the wright brother quote and perspective was awesome to read. the analogy to posterous made me do a double take. what is the equivalent paragraph about the "hard problem" that others have ignored that only posterous is or was experimenting with?
ps - the list of questions is cool.
edit: wait is "email" the answer? the comparison to flying machines still blows my mind. eit.
great read, I just note that this particular Wright story is pure technology, so they could experiment on remote hilltops (i.e. without market feedback).
I totally agree that experimentation can lead you to insights that no one else has had - that no one else can have without it, but which are plain once you've played with a prototype. It doesn't mean you're more perspicacious, it's just that standing on a hill, it's easy to see more. Climb a few hills that no one else has, and you have a unique perspective.
This is actually more like science than TLB says. If you've been working on something for a few months and you haven't published or at least given a talk about it somewhere, one of two things is probably true:
a) You're a reclusive genius dedicating your life to solving in secrecy a problem many hundreds of years old; or
b) You're afraid to find out that what you've been working on was stupid.
Are you talking about only the web-startup domain, or life in general? I think there exist domains where you can't get something worth talking about done in a few months.
They're all disruptive and all use technology, but few seem to be inventing technology.
However, I've been told that there are several technology-based ones, but they haven't launched yet because they're working on the technology. We tend to hear about the other ones.
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[ 1808 ms ] story [ 498 ms ] threadps - the list of questions is cool.
edit: wait is "email" the answer? the comparison to flying machines still blows my mind. eit.
I totally agree that experimentation can lead you to insights that no one else has had - that no one else can have without it, but which are plain once you've played with a prototype. It doesn't mean you're more perspicacious, it's just that standing on a hill, it's easy to see more. Climb a few hills that no one else has, and you have a unique perspective.
a) You're a reclusive genius dedicating your life to solving in secrecy a problem many hundreds of years old; or
b) You're afraid to find out that what you've been working on was stupid.
Guess which one is more likely?
I can't think of many technologically disruptive YC start-ups off the top of my head to be honest.
However, I've been told that there are several technology-based ones, but they haven't launched yet because they're working on the technology. We tend to hear about the other ones.