HN Explorer

11 comments

[ 2.5 ms ] story [ 32.9 ms ] thread
kookamamie
> Why This Challenge Will Make You Question Everything

This kind of headlines make an article an annoying read.

Avicebron
Does anyone else feel the desperation oozing out when they read these kinds of posts/browse linkedin? I sort of get the same frantic desperate vibe, cool if you own it though I guess
YetAnotherNick
As someone who attempted it, it was such a bad challenge. Firstly you can get close to optimal pretty easily. In first challenge it was easy to exactly solve it in optimal way using DP. Secondly that doesn't matter because the optimal solution has big deviation based on rng. And you just need to submit the challenge multiple times till you get lucky.

That's why challenge problem should take in code and run for hidden cases on their server and reveal the results post contest, not allow it via API call.

bagels
The ones at the top of the board, especially on the first challenge not only had to have a good algorithm, but also had to get lucky. And of course if you submit too many times to get just as lucky as they did, they ban you. Stupid contest.
caminanteblanco
>PS: And the kicker? Claude wrote this entire article too. I just provided the direction and feedback. The AI that helped me solve the Berghain Challenge also helped me tell you about it.

>Meta-collaboration all the way down.

Would've preferred to know this going in.

thatguymike
It’s funny, I immediately thought it was LLM but I was fairly confident it was ChatGPT. I suppose the styles are converging more than I thought: too long, lists, “not just x it’s y”, “here’s the X”…
next_xibalba
This reads like it was written by an LLM:

``` Here’s what Listen did that was pure genius:

    Stage 1: Cryptic billboard → Curiosity
    Stage 2: Token puzzle → Technical community engagement
    Stage 3: OEIS speculation → Community-driven solving
    Stage 4: Berghain Challenge → Viral optimization addiction
```
Nextgrid
The actual technical problem was interesting, but the AI-generated writing is terrible. It's like listening to a sales pitch that just won't end.
anuramat
slightly offtopic, but the challenge might be leaking emails: just got an email from `alfredw@listenlabs.fyi` (note the TLD):

> I'd like to connect you with our team to hear about your solution.

> 1) can you let me know availability for a conversation?

> 2) please share some basic information ie full name, Linkedin, portfolio, CV.

> 3) are you interested in onsite SF?

nkko
But wasn’t this an idea, they have built the game as a hiring process.
yayadarsh
this blog post sounds like an LLM - and of course it was written by one (as admitted in the end).