You think YC Combinator is not motivated by money or fame? Then what is it? What drives it? Desire for anonymous charity?
The point of that blog was to give a down-to-earth assessment of life's choices and guidance on gambling on those choices. Do you know how big is the percentage of youngsters slogging in those exciting startups due to lack of access to truths and guidance? Do you still believe the work-life in these startups is the life to dream of?
We are talking about an average and most common startups which keep trumpeting forever to its employees about the bright future just around the corner. Not the already-successful ones.
First, it is funny that you mention anonymous charity in the first line of your post because I think they provide a vehicle for that - Watsi.org. By the way, Watsi is by far my favorite startup to come out of YC. Go Watsi!
Next, my point was about Hacker News and not Y Combinator. But let's say the two are indivisible, I don't need to nit-pick.
I absolutely believe there are a variety of motivations for YC (personally, I'd love to hear all of them).
I don't think that was a "down-to-earth assessment," and I don't think that was the point. The point, to me, seemed to be to discourage malleable minds. People that may be at the edge in terms of powering through to the next stage with their idea, startup, etc. I see no value in this discouragement.
The author of the piece that I commented on originally seemed to be saying, "Get in line automoton." I reject that. I don't think it represents reality and I don't think it is useful.
Besides the slogging away is what makes you a fully formed person instead of an entitled child.
I have worked at numerous startups of all different sorts and in different capacities. It is precisely that experience, that slogging away that has given me a human perspective on work-life balance.
The point of that blog was to give a down-to-earth assessment of life's choices and guidance on gambling on those choices. Do you know how big is the percentage of youngsters slogging in those exciting startups due to lack of access to truths and guidance? Do you still believe the work-life in these startups is the life to dream of?
We are talking about an average and most common startups which keep trumpeting forever to its employees about the bright future just around the corner. Not the already-successful ones.