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4,400 | comment | far33d | 2007-03-15T16:48:25 | null | This reminds me of all the dumb money that's been pushing the housing market, pushed by dumb lenders (sub-prime, option ARMs, no-doc loans), etc. I mean dumb not because homebuyers are stupid, but because the average loan originator makes their money selling the loan -- not making sure the loan is a good investment. | null | null | 4,390 | 4,390 | null | null | null | null |
4,401 | comment | danw | 2007-03-15T16:58:36 | null | Thanks for turning up guys, was great to meet you all | null | null | 4,269 | 4,269 | null | null | null | null |
4,402 | story | jcwentz | 2007-03-15T17:00:17 | Are Web Interfaces "Good Enough"? | null | http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000815.html | 10 | null | 4,402 | 9 | [
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4,403 | comment | jadams | 2007-03-15T17:14:44 | null | If you're in Canada, and you set up a sole proprietorship for your dad, then you didn't incorporate it. Corporations and sole proprietorships are mutually exclusive categories of companies. Setting up a sole proprietorship is as easy as going to a business kiosk and filling out some forms. | null | null | 4,354 | 4,304 | null | [
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] | null | null |
4,404 | comment | jimmylin | 2007-03-15T17:24:42 | null | Haha. As much as it sounds like self-help, new age material, I like them all.<p>Thanks!<p>Jimmy Lin
| null | null | 3,259 | 3,259 | null | null | null | null |
4,405 | story | domp | 2007-03-15T17:25:55 | Top 10 Lies VCs Know You're Telling (Guy Kawasaki) | null | http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/01/the_top_ten_lie_1.html | 5 | null | 4,405 | 2 | [
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] | null | null |
4,406 | comment | semigeek | 2007-03-15T17:29:46 | null | I think it would be better if there were less items on each page, font was bigger, and we had categories for each submission so that we could filter it. | null | null | 4,109 | 4,109 | null | null | null | null |
4,407 | comment | mattculbreth | 2007-03-15T17:30:00 | null | This is a good post. I especially like the conversation around Eckel's point about Flash perhaps being better suited for Web apps than DHTML/JS. I can't really put my finger on it very well, but Flash apps just don't feel real. I never really get the sense that I'm the one controlling the application. | null | null | 4,402 | 4,402 | null | [
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] | null | null |
4,408 | story | gustaf | 2007-03-15T17:39:00 | Applying to Y Combinator without a VISA? | null | null | 18 | null | 4,408 | 23 | [
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4,409 | comment | gustaf | 2007-03-15T17:42:55 | null | Hey, <p>I posted my email in an old discussion about non-americans wanting to apply to Y Combinator. I got more than 10 emails so there seems to be a lot of people with questions about this. <p>There are a couple of groups in previous Y Combinator programs with one or more international founders, and I'm one of them. <p>Getting a real work-VISA to the US when you are 22 is virtually impossible, but should it stop you from applying? I don't think so. <p>Let's keep this thread open for VISA discussion. I'm happy to share my experience and knowledge <p>Gustaf | null | null | 4,408 | 4,408 | null | [
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4,410 | comment | semigeek | 2007-03-15T17:56:37 | null | I wouldn't say it's impossible to get a work visa - I've gotten TN1's before, and am currently on a L1-A with a few months left before my Green Card is finished. I received my L1-A 2 years ago when I was 22, now at the age of 24 it took roughly 8 months to get my Green Card under the EB1 classification. | null | null | 4,408 | 4,408 | null | [
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] | null | null |
4,411 | story | brett | 2007-03-15T17:58:34 | Ask the Wizard: Creating Competitors | null | http://www.burningdoor.com/askthewizard/2007/03/creating_competitors.html | 13 | null | 4,411 | 3 | [
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] | null | null |
4,412 | comment | brett | 2007-03-15T18:01:25 | null | 3 interesting points.<p>I really like how he explains the lack of open APIs in terms of giving your competitors, as opposed to your users, a chance to fill in gaps in your service. <p>I can't say I have much experience with his advice on partnerships in not strategic areas. How would a startup best spot a partnership with potential to go sour as he describes?
| null | null | 4,411 | 4,411 | null | [
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4,413 | comment | drop19 | 2007-03-15T18:04:59 | null | This shows the value of human relationships in startups -- the people who are most successful spend time cultivating them, and take a long-term approach to investing their time in them (I may not back this person today but I want to keep up with them to hear about their next big idea)
| null | null | 4,393 | 4,393 | null | null | null | null |
4,414 | comment | e1ven | 2007-03-15T18:06:09 | null | I'd say it's probably pretty difficult. I'm certainly not an expert, but to come in to the US on an Investment Visa, I think you need a few million in the bank..<p>To do it as a Employee, they'd need to do H1B (which I don't think applies here), or standard immigration.. If it's a standard work-visa, there's a problem in that you're not working for anyone..<p>It probably isn't impossible, but it'd make things substantially more difficult. <p> | null | null | 4,408 | 4,408 | null | [
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] | null | null |
4,415 | comment | gustaf | 2007-03-15T18:07:07 | null | Interesting! But doesn't L1 require you to be employed by the same company outside of US minimum 1 year? Did you study in the US? | null | null | 4,410 | 4,408 | null | [
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] | null | null |
4,416 | comment | gustaf | 2007-03-15T18:09:14 | null | To get a H1B to do Y Combinator is probably not an option at all. H1B require certification of the employer etc, which you are unlikely to get for a brand new startup. <p>If you find a way to be in the country then you can probably worry about VISA when you know your startup is going to be a real company and you'll take investments etc. | null | null | 4,414 | 4,408 | null | null | null | null |
4,417 | comment | e1ven | 2007-03-15T18:14:11 | null | Certainly a good read- <p>While I tend to be a bit of a details oriented person when it comes to UI, the most important aspect is reducing friction to the user.<p>If a user has to go to your website, download a plugin, wait for it to install, restart their browser, and then go back, you're going to lose them.
This is the same problem when it comes to downloading an application. You want to make it as easy as possible to get things going, as quickly as possible.<p>Ajax gives users this- Flash is useful, and with Flex may gain inrodes into whole-application development, but It's still hairy- While flash is installed in a huge portion of desktops, most of them have old versions..<p>Using it also ties you to technology owned by a company other than you. This is a key point- Look what Adobe has done with Acrobat- It's a great format, but for YEAR it got slower with each revision..
If this happens with Flash, there's nothing you can do about it. It's a closed standard, and you don't own it.<p>At least with browsers, users have a choice of implementation..<p>Adding Flash adds a layer of abstration- Each time you do that, you lose a bit of control.<p>I'd rather use a Ajax toolkit like GWT- Even if Google screws up, it's OSS, and I can fork from the version that worked well for me. | null | null | 4,402 | 4,402 | null | [
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4,418 | comment | semigeek | 2007-03-15T18:15:03 | null | Yes - this is where having a partner in the US is really helpful. My partner was able to setup our holding company, and I was able to work for it for a year and then go for my L1. We are then able to start smaller organizations in which VC's can own their percentage, and rest being owned by our holding company allowing for things to still be legal for my current Visa situation.<p>It's a little bit more complicated to setup, but well worth it and allows you to qualify for a Green Card much faster than the traditional avenues. I'm not sure YC/PG's standpoint on adding this layer of complexity to the incorporation procedure they undergo with YC Funded Startups, but I'm sure that if the team and idea is good enough they'd work with you on this. | null | null | 4,415 | 4,408 | null | null | null | null |
4,419 | story | msgbeepa | 2007-03-15T18:22:37 | Free Web Site Monitoring | null | http://blog.mon.itor.us/?page_id=18 | 1 | null | 4,419 | 0 | null | null | null |
4,420 | comment | drop19 | 2007-03-15T18:29:11 | null | It seems like if you are building to flip you might get lucky, and at certain times (like 7 years ago) that's easier than others. But "build to last"/"build to work" are on the same side of the coin as "make something people want": the odds of succeeding and making money are better if you are aiming to build something great that's actually worth acquiring. | null | null | 4,363 | 4,363 | null | null | null | null |
4,421 | story | nippotam | 2007-03-15T18:32:58 | User interface friction Research Vista vs XP vs Mac OS | null | http://www.pfeifferreport.com/trends/trend_vistauif.html | 6 | null | 4,421 | 2 | [
4584,
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] | null | null |
4,422 | comment | lindsayrgwatt | 2007-03-15T18:42:44 | null | Hey folks,<p>I've actually just gone through this process. I'm a Canadian who just finished school and here are the option my US-based immigration lawyer laid out for me:<p>1) E2 investment visa: not easy to do. You need to meet an undefined "minimum investment criteria" which is typically $500,000 but if you're lucky you may be able to get in with less.<p>2) TN-1. A legitimate option for Canadians and Mexican. You need to find an American to own your startup in the U.S. and you start a company in either Mexico or Canada. You then get hired by the owner of the U.S.-based company and get a TN-1. You can't be the owner of the U.S.-based company but you can have an option to buy the whole thing. <p>The nice part about this is that you then get the American-based company to issue you an H1-B visa the next year and you're well on your way to a Green Card.<p>3) L2. Find someone on an L1 visa and marry them. You can then work for anyone in the U.S. including your own company | null | null | 4,408 | 4,408 | null | [
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] | null | null |
4,423 | comment | nostrademons | 2007-03-15T18:55:49 | null | Caterina Fake: <a href="http://www.caterina.net/archive/000965.html">http://www.caterina.net/archive/000965.html</a> | null | null | 4,394 | 4,363 | null | null | null | null |
4,424 | comment | gerbe | 2007-03-15T19:00:29 | null | How does one qualify for an EB1? The requirements look daunting... | null | null | 4,410 | 4,408 | null | null | null | null |
4,425 | comment | mattculbreth | 2007-03-15T19:14:39 | null | Latency in general is an excruciating side effect of Vista. I'm running it in Parallels on my MacBook Pro and it's really tough to keep from throwing my Mighty Mouse across the room. Load up XP in the same environment and I'm good to go. Starting to wonder why I "upgraded" the thing.<p>Just to be balanced though (somewhat), the Office 2007 UI is slick. It's nice to use once you get over the learning curve. You'll catch yourself saying, "where the hell is Paste As Special?" for the first week or so though.
| null | null | 4,421 | 4,421 | null | null | null | null |
4,426 | comment | joe | 2007-03-15T19:16:58 | null | What sort of alternative end users (or possibly uses) would you foresee?<p>There are already quite a few generic mailing list services out there, which is why we're trying to target musicians and build a site centered around fan bases. | null | null | 4,122 | 3,935 | null | null | null | null |
4,427 | story | Readmore | 2007-03-15T19:18:01 | Time to start making apps for the Google Phone | null | http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/15/google-exec-confirms-phone-in-the-labs/ | 9 | null | 4,427 | 1 | [
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] | null | null |
4,428 | comment | Readmore | 2007-03-15T19:20:31 | null | There are people that have this mindset, although I don't think it means that we are in a bubble. There are always people looking to get rich quick. The fact that it's so easy to start a Web Venture today means that there will be more of those kind of people in this space.
<a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2006/10/01/8387088/">http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2006/10/01/8387088/</a> | null | null | 4,394 | 4,363 | null | [
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] | null | null |
4,429 | comment | python_kiss | 2007-03-15T19:21:56 | null | As a Canadian, don't you just need the citizenship card to get in America? The borders are pretty much open, so I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. | null | null | 4,422 | 4,408 | null | [
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4,430 | story | phil | 2007-03-15T19:22:01 | Bruce Sterling on death of "blogs" | null | http://blog.wired.com/sterling/2007/03/sxsw_rant_death.html | 8 | null | 4,430 | 2 | [
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4,431 | story | herdrick | 2007-03-15T19:23:49 | Google Maps for all non-free sites starts at $10,000 / year | null | http://www.google.com/enterprise/maps/faq.html | 6 | null | 4,431 | 4 | [
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] | null | null |
4,432 | comment | amichail | 2007-03-15T19:24:32 | null | What about frequent visits to Boston from Canada, say once a week? Would that work?
| null | null | 4,408 | 4,408 | null | null | null | null |
4,433 | comment | herdrick | 2007-03-15T19:26:57 | null | Use of the regular free Google Maps API is not allowed for sites that aren't available to the public free of charge. <p>"The Maps API is a free beta service, available for any web site that is free to consumers. Please see the terms of use for more information" (from: <a href="http://www.google.com/apis/maps/">http://www.google.com/apis/maps/</a> ) | null | null | 4,431 | 4,431 | null | null | null | null |
4,434 | comment | sethjohn | 2007-03-15T19:31:59 | null | 'Build to flip' is a fine idea. Of course you still need to make a good product, but I don't think 'build to last' is right for every company or every idea. A world with 100 new HPs every year would be top-heavy.<p>The ecosystem needs a few big companies with billions of capital and global reach, but there's nothing wrong with building up a good small idea and selling it off after a year or two to be integrated into something larger.
| null | null | 4,363 | 4,363 | null | [
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4,435 | comment | domp | 2007-03-15T19:32:34 | null | I apologize if this is a repeat. I should have assumed Guy's whole site is probably somewhere on this news feed. | null | null | 4,405 | 4,405 | null | [
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4,436 | comment | zkinion | 2007-03-15T19:33:28 | null | I think the main point in this posting is not how bad it is to start off with the first adopters, but instead to think how they will be alot different than mainstream users, and what you learn from them (click through, advertising, new users, etc...) might not be exactly how things will work with the mainstream crowd. | null | null | 4,101 | 4,101 | null | null | null | null |
4,437 | comment | danielha | 2007-03-15T19:37:09 | null | He can argue that dumb money is feeding venture fratricide and results in major shakeouts, but you'd have to carefully distinguish between simple "knock off" companies and worthy competition. Smart money goes into companies that offer an improvement over an existing ideas.
| null | null | 4,390 | 4,390 | null | null | null | null |
4,438 | comment | herdrick | 2007-03-15T19:41:19 | null | No. | null | null | 4,377 | 4,377 | null | null | null | null |
4,439 | comment | zkinion | 2007-03-15T19:41:51 | null | Delaware has a long, clear history of case law, which is why many companies are incorporated there. Alot are also incorporated in Nevada (my home state). There it's like 200$ total. For a start-up, you normally don't need a whole lot of "lawyer juice" in the equation. The forms are very simple. You basically fill out the articles of incorporation document, then fill out a listing of officers/board members (initial listing of officers), which can be changed later. You also need to have a resident agent, which doesn't need to be a physical place, so long as lawsuit stuff can get there. Many places offer resident agencies as a service for as little as 99$. The deputy just needs to be able to deliver you some lawsuit/whatever. You send it all off to the secretary of state in whatever state you wish to incorporate, then in a few weeks later you get a copy of the forms back plus a certificate signed by the secretary of state saying that you're incorporated under that state. Normally all states have a website where you can look up information about a particular corporation. Every year you have to pay a few hundred bucks or so to rewnew the initial listing of officers. It gets a little more complex if you have investors and the company is initially shared between several people/other companies, but overall, its really that simple. <p>
Delaware might charge more because of the simple fact that so many companies incorporate there. Finally, those "incorporate" services that charge a few grand basically give little advice and just fill the paper work out for you. They take advantage of the naive. | null | null | 4,304 | 4,304 | null | null | null | null |
4,440 | comment | danielha | 2007-03-15T19:45:18 | null | Their very public nature about "doing no evil" is one of their most marketable qualities. It's interesting that in the FAQ, they say they're also working on a way to let users opt _out_ of anonymity if desired. | null | null | 4,397 | 4,397 | null | null | null | null |
4,441 | comment | Readmore | 2007-03-15T19:46:51 | null | I agree with that. There is nothing wrong with selling your company, but if you start your company hoping to sell it for millions in a year, it seems like you're just setting yourself up for trouble. | null | null | 4,434 | 4,363 | null | [
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4,442 | comment | danielha | 2007-03-15T19:49:45 | null | With ubiquitous interweaving technologies, it's always been difficult to clearly categorize the things we have on the web. Blogs as we know it in its purest form will "die", as Sterling puts it, but this is true for all the other terminology we assign to the things we do online. It's the beauty of perpetual evolution. | null | null | 4,430 | 4,430 | null | null | null | null |
4,443 | comment | python_kiss | 2007-03-15T19:50:43 | null | A strong antagonist makes a strong protagonist. Computer users wouldn't support the open source movement so enthusiastically if Microsoft did not exist. Genghis Khan, the prolific leader who conquered the world, learned early on that by determining a common enemy he could unite the divided Mongol tribes and unleash a force unheard of. Similarly, if it were not for IBM back in the 80's, Steve Jobs would've never been able to build a cult around Apple. Strategy, therefore, is not just the art of planning the line of attack; it is also choosing whom to fight.<p>Some smart entrepreneurs tend to use their comeptition to validate their own product. While the article is great (I mean it), it should be noted that it is not always bad to have competition. | null | null | 4,411 | 4,411 | null | null | null | null |
4,444 | comment | danielha | 2007-03-15T19:53:05 | null | I wonder how this applies to sites that are free and publicly accessible but also have charge-access premium features and areas. | null | null | 4,431 | 4,431 | null | null | null | null |
4,445 | comment | danielha | 2007-03-15T19:54:13 | null | It's a good read, but yeah I believe it's been floating around here before. | null | null | 4,435 | 4,405 | null | null | null | null |
4,446 | comment | Readmore | 2007-03-15T19:56:24 | null | I read that it was fine to use the free one because it has less features and ads. If you pay the fee you can disable the ads and use the extra features. I don't think it's anything to worry about. If your site is big enough for Google to notice and ask you to take down your google maps integration, you have a good problem. | null | null | 4,431 | 4,431 | null | [
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4,447 | comment | sethjohn | 2007-03-15T19:56:34 | null | Well, yes, the 12-month selloff strategy is probably uncommon for good reason.<p>I suppose most ideas require more than a few months to create real value. | null | null | 4,441 | 4,363 | null | null | null | null |
4,448 | comment | danielha | 2007-03-15T20:01:50 | null | It seems we're all coming to the same conclusion here:<p>If the social scene, the necessity of travel, and girlfriends is even thought of as issues, perhaps this funding program really is _not_ for you. Perhaps, even, it may prompt you to reconsider if starting a company at this point is right for you. Pursuing a startup requires an extraordinary amount of dedication and focus; the issues presented are not indicative of that. | null | null | 4,281 | 4,281 | null | null | null | null |
4,449 | story | danielha | 2007-03-15T20:07:01 | Is Twitter popular because no one has real friends who text message? | null | http://blogs.zdnet.com/mobile-gadgeteer/?p=316 | 3 | null | 4,449 | 0 | null | null | null |
4,450 | story | danielha | 2007-03-15T20:08:01 | What is original content? | null | http://blogs.zdnet.com/keen/?p=112 | 1 | null | 4,450 | 3 | [
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4,451 | story | veritas | 2007-03-15T20:10:28 | Seth's Blog: Thrill seekers | null | http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/03/thrill_seekers.html | 5 | null | 4,451 | 0 | null | null | null |
4,452 | comment | pg | 2007-03-15T20:11:07 | null | Investors are certainly looking for companies that can go public or get acquired. Arguably only those, in fact. What's changed is that no one now would expect that in 12-18 months. That was just Bubble craziness. | null | null | 4,428 | 4,363 | null | [
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4,453 | comment | jward | 2007-03-15T20:17:36 | null | Thats if you want to spend money in America. I grew up on the border and even worked a short stint in customs. They can be right anal if they think you're actually do anything productive. Could've just been the fine folk in Montana. Tight squinting eyes boring through your soul. Fingers rapping gently over the grip of their pistol. Waiting and watching you as a stillness fills the air, offering you no escape. "You boys ain't look'n at taki'n jobs from good 'merican boys now are ya?" <p>As someone mentioned, you can 'visit' but I'm not sure how well that'd work overall. Boston is a 5 hour drive from Montreal. If I recall correctly YC has funded outsiders before. I would be very interested to hear how they managed.<p>I think Y Combinator would be an amazing experience that I wouldn't get anywhere else. I'd be more than willing to give up several months of my life to move to a new country to learn and work with amazing people. The question of the border is the biggest stumbling block in the path.
| null | null | 4,429 | 4,408 | null | null | null | null |
4,454 | story | Sam_Odio | 2007-03-15T20:26:26 | Come hear the founders of reddit speak @ UVa | null | http://bluwiki.com/go/RedditAtUVa | 5 | null | 4,454 | 0 | null | null | null |
4,455 | story | far33d | 2007-03-15T20:45:05 | ? (Visits PageViews) | null | http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3625246 | 1 | null | 4,455 | 1 | [
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] | null | null |
4,456 | comment | far33d | 2007-03-15T20:45:29 | null | hm. that was supposed to be Visits (GREATER_THAN) PageViews? | null | null | 4,455 | 4,455 | null | null | null | null |
4,457 | comment | zach | 2007-03-15T20:48:04 | null | This is not really good information for California, but then this is a syndicated article, not locally written.<p>If you're not going full-on Delaware C-Corp like YC does and you're going to incorporate in California, I really think most startups would prefer an S-Corp over an LLC.<p>Feld's VC perspective on structure:
<a href="http://www.feld.com/blog/archives/001539.html">http://www.feld.com/blog/archives/001539.html</a><p>The California tax perspective:
<a href="http://www.taxabletalk.com/posts/1138032374.shtml">http://www.taxabletalk.com/posts/1138032374.shtml</a><p>Furthermore, CA C-Corps don't have to pay the $800 minimum franchise tax in the company's first year:
<a href="http://www.taxes.ca.gov/CorpC.html">http://www.taxes.ca.gov/CorpC.html</a><p>I don't think LLCs get the same privilege.
| null | null | 4,324 | 4,324 | null | null | null | null |
4,458 | story | jward | 2007-03-15T20:49:24 | How to work in the US as a Canadian. | null | http://www.grasmick.com/canimfaq.htm | 5 | null | 4,458 | 3 | [
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4,459 | comment | jward | 2007-03-15T20:50:09 | null | Also of use:
<a href="http://www.grasmick.com/nafta.htm">http://www.grasmick.com/nafta.htm</a><p>According to this site it seems like it'd be fairly easy for Canadians to go and work for a few months in the US. I'm not a lawyer, so not 100% on any this but it seems fairly clear. I'm sure YC has real lawyers who will work out any details. This is just mostly to put my own mind at ease about trouble getting in. And it looks like it won't be much trouble at all. | null | null | 4,458 | 4,458 | null | [
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4,460 | comment | herdrick | 2007-03-15T20:50:09 | null | "If your site is big enough for Google to notice... you have a good problem."<p>Exactly. | null | null | 4,446 | 4,431 | null | null | null | null |
4,461 | comment | nostrademons | 2007-03-15T20:56:45 | null | Probably the worst (= most overdone) business idea in the history of the planet: internet games + social networking. Well, second worst. Worst would probably be "Find gold in California." <p>Launching within a month, hopefully. | null | null | 4,246 | 4,200 | null | null | null | null |
4,462 | story | gustaf | 2007-03-15T20:59:52 | Twitter - What are you doing? | null | http://twitter.com/home | 2 | null | 4,462 | 0 | null | null | null |
4,463 | story | far33d | 2007-03-15T21:01:26 | Anyone have opinions on Apollo? | null | http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Apollo | 1 | null | 4,463 | 3 | [
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] | null | null |
4,464 | comment | Readmore | 2007-03-15T21:03:24 | null | If that wasn't your goal, if you just wanted to start a business because you wanted to run your own business, should you look for other types of funding? Are you basically out of luck with most professional investors? | null | null | 4,452 | 4,363 | null | [
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] | null | null |
4,465 | comment | vikram | 2007-03-15T21:08:04 | null | So maybe do a tourist visa for the 3 months. Then sort it out properly later. Is that what you would suggest? | null | null | 4,409 | 4,408 | null | [
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4,466 | comment | far33d | 2007-03-15T21:09:26 | null | Yes, I know it's pre-release, but I was more wondering about what opportunities a platform like this might provide (even if the answer is "none").
| null | null | 4,463 | 4,463 | null | null | null | null |
4,467 | comment | danielha | 2007-03-15T21:27:44 | null | That'd be the time to look into a loan. | null | null | 4,464 | 4,363 | null | null | null | null |
4,468 | comment | r0b | 2007-03-15T21:29:38 | null | It seems like the take-away is that "original content" is equivalent to "good content". The challenge is to find the good content. <p>If that's the case, then the important (and successful) content applications should primarily be filtering technologies. Which explains the success of Digg and Techmeme, among others... | null | null | 4,450 | 4,450 | null | null | null | null |
4,469 | story | r0b | 2007-03-15T21:36:57 | Steve Jobs' Best Quotes Ever | null | http://www.wired.com/news/culture/mac/0,70512-0.html | 5 | null | 4,469 | 2 | [
4475,
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] | null | null |
4,470 | comment | python_kiss | 2007-03-15T21:37:51 | null | My sister recently received a job offer from Microsoft at their Mountain View office. She will be moving there for the entire summer. I will let you know what the process involves. I am Canadian, and therefore concerned about this myself. (here's my email: [email protected])<p>Someone please show us the light. | null | null | 4,459 | 4,458 | null | null | null | null |
4,471 | story | e1ven | 2007-03-15T21:46:10 | New Blog trying to explain UI concepts to mere mortals. | null | http://uiscape.com/ | 1 | null | 4,471 | 0 | null | null | null |
4,472 | story | Readmore | 2007-03-15T21:46:53 | Thoughts on giving away your software for free | null | http://onstartups.com/home/tabid/3339/bid/199/Startup-Reality-Distortion-Effect-1-Giving-Your-Software-Away-For-Free.aspx | 4 | null | 4,472 | 1 | [
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] | null | null |
4,473 | comment | far33d | 2007-03-15T21:47:26 | null |
One one side, yes, Digg and Techmeme help you filter out bad content and find good content. <p>But on the other side, we need more technology to help people actually create better content for cheaper. The studios shouldn't (and won't) have a monopoly on good (and profitable) content.
| null | null | 4,450 | 4,450 | null | [
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] | null | null |
4,474 | story | adamsmith | 2007-03-15T21:52:03 | Y Combinator, Should You? | null | http://blogs.xobni.com/asmith/archives/15 | 16 | null | 4,474 | 5 | [
4575,
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] | null | null |
4,475 | comment | far33d | 2007-03-15T21:54:39 | null |
"They're babes in the woods. I think I can help turn Alvy and Ed into businessmen."
-- On Pixar co-founders Alvy Ray Smith and Ed Catmull, in Time, Sept. 1, 1986<p>Well, he certainly succeeded at that. I really think Ed Catmull is one of the world's best examples of pure hacker/nerds becoming great businessmen because of their technical expertise. Organizations and software are very similar, it's no coincidence that the most successful tech companies are run by technologists.
| null | null | 4,469 | 4,469 | null | null | null | null |
4,476 | story | danielha | 2007-03-15T21:55:14 | Bringing Web 1.0 Forums Into Web 2.0 Social Networking | null | http://www.socialdegree.com/2007/03/15/bringing-web-10-forums-into-web-20-social-networking/ | 3 | null | 4,476 | 1 | [
4583
] | null | null |
4,477 | comment | vikram | 2007-03-15T21:57:34 | null | I missed it. Maybe next time. | null | null | 4,269 | 4,269 | null | null | null | null |
4,478 | comment | gustaf | 2007-03-15T21:58:11 | null | I think that's a good suggestion. You can even apply for a longer tourist-visa if you give them a good reason. The main downside is that wont be able to earn money directly from your US corporation | null | null | 4,465 | 4,408 | null | [
4536
] | null | null |
4,479 | comment | danielha | 2007-03-15T22:05:08 | null | The reasons we are applying are simple:<p>1) Great people and minds to be around
2) Advice for the crucial first steps
3) Being able to work on our startup full-time without the worry of immediate expenses<p>Sometimes people's extraneous reasons for being hesitant are unjustified for their means. Good post. Thanks Adam. | null | null | 4,474 | 4,474 | null | null | null | null |
4,480 | story | semigeek | 2007-03-15T22:08:10 | YC News Users / Startup School Attendees - Drinks @ The Bus Stop (Downtown SF) on March 23? | null | 1 | null | 4,480 | 1 | [
4481
] | null | null |
|
4,481 | comment | semigeek | 2007-03-15T22:09:49 | null | I've left this note on the Facebook group but also wanted to put it on YC News. A few of the attendees that I know will be gathering at The Bus Stop for drinks on Friday Night. If you're attending, or live in the area, feel free to stop by and join in on the random discussions.<p>Leave your cell if you want an SMS about this next week. I can be reached at ak (at) semigeek dot com, or 216-394-3336. | null | null | 4,480 | 4,480 | null | null | null | null |
4,482 | comment | jrbedard | 2007-03-15T22:37:11 | null | Hi jward,
The process is pretty easy for the TN-1 Visa, if:<p>1) You have a degree in a professional field (Software engineering, Computer Science, etc.)<p>2) Your employer can provide you with a letter confirming that you fit their requirements and will be employed for 1 year at X$ (the visa is renewable yearly) and is employing you in a field that is related your degree and expertise.<p>I am a Canadian and I just needed to go to the airport, just before leaving, and show the required documents (passport, diploma, grades, letter from employer) and for a small fee, I think ~80$, they give you a visa good for one year. Once there, you can apply to receive your social security number, etc.<p>Note that the TN-1 Visa doesn't work if you are planning on being self-employed or entrepreneur in the USA. The people at the border want to see that your employer will pay you and that you need to go there because you are highly qualified for the position. The visa is also voided if you leave your job to take another job or being self-employed. | null | null | 4,458 | 4,458 | null | null | null | null |
4,483 | comment | sethjohn | 2007-03-15T22:37:33 | null | "On average, Y Combinator will increase your expected outcome by at least 5x. They usually take 2-10% of your stock in exchange. That's a great deal!"<p>That seems like an optimistic way to phrase the proposition. Sure, they increase the outcome by 5x(+) for the 20%(+) of companies that eventually get sold...as all VC funding hopes to do. Or, I suppose they can increase your outcome by 5x compared to sitting at home...<p>YC sounds like it can be a fantastic deal, but it can't really be 5-20x better than your other options. | null | null | 4,474 | 4,474 | null | [
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] | null | null |
4,484 | comment | ashu | 2007-03-15T22:39:23 | null | I would like to share our (Buxfer) experience. We are F-1 students, currently on a leave of absence from the Ph.D. program. We have applied for Optional Practical Training. This provides a 1-year extension when you can legally work and earn from your company. (Any F-1 student can set up a company, btw - they just cannot earn money from it :)<p>Within this 1-year period, we need to secure some other work visa. Our most likely bet is H-1B, but there are others like O-1 which we may consider. We are in talks with lawyers currently, but from what I've heard till now, it seems like getting H-1Bs approved will be possible if we demonstrate significant investment in the company.<p>Also, s/^/IANAL: / for every sentence :P | null | null | 4,408 | 4,408 | null | [
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] | null | null |
4,485 | story | Elfan | 2007-03-15T22:39:27 | Google Summer of Code Student Applications Now Open | null | http://code.google.com/soc | 1 | null | 4,485 | 0 | null | null | null |
4,486 | comment | jrbedard | 2007-03-15T22:41:34 | null | There is another thread about it:
<a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/comments?id=4458">http://news.ycombinator.com/comments?id=4458</a><p>Where I described as a Canadian, how to to get the TN-1 Visa. | null | null | 4,408 | 4,408 | null | null | null | null |
4,487 | comment | ericwan | 2007-03-15T22:42:57 | null | I'd like to hear PG's opinion on that though. Also, Besides Gustaf what are other people who's had similar situation but accepted by YC?
| null | null | 4,408 | 4,408 | null | null | null | null |
4,488 | comment | jrbedard | 2007-03-15T22:48:41 | null | I have been working with Flex for 6 months and I am pretty impressed with the robustness of the platform for developing internet applications. I will certainly port my code for the Apollo platform because I will use the local file system access , clipboard access and perhaps a boost in speed. I can see a lot of cool/useful internet apps that could be built on Apollo and quickly installable for any platforms. | null | null | 4,463 | 4,463 | null | null | null | null |
4,489 | story | Sam_Odio | 2007-03-15T22:55:06 | 5 Reasons to Create Your First Startup | null | http://particletree.com/features/5-reasons-to-create-your-first-startup-now/ | 17 | null | 4,489 | 0 | null | null | null |
4,490 | story | Sam_Odio | 2007-03-15T22:55:54 | How to Feed a Startup | null | http://reddit.blogspot.com/2006/02/how-to-feed-startup.html | 5 | null | 4,490 | 0 | null | null | null |
4,491 | comment | r0b | 2007-03-15T23:13:30 | null | Are you referring specifically to video content, or music content? There is a whole crop of new web-based video-editing applications that have launched in the past six months, and they make it very easy to produce video... | null | null | 4,473 | 4,450 | null | null | null | null |
4,492 | story | e1ven | 2007-03-15T23:13:32 | One of Apple's founders backed out after a few weeks, and was for the best. How can a team understand when a smaller team might be a stronger one? | null | http://extras.denverpost.com/books/chap0411h.htm | 2 | null | 4,492 | 1 | [
4493
] | null | null |
4,493 | comment | e1ven | 2007-03-15T23:16:39 | null | To get things off the bat- Apple was put together under a poor corporate structure: If they had been a S-corp or LLC, he wouldn't have worried about personal liability.<p>That said, Given that he had wanted to play it safe, when the Steves wanted to push, it ended up being a good move that he left..<p>What's the best way to decide when a founder, or board member should step down? <p>I think we all agree that there should be lines in the Shares contract that try to deal with it- Giving the other founders the right of first refusal on their shares, and the like..<p>But how do you make that call? How do you start to decide "Maybe Bob isn't 100% on board for this."<p> | null | null | 4,492 | 4,492 | null | null | null | null |
4,494 | comment | pashle | 2007-03-15T23:21:41 | null | Paul, if you don't know of anyone saying this kind of thing today, doesn't that mean we need it more than ever?<p>I think it's safe to assume that even though YC is dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs, in reality it's only internet entrepreneurs that get most (if not all) of the attention.<p>Many web startups are like "throw-away injection" devices, built for the sole purpose of commercialising and popularising that particular technology. If it is an excellent product, that contributes by adding value, and therefore imparts meaning to the user, than by all means it is OK to build such a thing to flip it.<p>But what about the OTHER entrepreneurs, startup guys/girls that don't just want to start web startups, but any kind of company? Web startups are such a small minority of of the entrepreneurial category. Whether 2000 or not, shouldn't this message seem relevant even today? Is there nothing sacred, nothing timeless, nothing that can transcend ourselves? | null | null | 4,394 | 4,363 | null | null | null | null |
4,495 | comment | pashle | 2007-03-15T23:33:03 | null | A world with 100 new HPs every year? That would mean excellent and enlightened corporate leadership that provides meaning, freedom and security for those that associate and work for the company. A situation where the corporatocracy contributes to the well-being of society and the environment, and takes responsobility for it's wrong-doings. <p>I agree that Built to Last not all companies, for sure. Collins outlined that in his article. But a world with 100 new HPs every year? It will never happen. It would be too good to be true. You don't get much enlightened leadership anymore. It is a rare thing, unfortunately.<p>The article's purpose was not to say that Built to Flip is wrong, or that Built to Last was right. It was to educate us to build something that works, but also to inspire us to build something greater than ourselves. | null | null | 4,434 | 4,363 | null | null | null | null |
4,496 | comment | pashle | 2007-03-15T23:37:35 | null | The attitude to have a an exit strategy is pervasive here. It could be because it's been advocated in Paul's many essays. But ask yourselves, do you just want to start a web startup? Is it just about the web, or would you start any kind of startup/company (tech or not)? | null | null | 4,363 | 4,363 | null | null | null | null |
4,497 | comment | akkartik | 2007-03-16T00:01:21 | null | How significant is significant? Will YC-level funding suffice? | null | null | 4,484 | 4,408 | null | [
4498
] | null | null |
4,498 | comment | ashu | 2007-03-16T00:21:46 | null | Sadly, no. It should be enough to provide a competitive salary to all the H-1B employees of the company, for about a year or so... So, an order of magnitude more than YC funding. | null | null | 4,497 | 4,408 | null | null | null | null |
4,499 | comment | akkartik | 2007-03-16T00:25:49 | null | I'm indian, I'm about to graduate with a phd, and I have a job offer. My options for starting a startup:<p>0. Go back to india. This has a certain allure, but I need to start from scratch on figuring out contacts for investment. Odds of finding a deal like YC are slim.<p>1. Work on the startup in the year of my OPT, hope to arrange a visa in a year.<p>2. Put off the startup for a year or so, and try to transfer my H-1 to a startup. This is easier than applying for an H-1 from scratch, but it's not clear how much easier it is, and what the other constraints are.<p>3. Put off the startup for a few years (unbounded) until my green card. Needless to say, this option has the stench of death to it.<p>These are my options as I see them. Am I missing something? Comments much appreciated, especially on option 2. It's been hard to even find a lawyer in Texas; everyone seems do be doing corporate H-1Bs right now. | null | null | 4,408 | 4,408 | null | [
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