007-08-23 16:03:48 UTC
45,679
45,666
rams
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
Check out Roundup - http://roundup.sourceforge.net/ .
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
3
7
2007-08-23 16:07:21 UTC
45,680
45,616
hopeless
How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?
dawie
I'm always confused by people who don't have an idea but want to start a business. Surely, an idea has to come first (even if the business ends up doing something else). I maintain an ideas list which is added too weekly. They're not all gold dust and so far none of them have been strong enough for my to quit my day job but I am interested and excited by a few and actively working on them. I think you need to have a desire to build XXXX before you have a desire to build a business, otherwise you're putting the cart before the horse.Anyway, with that useless rant out of the way, the best way is simply to think of something that annoys you (or annoys someone you know). Actually, don't think of the problem, think of the solution when you next come across an annoyance. And don''t go for something just because it sounds "cool". There's lots of talk about finding the "pain" that a particular customer/market has and solving it -- I've heard it so often it sounds corny but it's not.Here's an idea that's been sitting on my list for a while: new album notifications. I don't subscribe to individual band newsletters or read music magazines, and my favourite artists aren't necessarily heard on the radio, so how am I to hear about their new releases? Well, Windows Media Player has a comprehensive list of my music and what I actually listen to (an a plugin interface). How hard would it be to poll Amazon once a month for new albums from my 20 favourite artists? Business model: Amazon affiliate sales by allowing users to buy/preorder through your application. Sure its not the best idea in the world but just an example of how I went from a problem to a solution (aka a business idea -- and, no, I'm not working on it).
I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.
1
10
2007-08-23 16:08:13 UTC
45,686
45,666
entelarust
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
http://16bugs.com/
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
12
7
2007-08-23 16:19:50 UTC
45,687
45,619
awt
What happened to you after you were rejected?
palish
We got rejected, then started a site that got Techcrunched a few months later (thought it didn't end up taking off). Now we're working on another company that is funded and has a growing user base on Facebook.
Has anyone applied to YCombinator, been rejected, then built something popular?There was a line from the rejection email:"We realize this process is fraught with error. It's practically certain that groups we rejected will go on to create successful startups. If you do, we'd appreciate it if you'd send us an email making fun of us; we want to learn from our mistakes."Has anyone done that? If not, YCombinator picks the winners pretty well.
4
22
2007-08-23 16:21:36 UTC
45,689
45,666
abstractbill
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
Trac ( http://trac.edgewall.org/ ) is awesome. It also has very good integration with subversion, if you want that (but you can ignore that aspect if you just want a bug-tracker).
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
0
7
2007-08-23 16:23:00 UTC
45,690
45,616
waleedka
How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?
dawie
Kevin O'Conner, the founder of DoubleClick, answers your question very well in his book: "The Map of Innovation: Creating Something Out of Nothing". It's an excellent small book that you can read in an afternoon. He explains his brainstorming process and puts a lot of emphasis on selecting the right idea before spending too much time and effort building it.
I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.
2
10
2007-08-23 16:23:01 UTC
45,691
45,666
pg
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
Comments at the top of the file.
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
2
7
2007-08-23 16:24:52 UTC
45,692
45,666
palish
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
I fix bugs before I need to track them.
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
13
7
2007-08-23 16:27:21 UTC
45,704
45,666
zviband
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
I've used trac and mantis. Trac is kinda a pain to set up. Mantis is easy to set up, but very ugly.
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
8
7
2007-08-23 16:53:40 UTC
45,715
45,698
garbowza
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
I've found that a ramification of holding the current program in my head is that I have a greater emotional bond with whatever problem I've most recently worked on. If I work on several project concurrently, there's always one of them that I am more passionate about at any given time, causing me to think about it at nearly all hours of the day. Interestingly, the one I am more passionate about oscillates -- and is nearly always the project I have most recently worked on for a large chunk of time. Therefore, it is the one in which I am holding the most context in my head.
null
4
142
2007-08-23 17:09:47 UTC
45,718
45,698
adamdoupe
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
> Sometimes when you return to a problem after a rest, you find your unconscious mind has left an answer waiting for you.This happens to me on so may occasions in may different areas. While programming, if I have a problem I'll sleep on it, wake up, and see the problem in a whole new light.Also, before writing an essay for class, I will read the prompt throughly. This way my brain starts form sentences without conscious thought.
null
5
142
2007-08-23 17:25:57 UTC
45,719
45,698
mhartl
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
> Oddly enough, scheduled distractions may be worse than unscheduled ones. If you know you have a meeting in an hour, you don't even start working on something hard.God, how I wish more people understood this. It might seem like programmers overreact to even the most minor demands on their time---"What's the big deal? It's only a half-hour meeting!"---but a half-hour meeting can easily kill several hours of productivity.
null
1
142
2007-08-23 17:27:10 UTC
45,724
45,666
vikram
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
index cards
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
19
7
2007-08-23 17:33:09 UTC
45,725
45,698
ph0rque
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
> Thanks to Sam Altman, David Greenspan, Aaron Iba, Jessica Livingston, Robert Morris, Peter Norvig, Lisa Randall, Emmett Shear, Sergei Tsarev, and Stephen Wolfram for reading drafts of this.PG, you got the Stephen Wolfram to read this? If so, perhaps you can have a conversation with him about making Mathematica open source :~)?
null
9
142
2007-08-23 17:35:05 UTC
45,726
45,698
limeade
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
Lisa Randall the Harvard physicist read this too?
null
40
142
2007-08-23 17:36:38 UTC
45,731
45,616
bmaier
How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?
dawie
I think the more interesting question would be: What techniques do you use to develop a completely unique solution to a problem? Most of what is being done today is incremental problem solving. What are some techniques that can be used to de-construct a problem so that you can get past previous experience bias and find new ways to solve it?I guess what I'm asking is, what techniques do you guys use to get a view from "10,000 feet" above a problem rather than the biased view you get when immersed in the middle of it?
I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.
8
10
2007-08-23 17:53:18 UTC
45,734
45,698
bholdsworth
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
Awesome essay, Paul. You really nailed this whole phenomenon. It's the first time I've read all these things in one place and it is so very true in my experiences.At my old company, one comment you'd always hear from team members with a new idea was "Hey, I thought of this in the shower this morning, and I think we should ..."
null
18
142
2007-08-23 17:57:43 UTC
45,735
45,700
oditogre
EventKnower - Know the uknowable the instant it happens (feedback on my idea)
tocomment
Huh...that actually would be really handy.Problems:-How would you deal with people who aren't 'in the know' enough to earn back points?-How would you prevent them just creating a new account to get more points?-Chicken and Egg Problem: It's not reasonable to hire enough people to pre-verify that a post is correct in saying 'Event XYZ has just occurred'. The best solution, to my mind, is to allow the receiver ('wants-to-know person') to verify. How do you prevent people from 'griefing' by repeatedly saying a major event has just occurred, thus SMS spamming a bunch of people who want to know, say, when Spore is released? You could wait for multiple people to say something just happened, but then you create a sort of latency, especially for less-heavily-watched items, and you totally blow the chance to get inside scoops.-Define 'timely manner'. And do you get points even if you're not the first to say that an event has occurred?Your idea would be viable in terms of income, though, I would think. Charge software companies to become members, and then create a few never-expiring general-purpose event types for 'exploit found', 'POC posted', 'Code Stolen', etc., while giving them, say, a 3-day advance before anybody else watching those things or similar ones gets notified.
I came up this idea a few nights ago. I'm hoping you guys would be kind enough to offer me any kind of feedback you can think of. I'm still not sure how viable it is.Here goes:Problem: There are some things I'd like to know when they happen but can't easily get notified right now.Examples: *new Homestarrunner cartoon *last season of 24 released on DVD *Simpsons movie released on DVD *Windows Vista released (old) *Nintendo Wii launched (old) *updates to small software projects Maybe lots of people have things like this they would like to be notified about. Thus the idea is a website where you can request to be notified of something via a myriad of options e.g, RSS, email, sms, etc.It could work like this. You get say 5 points when you sign up. Each event you sign up to be notified of costs you a point. If you correctly report when one of the other events on the site happened in a timely matter, you earn points.
0
12
2007-08-23 17:58:17 UTC
45,737
45,666
nostrademons
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
Mantis. Not great, but good enough - for now. May replace it if our needs get more complex.
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
14
7
2007-08-23 18:05:14 UTC
45,738
45,698
Afton
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
I used to write my research papers (in linguistics) this way, I'd make piles of useless notes, writing and rewriting sections of it while never having anything to show for it. Then when I understood all of it, I'd write the paper (say 10-45 pages) as fast as I could type, usually in a single sitting. I'd have to go back and edit it and such, but the bulk of the work was getting all of the problem and my solution to it into my head. Interestingly, as I headed to grad school, this became more and more difficult as the problems became harder and harder. Eventually I had to devise a new system for writing papers (which I can't describe adequitely) because the problems and their solutions became to large to hold in my head at once. To me, this is the interesting case, how do you solve problems that are too large to hold the solutions to in your head at once? The obvious answer is "break it into smaller pieces", but that is frequently very difficult to do. Probably the answer lies in "go back to the basics", and make sure that you have the foundations cold so that they aren't occupying stack space.
null
3
142
2007-08-23 18:06:23 UTC
45,741
45,554
limeade
What happens to the YC applications after rejected?
eusman
Don't go mistaking paradise for that home across the road!
Is there any change they are sold to 3rd parties?
5
7
2007-08-23 18:11:15 UTC
45,742
45,698
kc5tja
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
One possible alternative organization pattern is the "band." Music, like software, are also ideas. As the band Genesis has proven, you simply cannot replace Phil Collins with Ray Wilson and expect to have a mega-band again. Ray's music with the band is nice, but the style definitely was markedly different from what most people think of as "Genesis." The same thing happened earlier in the band's history too, when Peter Gabriel left and Phil Collins replaced him as the front-man. Everything changed: the song writing, the style of play, everything. It took half a decade for people to get used to it.Writing software is kind of the same way. Just look at the impossible made possible by demo coders on old-school 8-bit computers. These programs would never have been successfully coded in a commercial organization. But, -bands- of coders wrote them successfully. They promoted their software as bands, included self-written music, artwork, etc.It would be interesting to see how a band-style organization would apply towards more practical software products. Software so produced would come in boxes with the band's logo, but more importantly, a _list of credits_, anecdotes about the software's creation, etc. That is, to make the delivery of the software more _human_.Back in the day, when credits on software were more commonplace, it was possible to judge the quality of a product (to some extent) based on who was involved with it. Some people became reknowned coders, reknowned technical writers, etc. I think it gave two incentives: first, your name is going on the box of that package -- this gave prestige in the community post-sale; second, it allowed the customers to predict the overall feel of the software prior to actually purchasing it, based on their experiences with software written by the same or similar authors.Literature is another example. People flock to this blog because of the name, Paul Graham, just as much as they do for the information contained therein. People buy books from famous authors because the authors are well known to produce good work. People often subscribe to magazines only to read one or two columns by well-known authors. So, in a very real sense, tacking your name on something is a seal of authenticity and a seal of quality all rolled into one. And, people like that.I know I do.
null
0
142
2007-08-23 18:12:17 UTC
45,743
45,577
run4yourlives
Steve "spez" Huffman of Reddit on The Total Rewrite Decision
staunch
I don't get it. I can't seem to find any reason why they wanted to rewrite it, and that's interesting in and of itself.Given the language change of the past, and now a complete re-write, neither of which had any major impact on the end user, I'm wondering if we're not witnessing some sort of infatuation with coding for the sake of coding over there.I can think of a myriad of reasons why one would want to re-write code, but they're certainly not sharing theirs.
null
0
22
2007-08-23 18:12:33 UTC
45,745
45,698
Keios
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
Paul, If the parts of a program define its succinctness then my hypothesis is that succinctness is efficacy not power. Imagine a useful machine with just one part to understand my chain of thought.PS: IMO there is a difference in power and efficacy.
null
36
142
2007-08-23 18:13:10 UTC
45,749
45,698
neilk
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
The only part I slightly disagree with is number seven, "Don't have multiple people editing the same code". It is best to have clear ownership of the design of a component, and consultation before major changes. But if you design for readability (number five) editing and even radically redesigning someone else's code should be normal. I find I write the best code when I assume someone as smart as me but ignorant of the problem is going to have to rewrite this tomorrow. (And this is true, even if it is me.)By Paul's account, the different components of ViaWeb were all written in different languages. That enforces vertical silos to a degree that I'm not sure would be healthy in many projects. Just yesterday I saved my colleague a lot of time by pointing out that he was basically recreating a library function I'd already done. Projects that have clear vertical components, and one team member per component, do move really quickly and it's tempting to think that all projects should work like that. I'm not sure that is really true of all worthwhile projects. However, it might be true for startups.
null
10
142
2007-08-23 18:20:00 UTC
45,750
45,666
gleb
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
http://acunote.com Naturally :-)
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
16
7
2007-08-23 18:20:02 UTC
45,751
45,698
ratsbane
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
I'd like to have this essay printed on bronze plaques and hand them out to everyone I ever have or will work with, or perhaps just to random people at the top of the escalator at the mall.
null
19
142
2007-08-23 18:21:11 UTC
45,753
45,666
SwellJoe
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
Trac is very nice, as other have stated. It's kinda like SourceForge done right, in the sense that it has source browsing, a wiki for web pages, and a bug tracker with good notification capabilities. Last time I used it it was absolutely retarded about user accounts and saving settings (you had to carry around an MD5 "key", rather than being able to log in).We're using FlySpray, because it drops into our CMS (Joomla) with relative ease, and we wanted customers to be able to file bugs. We also use it for support. It works pretty well, has all of the features we needed, and is a really nice clean and simple codebase, so customizations are relatively easy. It's also a low-dependency PHP project, so it'll drop onto any ol' hosting account with a database, and runs plenty fast.
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
1
7
2007-08-23 18:24:10 UTC
45,754
45,698
prashantrane
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
Having a context for the problem or solution helps to solve this problem. I have used MindMaps for abstract things so that the context that you are working in can be quickly loaded back in your brain. For code, I have used the idea of clubbing together files related to a problem as a quick way to get the context back in your head. Take a look at Eclipse Mylyn at http://www.eclipse.org/mylyn/. It let's you save context i.e. files, resources etc. for the bug/feature/enhancement that you are working on. You can also save this context in your defect tracking system as attachment and share it with your co-workers. Invaluable.
null
37
142
2007-08-23 18:28:42 UTC
45,758
45,666
alex_c
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
Mantis is good, and it's fairly similar to Bugzilla (though better), so the transition should be pretty smooth. It was also a breeze to set up.
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
6
7
2007-08-23 18:34:59 UTC
45,774
45,698
alex_c
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
Very good essay.The only part I don't really agree with is the implicit condemnation of programming done by large companies. Yes, their methods result in mediocre software, but that's often what you want. There's a reason they try to treat programmers as interchangeable cogs, and resist having an entire program in one person's head.To use the tired "building a house" metaphor - you can get a renowned architect to design the next landmark in a city, or you can get mediocre, interchangeable architects to design a row of townhouses. Both approaches are valid and have their own place, but there's no point asking the famous architect to build townhouses.
null
7
142
2007-08-23 19:01:18 UTC
45,776
45,666
christefano
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
I use a heavily modified version of Case Tracker, a group of addon modules for the Drupal CMS. It's similar to other helpdesks (it's actually a fork of the project and project release modules that are used at drupal.org) and it's being extended by a student during this year's Google Summer of Code. Since Case Tracker runs in Drupal it's just one feature of an entire suite. I have all the features I need, from web-to-email, email-to-web (posting by email or phone), XML-RPC, a full range of access controls, wiki functionality, RSS feeds, etc.
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
5
7
2007-08-23 19:09:47 UTC
45,782
45,619
christefano
What happened to you after you were rejected?
palish
One startup I joined was rejected by YC, and when we got the news the founder bought a car. This made it hard for me to take him seriously (and get paid) and I quit.This was a while ago and the startup still hasn't launched. I hope he succeeds at some point. The founder's idea is brilliantly disruptive and democratizes a multi-billion dollar industry we all take for granted.
Has anyone applied to YCombinator, been rejected, then built something popular?There was a line from the rejection email:"We realize this process is fraught with error. It's practically certain that groups we rejected will go on to create successful startups. If you do, we'd appreciate it if you'd send us an email making fun of us; we want to learn from our mistakes."Has anyone done that? If not, YCombinator picks the winners pretty well.
7
22
2007-08-23 19:21:21 UTC
45,783
45,721
svembu
Perils of Credentialism
subhash
Here are some related posts I made to that: http://blogs.adventnet.com/svembu/2006/02/23/the-perils-of-c...And this series may be particularly interesting to Y Combinator hackers. I wonder aloud whether college is really a placebo (note that placebo has real medical value!) http://blogs.adventnet.com/svembu/2005/11/03/college-educati...http://blogs.adventnet.com/svembu/2005/11/17/college-educati...
null
3
12
2007-08-23 19:21:29 UTC
45,785
45,700
louisadekoya
EventKnower - Know the uknowable the instant it happens (feedback on my idea)
tocomment
I think this is actually quite a good idea - better than truemors certainly. I recently had an idea to notify people when new series of their favourite tv shows hit the screens - I know there are usually many promos but for some reason I still tend to miss them. What you are proposing takes the concept beyond just TV shows and I think it could very likely work. I say go for it.
I came up this idea a few nights ago. I'm hoping you guys would be kind enough to offer me any kind of feedback you can think of. I'm still not sure how viable it is.Here goes:Problem: There are some things I'd like to know when they happen but can't easily get notified right now.Examples: *new Homestarrunner cartoon *last season of 24 released on DVD *Simpsons movie released on DVD *Windows Vista released (old) *Nintendo Wii launched (old) *updates to small software projects Maybe lots of people have things like this they would like to be notified about. Thus the idea is a website where you can request to be notified of something via a myriad of options e.g, RSS, email, sms, etc.It could work like this. You get say 5 points when you sign up. Each event you sign up to be notified of costs you a point. If you correctly report when one of the other events on the site happened in a timely matter, you earn points.
3
12
2007-08-23 19:22:39 UTC
45,788
45,619
portLAN
What happened to you after you were rejected?
palish
> If not, YCombinator picks the winners pretty well.Impossible to say without knowing what the selectees would've done on their own. A lot of the winners might have opted to stay in college, for example, if they hadn't been picked. Simply being selected is automatically going to influence the result -- having all that support behind you makes it more likely that you'll succeed.There's a certain amount of being made, not born, so to speak; you might think of it as being a bit like the Spice Girls. *Cough*
Has anyone applied to YCombinator, been rejected, then built something popular?There was a line from the rejection email:"We realize this process is fraught with error. It's practically certain that groups we rejected will go on to create successful startups. If you do, we'd appreciate it if you'd send us an email making fun of us; we want to learn from our mistakes."Has anyone done that? If not, YCombinator picks the winners pretty well.
1
22
2007-08-23 19:28:15 UTC
45,793
45,666
msiegel
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
checklists stored in emails, & the backs of credit-card-bill envelopes
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
17
7
2007-08-23 19:37:30 UTC
45,796
45,700
drm237
EventKnower - Know the uknowable the instant it happens (feedback on my idea)
tocomment
The real gem would be if you could find a way to figure out what they might want to be notified about without them having to specifically request it. For example, say I want to know when 24 is coming to DVD, but I've only used your site once and I don't think to go and add it. Maybe you can use the Facebook API, see that one of my favorite shows is 24, and then any new notifications relating to 24 get directed to me. This is of course just one example.Just a thought...
I came up this idea a few nights ago. I'm hoping you guys would be kind enough to offer me any kind of feedback you can think of. I'm still not sure how viable it is.Here goes:Problem: There are some things I'd like to know when they happen but can't easily get notified right now.Examples: *new Homestarrunner cartoon *last season of 24 released on DVD *Simpsons movie released on DVD *Windows Vista released (old) *Nintendo Wii launched (old) *updates to small software projects Maybe lots of people have things like this they would like to be notified about. Thus the idea is a website where you can request to be notified of something via a myriad of options e.g, RSS, email, sms, etc.It could work like this. You get say 5 points when you sign up. Each event you sign up to be notified of costs you a point. If you correctly report when one of the other events on the site happened in a timely matter, you earn points.
2
12
2007-08-23 19:39:11 UTC
45,801
45,698
lpolak
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
I'm trying to write a novel, and find that all eight points are equally instructive if you replace 'program' with 'story,' 'programming' with 'writing,' and so on. Number 8 is particularly helpful in this context, at least for me.
null
15
142
2007-08-23 19:54:37 UTC
45,802
45,698
compoundthought
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
I had a similar line of thought in a blog post awhile back at http://compoundedthought.blogspot.com/2007/02/people-factor-... The idea here is that organizations are inherently anti-individual. My essay takes the idea that organizations are anti-individual because of their history. I think there is some merit in both points of view.
null
28
142
2007-08-23 19:56:14 UTC
45,804
45,721
Alex3917
Perils of Credentialism
subhash
Another telling anecdote: I was watching graduation a couple months back, and before they hand each person the degree the dean says, "I confer upon you this degree with all the rights and privileges associated with it." Last time I checked, in America a degree conferred no special rights or privileges. I love though how they look you in the eyes and lie to you while they're handing you the degree. Classy.
null
1
12
2007-08-23 19:59:23 UTC
45,809
45,773
aston
Philip Greenspun: Improving Undergraduate Computer Science Education
adamdoupe
Reads okay until you realize it's an advertisement for Greenspun's class. His proof of how well it works is that most people who take it like it (not surprising, given its reputation as too much work unless you know you like it) and that most people who take it work at Microsoft and Google (he fails to note just how many MIT grads do the same thing without his course). There was enough blatant self-interest here that I couldn't make it through to the end.
null
2
45
2007-08-23 20:17:51 UTC
45,811
45,698
edw519
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
Thank you Paul! AFAIC, this was your best essay ever. (And that's saying alot). You have just described what has been in my head for most of the past year, but I didn't have the words to describe it.A good friend of mine is a artist. He claims his secret is, "I paint every day." I tried that. It didn't work for me.I have tried every combination of pens, tablets, paper, sticky notes, and electronic approach to distill my thinking and none of it has ever made much difference.Only when I get the entire program in my head (level 0 only), do things get cooking. I rewrite everything 3 or 4 times. Sometimes I rewrite just to understand.This approach reminds me of Jessica Livingston's chapter on Steve Wozniak in "Founders at Work" (required reading). Only when he could get the entire Apple II into his head did it become the breakthrough that it was.I used to be afraid to exercise because it took time away from programming. What a mistake. I walk up and down steps for 35 minutes every morning WITH MY PROGRAM LOADED INTO MY HEAD. THAT'S when I do my best design work. I didn't realize what was happening until just now. Thank you!
null
35
142
2007-08-23 20:20:59 UTC
45,813
45,799
rms
10 Business-lunch blunders to avoid
donna
Does anyone here remember the three martini lunch? It seems ridiculous enough that I find it hard to believe it actually existed.
null
2
7
2007-08-23 20:21:03 UTC
45,816
45,815
brett
Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.
brett
The post: http://lifehacker.com/software/motivation/jerry-seinfelds-pr...I tried a paper calendar on my wall for a few days after I read that. Then I decided this was a good chance to do something in python which I've been looking to learn. Looks like palish is working on something based on the same post: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45374
null
0
43
2007-08-23 20:26:03 UTC
45,819
45,619
uuilly
What happened to you after you were rejected?
palish
If you apply and get rejected and don't go after your idea anyways then they were right to reject you. I know that sounds harsh but failure and rejection are common-place in startups, YC or not. If your idea can't sustain rejection from a program as competitive as YC then it is the wrong idea or you are the wrong person to make it happen. It's like saying, "I didn't get into MIT so I'm not going to engineering school."
Has anyone applied to YCombinator, been rejected, then built something popular?There was a line from the rejection email:"We realize this process is fraught with error. It's practically certain that groups we rejected will go on to create successful startups. If you do, we'd appreciate it if you'd send us an email making fun of us; we want to learn from our mistakes."Has anyone done that? If not, YCombinator picks the winners pretty well.
0
22
2007-08-23 20:28:13 UTC
45,820
45,721
aston
Perils of Credentialism
subhash
I can take the argument that credentials don't tell the whole story. In fact, I think Marilee Jones pretty much changed the face of college admissions (in a good way). Also, she let me in, which means I owe her a pretty large debt...However, it's really tough to argue for Marilee Jones' job in this situation. She had decades to tell someone that she had falsified her resume and chose not to. Instead, she was found out by some 3rd party and everyone acted in order to save face. MIT fired her, but let her resign. She admitted to lying, but blamed it on a youthful mistake when it was really a continual withholding of information she knew to be pertinent. I suspect had she admitted this wrong doing a long time ago, and without the threat of a PR nightmare from an outsider's expose, she might still have a job now.
null
2
12
2007-08-23 20:28:22 UTC
45,822
45,666
jdvolz
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
I use //TODO: in my Visual Studio stuff. VS will find them for you automatically, I don't even have to grep for them. I also try to write code so small and simple that it approaches the complexity of "Hello World." That way, it's easy to find the bugs.
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
9
7
2007-08-23 20:30:05 UTC
45,823
45,769
byrneseyeview
Craig Newmark quits Craigslist?
nickb
Could you add a question mark to the title? What kind of alchemy turns a first-hand rumor into a second-hand fact?Edit: poof
null
0
25
2007-08-23 20:31:45 UTC
45,824
45,698
JB318
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
I have an alternative explanation on why taking breaks can be beneficial. I'm less of a fan of the subconscious theory--it can certainly happen but I think it's much less common than people estimate.What I think is more likely is that you get fresh insight when returning to a problem after a break, because the mental model that was constructed in your head was subtly wrong. It's happened to me a bunch of times: "OK, where was I?... the grommit plugs into the foobar, and the whatzit sends a message to the widget... wait a minute, no it doesn't, it sends to the frobnosticator first! WHY on earth was I thinking that for all that time before the break??"Sometimes it's as simple as the famous case of getting somebody else to look at your code and immediately point out what's wrong that two hours of staring at the screen couldn't accomplish.Other times it's a lot more subtle, high-level and abstract. Since, in those cases, it's often difficult to discuss the problem with somebody else, you don't get a) the outside feedback to speed things along and b) the humiliation factor that makes you remember how the insight came about. ;) So the meta-revelation of how you came to that revelation might be lacking, and it's attributed to the subconscious instead.
null
2
142
2007-08-23 20:32:18 UTC
45,830
45,815
jsjenkins168
Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.
brett
Thanks for doing this! I actually printed out calendars and have been making X's but this is so much cooler...
null
6
43
2007-08-23 20:38:45 UTC
45,831
45,698
twism
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
its like he knows me
null
75
142
2007-08-23 20:40:24 UTC
45,836
45,506
pfedor
Generalizing Palish's question: how would you fix high school?
dfranke
I think the replacement for the high school system should be based on similar principles as the chess clubs. I don't know if there is such a thing in the US so let me tell you a few words about how chess clubs worked in Poland (and I assume in all countries of the soviet block).First of all, they were open to any child. I was never any good at chess, but I had this friend who was quite good so I wanted to be like him so I decided to enroll. I showed up and declared that I wanted to become a chess player. They told me to play a game against my friend to asses my level (I remember at the same time there was another kid who came without a friend, so they made him play against a computer; the chess computer was big, easy to beat and manufactured in East Germany). Then they assigned me to a group. The number of children in my group was varying between three and five during my time there. Each group had a coach. Our coach was an international master and former champion of Poland--it's a bit like assigning university professors to teach you fractions; but that's how it was. We met twice a week and our coach would teach us all the important stuff, openings, endgames, combinations, strategy. He would analyze our games with us and give us homework. He would tell us what to concentrate on and gave specific tips on the effective practicing. The club had a nice library of chess books. It also organized tournaments. And, the clubs were competing against one another.It was fun. Not all kids were good players, but we were passionate about it, we would play blitz tournaments, discuss various topics and argue about our favorite openings (which felt a lot like arguing about programming languages, now that I think about it). The fact that we got to meet other kids who played chess made us more excited about it. The whole experience was wonderful on many levels and, while not all of us made much progress, some did.I imagine how great it would be if instead of compulsory schooling there was a system of math clubs, hacking clubs, physics clubs, chemistry clubs and so on. I don't think it would cost more than the current system.Now, you may object that since this system would not involve coercion, many children wouldn't enroll to any clubs and they would remain terribly uneducated. I don't think in reality that would cause much difference. Let's do a thought experiment. Imagine you approach random 100 people in your city and ask them to complete two tests: one on chemistry and one on chess. Both tests would cover very basic questions as well as more advanced (of course, the decisions which questions represent the same level of difficulty is arbitrary, but let's skip over it and say we are using some common sense approach). What do you think the results would be? Would more people know the answer to "How does a Knight move?" then to "What is the valency of carbon?"? How about, say, King's Indian Defense vs. nucleophilic substitution? Personally, I think that on average people would score better on the chess test. But I have never really performed such experiment, so I may be very wrong here.
There was a lot of disagreement over whether Palish's "hacker schools" could be viable, but I think most of here agree that high school in its current form is horribly broken. So, what would you do to make it less miserable, particularly for hackers but also in general?Don't cop out by just saying "hand out vouchers (or abolish public schooling) and let the free market take care of it". If you believe that's the right first step, then go on suppose that you're the headmaster of a private high school. What will it look like?
0
4
2007-08-23 20:51:04 UTC
45,837
45,721
portLAN
Perils of Credentialism
subhash
> To maintain intellectual honesty and consistency, MIT should announce that it would henceforth stop requiring formal credentials in evaluating candidates for this and other similar jobs. In other words, future candidates like her, who feel confident in their ability to perform the job, shouldn't feel the need to invent degrees on their resumes. Come on, you may say, how are they supposed to find out who is a good candidate and who is bad. Well, they hired her based on an invented degree, didn't they? Didn't she work out OK for 28 years? Then why pretend that the degree was actually needed in order for her to perform her job?Exactly. I do have an answer for that, however: If they didn't require degrees for the job, they would undermine their own degree-selling business.A majority of college students are in college because a degree is supposed to help them get some unspecified job, sometime later, out of a job pool which purports to pay better on average than the jobs that let you in based on mere ability.In effect, colleges have taken on some of the characteristics of shady employment and modelling agencies, the ones that tell candidates to pay a fee and they'll help them get placed. We always hear how the legitimate ones don't charge fees in advance.If college was only about teaching people what they desired to learn, enrollment might drop by an order of magnitude or more. Like any business, it wants to grow, and so they find ways to market themselves ("you need a degree to get a good job!") and arrange guaranteed contracts for themselves (encouraging you to take on debt) to further their own interests, not yours. Hence they tack on mandatory fees for all sorts of things you may not want and they establish mandatory requirements in quantity of "units" (as if 3 "units" of English or Computer Science makes any sense). Required classes are essentially a jobs program for professors of the less-popular subjects, guaranteeing enough sign-ups to keep the money rolling in for people who would otherwise be unemployable in that capacity.You can learn most academic subjects out of the book. Having someone read the book at you and write a few phrases from the book on a chalkboard doesn't add information. All it takes is a tiny bit of initiative on your part to learn it on your own without someone else telling you to do it.If you don't have that initiative, it's probably because you spent K through 12 always waiting to be told what to do by someone else. The usual classroom method is generally inefficient and it purposely stops you from developing self-direction. Why? Because a good employee needs to do what s/he's told and take direction from a "superior". They don't want you to be self-directed -- how's a megacorp going to exist if there're a million little start-ups running around?
null
0
12
2007-08-23 20:52:13 UTC
45,839
45,698
eusman
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
The most interesting article I read from PG the past year.Holding as much of the program in your head gives you the power to identify what will give you the best optimization. Also this may be the short explanation why good software is written by teams of max 2-3 people!
null
22
142
2007-08-23 20:54:28 UTC
45,840
45,833
brianmckenzie
The "Oh Crap" Moment: How do you know how much you know?
joshwa
Yes, I get these too. Pretty much every time I talk to someone who takes an interest in my startup, they raise some issue that I either hadn't thought of at all or hadn't thought about in the same way. That doesn't even cover the hacking-related 'oh crap' moments, but most of mine have been conceptual so far. It's to be expected: there are tens of startups in my space, I assume that some are technically better and many are worse.As you point out, the hardest thing may not be the 'oh crap' moment but rather what conclusions you should draw from it, if any. In most cases I have elected to go simpler when in doubt. Other times I've decided to re-think various aspects of my project, but these are in the minority.
with apologies to Kathy Sierra...http://joshwand.com/files/ohcrap2.pngI've had this experience with several of my startup ideas now... I learn more and more about a given problem space/market, and eventually I start feeling like I have a decent grasp of the situation. The new learning tapers off, until one day, I discover a whole new dimension I've never thought of, and I realize just how little I know about the problem. I've come to expect a few of these "oh crap" moments early on, but I wonder what conclusions I should draw from these moments later on in the process? They tend to be rather discouraging, as plans need to be modified/rethought, and sometimes the viability of the entire project comes into question, as when you discover that there are a whole slew of other startups trying to solve the same problem as you, all of them further along than you are!I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead? The extra information might not even be relevant if the project doesn't expand in that particular direction. EDIT: this doesn't apply as easily to the situation where you discover your competition...Does anyone else experience these moments, and what have you learned from them?UPDATE: added axes/legend to graph
3
19
2007-08-23 20:55:23 UTC
45,841
45,799
jsjenkins168
10 Business-lunch blunders to avoid
donna
I honestly hope I will never have to worry about stuff like this... Ugh.
null
3
7
2007-08-23 20:56:37 UTC
45,843
45,833
palish
The "Oh Crap" Moment: How do you know how much you know?
joshwa
"I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead?"Yes. Always.
with apologies to Kathy Sierra...http://joshwand.com/files/ohcrap2.pngI've had this experience with several of my startup ideas now... I learn more and more about a given problem space/market, and eventually I start feeling like I have a decent grasp of the situation. The new learning tapers off, until one day, I discover a whole new dimension I've never thought of, and I realize just how little I know about the problem. I've come to expect a few of these "oh crap" moments early on, but I wonder what conclusions I should draw from these moments later on in the process? They tend to be rather discouraging, as plans need to be modified/rethought, and sometimes the viability of the entire project comes into question, as when you discover that there are a whole slew of other startups trying to solve the same problem as you, all of them further along than you are!I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead? The extra information might not even be relevant if the project doesn't expand in that particular direction. EDIT: this doesn't apply as easily to the situation where you discover your competition...Does anyone else experience these moments, and what have you learned from them?UPDATE: added axes/legend to graph
8
19
2007-08-23 20:59:47 UTC
45,845
45,700
tocomment
EventKnower - Know the uknowable the instant it happens (feedback on my idea)
tocomment
Do you guys have any ideas on how to market / promote something like this?
I came up this idea a few nights ago. I'm hoping you guys would be kind enough to offer me any kind of feedback you can think of. I'm still not sure how viable it is.Here goes:Problem: There are some things I'd like to know when they happen but can't easily get notified right now.Examples: *new Homestarrunner cartoon *last season of 24 released on DVD *Simpsons movie released on DVD *Windows Vista released (old) *Nintendo Wii launched (old) *updates to small software projects Maybe lots of people have things like this they would like to be notified about. Thus the idea is a website where you can request to be notified of something via a myriad of options e.g, RSS, email, sms, etc.It could work like this. You get say 5 points when you sign up. Each event you sign up to be notified of costs you a point. If you correctly report when one of the other events on the site happened in a timely matter, you earn points.
5
12
2007-08-23 21:02:22 UTC
45,846
45,833
alex_c
The "Oh Crap" Moment: How do you know how much you know?
joshwa
I've generally found that the best solution to a problem is also the simplest. If the complexity of your solution starts to grow more than linearly as you work on it, if it starts to look like the only way to finish it is through brute-force labour, then I've found that backtracking to right before things start to get complicated usually yields an "aha!" moment. A simple, elegant solution will be easier to implement and maintain, more fun and satisfying to work on, and will most likely even solve the problem better.You don't always have that luxury, of course - some problems don't necessarily have a simple solution. But for me, when things get complicated I take it as a sign that I've taken a wrong turn somewhere.I'm not sure if this actually answers your question. ;)
with apologies to Kathy Sierra...http://joshwand.com/files/ohcrap2.pngI've had this experience with several of my startup ideas now... I learn more and more about a given problem space/market, and eventually I start feeling like I have a decent grasp of the situation. The new learning tapers off, until one day, I discover a whole new dimension I've never thought of, and I realize just how little I know about the problem. I've come to expect a few of these "oh crap" moments early on, but I wonder what conclusions I should draw from these moments later on in the process? They tend to be rather discouraging, as plans need to be modified/rethought, and sometimes the viability of the entire project comes into question, as when you discover that there are a whole slew of other startups trying to solve the same problem as you, all of them further along than you are!I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead? The extra information might not even be relevant if the project doesn't expand in that particular direction. EDIT: this doesn't apply as easily to the situation where you discover your competition...Does anyone else experience these moments, and what have you learned from them?UPDATE: added axes/legend to graph
0
19
2007-08-23 21:03:17 UTC
45,851
45,815
palish
Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.
brett
Oh snap. You sneaky sneaky. We might just have to launch tonight instead of tomorrow. Well played!I really like how you've kept it drop-dead simple. Our site offers a little more social-wise, so I'm sure there will be plenty of people who prefer your application. Great design!
null
1
43
2007-08-23 21:14:34 UTC
45,852
45,698
ivankirigin
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
From footnote 3 here: http://www.gigamonkeys.com/book/introduction-why-lisp.htmlPsychologists have identified a state of mind called flow in which we're capable of incredible concentration and productivity. The importance of flow to programming has been recognized for nearly two decades since it was discussed in the classic book about human factors in programming Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister (Dorset House, 1987). The two key facts about flow are that it takes around 15 minutes to get into a state of flow and that even brief interruptions can break you right out of it, requiring another 15-minute immersion to reenter. DeMarco and Lister, like most subsequent authors, concerned themselves mostly with flow-destroying interruptions such as ringing telephones and inopportune visits from the boss. Less frequently considered but probably just as important to programmers are the interruptions caused by our tools. Languages that require, for instance, a lengthy compilation before you can try your latest code can be just as inimical to flow as a noisy phone or a nosy boss. So, one way to look at Lisp is as a language designed to keep you in a state of flow.
null
8
142
2007-08-23 21:16:05 UTC
45,854
45,833
donna
The "Oh Crap" Moment: How do you know how much you know?
joshwa
I've gotten completely lost following the competition who has been trying to solve the same problem. I've realized their take and solutions will be different from mine. What I do now is write down every day the problem in one simple sentence .. e.g. "I hate traveling and every wifi is password protected!" I keep working the solution, knowing it will grow in complexity because i have to deconstruct it in order to work toward simplifying it. I then create a solution using a three step function for myself and other users. This has been helping me, especially when I get overwhelmed in thinking about more features and functions.
with apologies to Kathy Sierra...http://joshwand.com/files/ohcrap2.pngI've had this experience with several of my startup ideas now... I learn more and more about a given problem space/market, and eventually I start feeling like I have a decent grasp of the situation. The new learning tapers off, until one day, I discover a whole new dimension I've never thought of, and I realize just how little I know about the problem. I've come to expect a few of these "oh crap" moments early on, but I wonder what conclusions I should draw from these moments later on in the process? They tend to be rather discouraging, as plans need to be modified/rethought, and sometimes the viability of the entire project comes into question, as when you discover that there are a whole slew of other startups trying to solve the same problem as you, all of them further along than you are!I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead? The extra information might not even be relevant if the project doesn't expand in that particular direction. EDIT: this doesn't apply as easily to the situation where you discover your competition...Does anyone else experience these moments, and what have you learned from them?UPDATE: added axes/legend to graph
2
19
2007-08-23 21:19:36 UTC
45,856
45,815
adamdoupe
Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.
brett
Pretty nifty, I must have missed the initial post. Now I have something to motivate me to workout daily. And something to haunt me when I consider marking my alcohol intake (in this case, you don't want to start a chain).
null
3
43
2007-08-23 21:20:32 UTC
45,857
45,581
portLAN
No, I'm not giving you my Google password
nailer
Facebook has extensive dossiers that its users unwisely volunteered and I predict it is all going to end in tears.John Connor is not a Facebook user.
A year after Google released their account authentication system, why are sites still asking for passwords that most users don't even give their loved ones?
2
18
2007-08-23 21:22:40 UTC
45,858
45,833
german
The "Oh Crap" Moment: How do you know how much you know?
joshwa
Maybe including names for the axes will made a better graph I guess Katty Sierra is happy when people use her style.This may be a nice Creating Passionate Users post. ;)
with apologies to Kathy Sierra...http://joshwand.com/files/ohcrap2.pngI've had this experience with several of my startup ideas now... I learn more and more about a given problem space/market, and eventually I start feeling like I have a decent grasp of the situation. The new learning tapers off, until one day, I discover a whole new dimension I've never thought of, and I realize just how little I know about the problem. I've come to expect a few of these "oh crap" moments early on, but I wonder what conclusions I should draw from these moments later on in the process? They tend to be rather discouraging, as plans need to be modified/rethought, and sometimes the viability of the entire project comes into question, as when you discover that there are a whole slew of other startups trying to solve the same problem as you, all of them further along than you are!I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead? The extra information might not even be relevant if the project doesn't expand in that particular direction. EDIT: this doesn't apply as easily to the situation where you discover your competition...Does anyone else experience these moments, and what have you learned from them?UPDATE: added axes/legend to graph
7
19
2007-08-23 21:22:42 UTC
45,859
45,700
ltibb
EventKnower - Know the uknowable the instant it happens (feedback on my idea)
tocomment
I like this idea as well, especially as a facebook app. Use the Facebook api to scrape together an initial group of events pertinent to an individual user and have them mold it from there. Problem: Right now when I want to know when something happens (new cd/movie release) i go to a reliable source and I know with some degree of certianty that that event will happen when they say it will. I give them some reasonable leeway since its still a future event with numerous opportunities to miss the date(later ship date, cancellation, etc.). However, when you tell someone an event just happened or is happening now, you better be 90% correct or the tool becomes an annoyance instead of useful.
I came up this idea a few nights ago. I'm hoping you guys would be kind enough to offer me any kind of feedback you can think of. I'm still not sure how viable it is.Here goes:Problem: There are some things I'd like to know when they happen but can't easily get notified right now.Examples: *new Homestarrunner cartoon *last season of 24 released on DVD *Simpsons movie released on DVD *Windows Vista released (old) *Nintendo Wii launched (old) *updates to small software projects Maybe lots of people have things like this they would like to be notified about. Thus the idea is a website where you can request to be notified of something via a myriad of options e.g, RSS, email, sms, etc.It could work like this. You get say 5 points when you sign up. Each event you sign up to be notified of costs you a point. If you correctly report when one of the other events on the site happened in a timely matter, you earn points.
1
12
2007-08-23 21:26:11 UTC
45,862
45,799
adamdoupe
10 Business-lunch blunders to avoid
donna
Manager Tools (a business podcast) has a very good podcast about this for those interested:http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/09/meal-etiquette-part-1-o...I know it may appear boring, but they're actually really good and I listen to them even though I'm a student.
null
0
7
2007-08-23 21:28:43 UTC
45,863
45,833
bsaunder
The "Oh Crap" Moment: How do you know how much you know?
joshwa
Yes, I've noticed the same thing. My current idea is similar to several other start-ups. At times it seems like some companies could be competitors if only they changed their product offering a bit.I think this is where the business/marketing side of the founders needs to kick in and be determined to differentiate and be better than what's out there. It's all about providing value for a customer. You either need to provide a better value or have different customers. IMHO, a simpler version can be both good and bad. Good, if you can start getting revenue and grow faster. Bad if it doesn't generate much revenue but slows you down with customer support and alerts your better funded competitors to your existence and plans.
with apologies to Kathy Sierra...http://joshwand.com/files/ohcrap2.pngI've had this experience with several of my startup ideas now... I learn more and more about a given problem space/market, and eventually I start feeling like I have a decent grasp of the situation. The new learning tapers off, until one day, I discover a whole new dimension I've never thought of, and I realize just how little I know about the problem. I've come to expect a few of these "oh crap" moments early on, but I wonder what conclusions I should draw from these moments later on in the process? They tend to be rather discouraging, as plans need to be modified/rethought, and sometimes the viability of the entire project comes into question, as when you discover that there are a whole slew of other startups trying to solve the same problem as you, all of them further along than you are!I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead? The extra information might not even be relevant if the project doesn't expand in that particular direction. EDIT: this doesn't apply as easily to the situation where you discover your competition...Does anyone else experience these moments, and what have you learned from them?UPDATE: added axes/legend to graph
5
19
2007-08-23 21:28:56 UTC
45,864
45,815
paulgb
Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.
brett
I like the iGoogle widget, this is something I could actually use.
null
10
43
2007-08-23 21:32:51 UTC
45,868
45,773
geebee
Philip Greenspun: Improving Undergraduate Computer Science Education
adamdoupe
I think this is the class that inspired the infamous "Java is the SUV of programming languages" entry that got slashdotted a few years ago. Phil said that the students who picked J2EE all had to drop the class - the workload was too great for them to keep up.At first, I was surprised to hear that MIT students were having trouble completing a program in Java, until I saw what was required and the time they'd have to complete it. I wasn't sure if I could do it in the time alloted, even without carrying a full courseload, and I knew java reasonably well at the time.This post, along with Paul Graham's comments about Lisp, really changed the way I think about programming. Kind of like the JFK statement about seeing things as they never were, and asking yourself "why not?" Why the hell should it take so long to go from an idea to an implementation. I was just accepting the achingly boring typing that Java had inflicted on my life as part of the cost of writing a program. Time to realize that I can't implement a chat server in half a day, and ask myself "why not?" Anyway, I think that even the students who have to drop this course learn a valuable lesson, as long as they struggle with it for a while.
null
1
45
2007-08-23 21:36:44 UTC
45,869
45,815
joshwa
Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.
brett
Ah, datablogging. I did something similar back when I was jobhunting, to track how many resumes went out (and how many responses received):http://joshwand.com/php/jobsearch2.php
null
8
43
2007-08-23 21:37:28 UTC
45,870
45,644
ivankirigin
How To: Make a Laser Espionage Microphone
kkim
Time to buy an IR laser to really fool all but the most observant.
null
2
12
2007-08-23 21:38:45 UTC
45,877
45,815
mattjaynes
Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.
brett
LOVE the simplicity! Great job! And extra kudos for the iGoogle widget!
null
13
43
2007-08-23 21:54:41 UTC
45,878
44,219
juwo
Indian outsourcing is killing IT
nickb
The programmers below, are white American - so what does that say?see http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36900
null
2
3
2007-08-23 21:56:08 UTC
45,888
45,815
samson
Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.
brett
This is quite nice, i like the look that it has on iGoogle.P.S does anyone have a link to info on creating widgets for igoogle.
null
12
43
2007-08-23 22:15:28 UTC
45,890
45,698
catena
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
In 1985, Peter Naur wrote a similar article presenting programming as theory building. In essence, a programmer primarily constructs a mental model of the problem, and its solution; secondarily writes code; and incidentally documents. Naur discusses how this view affects program life and modification, system development methods, and the professional status of programmers.Naur, P. 1985. Programming as theory building. Microprocessing and Microprogramming 15, 5, 253--261. http://www.zafar.se/bkz/Articles/NaurProgrammingTheory
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6
142
2007-08-23 22:18:59 UTC
45,893
45,818
omouse
Linux vs. BSD: Huge difference in UI responsiveness
nickb
I don't like this. It's like PC-BSD is trying to steal marketshare from Ubuntu instead of "fighting" against the common enemies Mac OS X and Windows.
null
0
2
2007-08-23 22:26:18 UTC
45,896
45,799
dpapathanasiou
10 Business-lunch blunders to avoid
donna
That article forgot the most important point: you're not actually there to eat lunch.I.e. it's ok if you don't finish your plate (or even don't get a bite in your mouth) as long as you meet you goal (get a next meeting, close a deal, etc.).
null
1
7
2007-08-23 22:34:02 UTC
45,898
45,666
mattjaynes
What system do you use for bug tracking?
ACSparks
When I have a choice (not very often when working with a company) I use FogBugz. It's a bit pricey compared to FREE, but now that they have a hosted version, it's great if you need to track bugs with a team.The simplicity and approach of FogBugz is fantastic. Really worth a look if you have the cash to afford it. That being said - they do have provide it for free if you only need 2 accounts. See: http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?biz.5.482288
I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.
4
7
2007-08-23 22:36:40 UTC
45,900
45,894
codeslinger
FireFox Bug running Google Docs?
gibsonf1
+1. All of Google's AJAX apps start blowing up the VSZ/RSS of the process when I leave them open for even a medium amount of time (i.e. longer than 15 minutes). This is using Firefox on Mac OS X. Most of the Google AJAX apps are not supported in Safari as yet, so I can't really compare and contrast ;-) I can't say that FF is great on RAM to begin with, however, but this could be b/c I always have at least 3 tabs going, sometimes up to 30.
I've noticed a disturbing pattern when running Google Docs on FireFox. I typically run 2 separate gdoc gmail account tabs and 2 separate calendar tabs as well as other tabs for my web app etc. What consistently happens is that FF uses increasing amounts of memory. By the time it hits 1gig of memory used, the response time is amazingly slow.As an experiment, I tried running just the gmail and calendar on IE, and was shocked not to find a similar problem. Is there some kind of javascript bug running on Firefox? Or could this be related to Firebug and Yslow running on the browser at the same time? Anyone have a similar problem?
1
2
2007-08-23 22:38:14 UTC
45,907
45,616
mattjaynes
How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?
dawie
You may want to avoid 'brainstorming' as an idea-production method. There have been several studies done where it has been shown to be less productive than other methods. See Marc Andreessen's recent post on the subject: http://blog.pmarca.com/2007/07/quote-of-the--3.html
I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.
9
10
2007-08-23 23:03:15 UTC
45,908
45,773
portLAN
Philip Greenspun: Improving Undergraduate Computer Science Education
adamdoupe
The separation of life into school, college, then work is completely artificial in the first place. Trying to fix "undergraduate " education is just putting a band-aid on a broken system. It even assumes the premise that the goal is to receive a degree, by completing X units of assigned work (whether over 4 years or 2.5).People don't learn in the same ways, at the same rate, at the same age, and waiting until they're adults just wastes years of neuroplasticity. On the other end, stopping after 4 years or some other arbitrary amount is just under-utilization of adult learning capacity."If the colleges were better, if they really had it, you would need to get the police at the gates to keep order in the inrushing multitude. See in college how we thwart the natural love of learning by leaving the natural method of teaching what each wishes to learn, and insisting that you shall learn what you have no taste or capacity for. The college, which should be a place of delightful labor, is made odious and unhealthy, and the young men are tempted to frivolous amusements to rally their jaded spirits. I would have the studies elective. Scholarship is to be created not by compulsion, but by awakening a pure interest in knowledge. The wise instructor accomplishes this by opening to his pupils precisely the attractions the study has for himself. The marking is a system for schools, not for the college; for boys, not for men; and it is an ungracious work to put on a professor." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
null
0
45
2007-08-23 23:10:37 UTC
45,911
45,698
alt451
Holding a program in one's head
eposts
I agree, it's an awesome essay and dead on. Now I can finally give my friends a good answer when they ask about my computer habits. Glad to know I'm not the only person who works like this. Great job.
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142
2007-08-23 23:20:41 UTC
45,913
45,901
simpleenigma
Transformation
baha_man
Great article, but it seems to point out the flaws in some languages and how to avoid or go back and fix them ...Isn't it better to start with a language that naturally helps you avoid those problems and reduces the need for re-factoring in the first place?
null
1
2
2007-08-23 23:29:24 UTC
45,916
45,616
gcheong
How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?
dawie
Have a look at "The Myths of Innovation" by Scott Berkun
I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.
10
10
2007-08-23 23:43:24 UTC
45,917
45,773
epi0Bauqu
Philip Greenspun: Improving Undergraduate Computer Science Education
adamdoupe
So who here actually took his class? I took it IAP 2000, and it really did have a big impact on me. I was course 8 though (Physics).
null
4
45
2007-08-23 23:44:25 UTC
45,918
45,815
djonesx
Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.
brett
That's awesome! Wow.I have a new home/start page in my browser, and I NEVER normally use a start page!Please keep it as simple as it is now! Its beautiful! If you must add new features, please hide them away so as not to clutter it.
null
4
43
2007-08-23 23:57:40 UTC
45,919
45,842
gibsonf1
An Independent Journalist solves a 2400-year-old Mystery
byrneseyeview
Ok, I am fully sold on the new format for Hacker News. This is a truly enlightening article. I've never liked Plato (I am a big Aristotle fan), and this article shows in a convincing way how Plato used his communicative gifts to "corrupt" the historic record to make Plato's very bad political ideas more palatable to the public. Socrates was killed for repeatedly advocating the violent overthrow of the Athenian Democracy in favor of a brutal oligarchy. Was this punishment warranted? I think so. In the same way that the identical punishment is warranted for those who convince their followers to blow up others.
I. F. Stone was an amazing guy.
0
15
2007-08-23 23:58:12 UTC
45,924
45,815
djonesx
Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.
brett
Although it does need a user timezone setting. It thinks its Thursday, when its actually Friday here in Australia! Threw me for a moment there!
null
11
43
2007-08-24 00:07:55 UTC
45,930
45,906
vlad
Comic Sans designer: "Comic Sans was not designed as a typeface"
jcwentz
Has anyone else noticed how many great articles start out with "when I worked at Microsoft?"
null
3
25
2007-08-24 00:23:25 UTC
45,931
45,833
staunch
The "Oh Crap" Moment: How do you know how much you know?
joshwa
The great news is that this same mental complexity trap will trip up 99% of your competition. If you can avoid it you have a significant advantage. Look to the grand master: Steve Jobs. Who else would have had the balls to make a beautiful little music player that did almost nothing but play music? The Microsoft Zune is what most people will do when they start off to make a music player and realize how much they could do.The most difficult part about a simple solution is having the confidence to see it through. The ability to not feel ashamed or embarrassed when people ask "Why doesn't it have X?".Inspiration from Steve Jobs, on what is essentially The WiFi Question:NEWSWEEK: Microsoft has announced its new iPod competitor, Zune. It says that this device is all about building communities. Are you worried?STEVE JOBS: In a word, no. I've seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable.More great stuff in this article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15262121/site/newsweek/
with apologies to Kathy Sierra...http://joshwand.com/files/ohcrap2.pngI've had this experience with several of my startup ideas now... I learn more and more about a given problem space/market, and eventually I start feeling like I have a decent grasp of the situation. The new learning tapers off, until one day, I discover a whole new dimension I've never thought of, and I realize just how little I know about the problem. I've come to expect a few of these "oh crap" moments early on, but I wonder what conclusions I should draw from these moments later on in the process? They tend to be rather discouraging, as plans need to be modified/rethought, and sometimes the viability of the entire project comes into question, as when you discover that there are a whole slew of other startups trying to solve the same problem as you, all of them further along than you are!I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead? The extra information might not even be relevant if the project doesn't expand in that particular direction. EDIT: this doesn't apply as easily to the situation where you discover your competition...Does anyone else experience these moments, and what have you learned from them?UPDATE: added axes/legend to graph
1
19
2007-08-24 00:26:08 UTC