claypoolb's comments

I work for a Fortune 10 company and when we are hiring young professionals, a degree signifies the individual has a certain level of commitment, dedication, and has the ability to achieve goals (aka win!).

Additionally, I have always noticed that taking a single individual's experience can lead me to taking their experience out of context. That situation is typically compounded especially when a understand very little about the person as an individual.

I would argue that Cory's experience does not reflect the average (to be fair I only began to understand the value of statistics while pursuing my college degree). In fact, check this chart out... seems like a no-brainer to me: http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm

The output of his model is contrarian to what every accelerator and VC firm in the Valley says about investing. They believe the team is the most important factor of success. Thurston says its 12%. We love pushing the envelope!

I've been guilty of this time and time again... and not just at the casino!

"Win on roulette and your chances of winning again aren't more or less – they stay exactly the same. But something in human psychology resists this fact, and people often place money on the premise that streaks of luck will continue – the so called 'hot hand'.

The opposite superstition is to bet that a streak has to end, in the false belief that independent events of chance must somehow even out. This is known as the gambler's fallacy, and achieved notoriety at the Casino de Monte-Carlo on 18 August 1913."

Solid recruiting tool! Finding top notch Engineers anywhere is tough no matter where you are - props to people who come up with an innovative approach.

Our startup based here in NYC is doing something similar, lets do a hackersurfing coast-to-coast marathon?

http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/legal-hr/2014/03/11/4-t...

We've been hacked! According to an article in the Washington Post, we've been misled since 1961. We really do not need all those cars - its just a love affair with the "american dream".

"This “love affair” was coined, in fact, during a 1961 episode of a weekly hour-long television program called the DuPont Show of the Week (sponsored, incidentally, by DuPont, which owned a 23 percent stake in General Motors at the time). The program, titled “Merrily We Roll Along,” was promoted by DuPont as “the story of America’s love affair with the automobile.”

The show aired at a time when cars were facing steep criticism, as plans for the new interstate system threatened to destroy or disrupt neighborhoods in many U.S. cities.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/01/27/d...

Ben Horowitz predicted on 11/19/14 that Bitcoin is going to be one (of two) of the next massive disruptors in technology. He compares Bitcoin with the revolutionary impact of the internet.

It is gaining momentum.

http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=3369

Ben Horowitz predicted on 11/19/14 that Bitcoin is going to be one (of two) of the next massive disruptors in technology. He compares Bitcoin with the revolutionary impact of the internet.

It is gaining momentum.

http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=3369

This chart is deceiving - it does not contemplate the "age" of the wealth (see: compounding interest).

The graphic shows 4.9% of the 47MM regarded as "the 1%" live in Italy. Although I do not debate that the chart is factual, I will pose question to you, as a skeptic audience: have you done business in Italy within the last 100 years? Have you heard of your friends or your friends of friends doing business there?

Innovation prevails. Regardless of the rate of compounding interest.

"Its just as much work & just as traumatic to build a company that no one cares about as it is to build an important one."

There has to be a balance. How do you know when it is too complex, too hard, impossible... unless you try?

Authentic leaders are the most successful networkers - there is no effort in their ability to connect, genuinely, with others.

A great example of this is this type of leader is Ron Conway - actually, great article from yesterday "The Ronco Principle" by PG.

One thought this article does not contemplate is the impact of people who are not self-aware. There are many people I have met who truly believe they are great networkers, but they lack the leadership trait of authenticity.. be afraid, very afraid.

It is no coincidence Ronco is the most coveted Angel in the Valley - he epitomizes integrity. This value is the most desired aspect an entrepreneur will strive for in finding early stage investors. We, especially in the early stages of building our company, need people who will do the right thing.

I remember one example of Ranco's unyielding integrity: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/09/24/angelgate-ron-conway-...