We're auctioning off a chance for your kid to come to a YC dinner(biddingforgood.com)
biddingforgood.com
We're auctioning off a chance for your kid to come to a YC dinner
http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/item/Item.action;jsessionid=WNDnv5zHrGioxBktnO4qdw**.app4?id=202802658
90 comments
"No good deed goes unpunished". I feel really sorry that current state of affairs requires you to make this disclosure for donating something.
No more than when someone needs to say "with all due respect" before offering criticism. It's a prophylactic way of acknowledging the reality of what some people will think (which would be valid as they might jump to conclusions) and warding or dulling the harshness.
Do you feel that the concerns expressed are not legitimate? If attending Bing is more beneficial than a YC dinner, why not make an unconditional donation to Bing and then open up these dinners to teenagers willing to apply/write an essay for them, regardless of ability to pay? It would have the added benefit of self-selecting out those people whose parents think it is a good idea for them to go to such a dinner and reserve it for only those who are interested.
Obviously, any donation to Bing is better than no donation to Bing, and the reality is that it probably is a net win for the parents with less money, but it seems like it could be even better refined and ensure that there are fewer cheap-shots like in the thread below.
Obviously, any donation to Bing is better than no donation to Bing, and the reality is that it probably is a net win for the parents with less money, but it seems like it could be even better refined and ensure that there are fewer cheap-shots like in the thread below.
I do make unconditional donations to Bing as well, and larger amounts than this auction is likely to generate.
Yes, frankly, I feel like the concerns expressed here are a kind of moral bikeshedding. What harm does it do if one rich kid gets to come to a YC dinner?
It's too much trouble to armor oneself against cheap shots. People who want to misunderstand you have an almost endless ability to do so, so you'd have to devote correspondingly endless energy to replying.
Yes, frankly, I feel like the concerns expressed here are a kind of moral bikeshedding. What harm does it do if one rich kid gets to come to a YC dinner?
It's too much trouble to armor oneself against cheap shots. People who want to misunderstand you have an almost endless ability to do so, so you'd have to devote correspondingly endless energy to replying.
Glad to hear that you have taken up the cause outside of this context as well.
As to what harm it does, the answer is none at all. In fact, it is an awesome opportunity for that person and I would have loved to have been in that position myself.
However, the rub for me is not so much what harm does it do, but what good does it do to have one more rich kid at the dinner? Obviously, Bing gets a big ol' donation, so that is most certainly a huge benefit. I don't know, it just feels weird to me.
How about sponsoring a programming puzzle (or series of puzzles) or something like that next time and the first person to solve it gets to go to the dinner? I would put $1,000 into that (as the Bing donation). Bing gets the money, the person who solved the problem is obviously interested in going, it takes care of the "rich parents" debate, and the overhead for managing such a contest is limited to the upfront creation of the question and parsing of the results.
Truthfully, my personal feelings here are primarily rooted in envy. I did not have parents who had the ability to pay for such an opportunity, so had this auction applied to me, I would have been looking for a way to work my way in somehow.
As to what harm it does, the answer is none at all. In fact, it is an awesome opportunity for that person and I would have loved to have been in that position myself.
However, the rub for me is not so much what harm does it do, but what good does it do to have one more rich kid at the dinner? Obviously, Bing gets a big ol' donation, so that is most certainly a huge benefit. I don't know, it just feels weird to me.
How about sponsoring a programming puzzle (or series of puzzles) or something like that next time and the first person to solve it gets to go to the dinner? I would put $1,000 into that (as the Bing donation). Bing gets the money, the person who solved the problem is obviously interested in going, it takes care of the "rich parents" debate, and the overhead for managing such a contest is limited to the upfront creation of the question and parsing of the results.
Truthfully, my personal feelings here are primarily rooted in envy. I did not have parents who had the ability to pay for such an opportunity, so had this auction applied to me, I would have been looking for a way to work my way in somehow.
One kid getting dinner is obviously no big deal, there is however something percieved to be wrong with it being normal for the rich to buy access for their kids to business opportunities. You are probably right that it is massive overanalysis considering the subject, though at least it wasn't a free lunch.
One kid getting dinner is obviously no big deal, there is however something percieved to be wrong with it being normal for the rich to buy access for their kids to business opportunities. You are probably right that it is massive overanalysis considering the subject
Correct. I don't think anyone here thinks Paul Graham is a bad man. I've never met him, but he seems like a good person who didn't intend to become a lightning rod. However, this was a dick move.
If they're going to give away spots at a YC dinner to teenagers-- and I think that's a good idea-- then they should give them to winners of a computing, math, or science competition. Or young people in the computing field who overcame some disadvantage.
This just proves that Silicon Valley has nothing left that can't be sold. Even the purr of a cat will eventually be metered and priced if these people can find a way.
Let's assume that most people in YCombinator are among the best and the brightest. Well, now the time of top talent is a just another resource to be sold off to rich, entitled Joffreys. Speaking for top talent here, I'm fucking offended.
Correct. I don't think anyone here thinks Paul Graham is a bad man. I've never met him, but he seems like a good person who didn't intend to become a lightning rod. However, this was a dick move.
If they're going to give away spots at a YC dinner to teenagers-- and I think that's a good idea-- then they should give them to winners of a computing, math, or science competition. Or young people in the computing field who overcame some disadvantage.
This just proves that Silicon Valley has nothing left that can't be sold. Even the purr of a cat will eventually be metered and priced if these people can find a way.
Let's assume that most people in YCombinator are among the best and the brightest. Well, now the time of top talent is a just another resource to be sold off to rich, entitled Joffreys. Speaking for top talent here, I'm fucking offended.
> winners of a computing, math, or science competition
Because parental resources don't have extreme effects on these competitions as well? Or is it just an easy-to-propose feel-good alternative?
Sheesh. pg obviously foresaw negative reactions, but this entire thread is simply ridiculous. Please just step back and ask yourselves how your comments affect yourselves. Is it really healthy to view access to YC as some kind of golden ticket? The YC application must basically be a free-to-enter lottery! (I must be pretty foolish for not playing all these years.)
To the extent that silly valley is currently a bubble-fueled casino, complaining isn't going to put a stop to that, and dinner for a not-fully-formed teenager fulfilling their parents' expectations does little to augment that. And to the extent that there are still real companies being built on technological merit, some inspiration and accelerated social connections will do little to further disrupt that.
Because parental resources don't have extreme effects on these competitions as well? Or is it just an easy-to-propose feel-good alternative?
Sheesh. pg obviously foresaw negative reactions, but this entire thread is simply ridiculous. Please just step back and ask yourselves how your comments affect yourselves. Is it really healthy to view access to YC as some kind of golden ticket? The YC application must basically be a free-to-enter lottery! (I must be pretty foolish for not playing all these years.)
To the extent that silly valley is currently a bubble-fueled casino, complaining isn't going to put a stop to that, and dinner for a not-fully-formed teenager fulfilling their parents' expectations does little to augment that. And to the extent that there are still real companies being built on technological merit, some inspiration and accelerated social connections will do little to further disrupt that.
Because parental resources don't have extreme effects on these competitions as well? Or is it just an easy-to-propose feel-good alternative?
I took part in those competitions. There were plenty of winners from humble backgrounds and non-coastal regions. Plenty of years, the winner would be from some no-name town in the Midwest. Sure, being privileged helped, but there was real diversity, and most people with the talent had a chance.
Sheesh. pg obviously foresaw negative reactions, but this entire thread is simply ridiculous.
Does someone foreseeing negative reactions to something, and then doing it anyway, mean those negative reactions should not occur? If I steal something, I'm pretty sure I'll get negative reactions (social disapproval, risk of physical harm, jail time, etc.) because, as it were, it's actually the wrong thing to do. If I do it, I can't dismiss people's hatred for that action as somehow invalid by saying, "yeah, I knew that would piss you off." The fact that I knew beforehand that people would find the action offensive doesn't mitigate it's general wrongness.
I took part in those competitions. There were plenty of winners from humble backgrounds and non-coastal regions. Plenty of years, the winner would be from some no-name town in the Midwest. Sure, being privileged helped, but there was real diversity, and most people with the talent had a chance.
Sheesh. pg obviously foresaw negative reactions, but this entire thread is simply ridiculous.
Does someone foreseeing negative reactions to something, and then doing it anyway, mean those negative reactions should not occur? If I steal something, I'm pretty sure I'll get negative reactions (social disapproval, risk of physical harm, jail time, etc.) because, as it were, it's actually the wrong thing to do. If I do it, I can't dismiss people's hatred for that action as somehow invalid by saying, "yeah, I knew that would piss you off." The fact that I knew beforehand that people would find the action offensive doesn't mitigate it's general wrongness.
I don't believe his actions are wrong. I do believe they piss people off.
You (and everyone else on this thread) can be pissed off. That doesn't change the fact that one lucky rich kid is going to learn quite a bit for an evening, or that a couple of lucky poor kids are going to be able to attend an elite pre-school that they wouldn't otherwise be able to go to. Just because you (well, "we", I ain't going either) aren't that lucky kid doesn't mean it's not a good thing.
It's quite possible for an act to be the right thing to do and still hated.
You (and everyone else on this thread) can be pissed off. That doesn't change the fact that one lucky rich kid is going to learn quite a bit for an evening, or that a couple of lucky poor kids are going to be able to attend an elite pre-school that they wouldn't otherwise be able to go to. Just because you (well, "we", I ain't going either) aren't that lucky kid doesn't mean it's not a good thing.
It's quite possible for an act to be the right thing to do and still hated.
> the winner would be from some no-name town in the Midwest
Is that supposed to be the pinnacle of unprivilege? I'd bet the sheer majority of these winners had parents who had time to be very proactive in their education. Or is considering that privilege inconvenient for this conversation?
For negative reactions, you'll invariably get concern trolls who take issue just to feel like they're helping some plight (unless you're already pandering to concern trolls), so no, it's not the same type of expectation as "stealing". But my point there was only to contrast that expected noise with the overwhelming actual reaction.
Feel free to engage my main point - to the extent that YC/SV is still meritocratic, then this dinner is not a guaranteed acceptance to that meritocracy.. and to the extent that SV has become an insider network for flipping Instagrams, access to bubblicious capital is necessarily facilitated by social connections and fueling outrage toward a small time charitable event because it can be pigeonholed as a symptom is a great way to ignore the actual cause of the decay.
Is that supposed to be the pinnacle of unprivilege? I'd bet the sheer majority of these winners had parents who had time to be very proactive in their education. Or is considering that privilege inconvenient for this conversation?
For negative reactions, you'll invariably get concern trolls who take issue just to feel like they're helping some plight (unless you're already pandering to concern trolls), so no, it's not the same type of expectation as "stealing". But my point there was only to contrast that expected noise with the overwhelming actual reaction.
Feel free to engage my main point - to the extent that YC/SV is still meritocratic, then this dinner is not a guaranteed acceptance to that meritocracy.. and to the extent that SV has become an insider network for flipping Instagrams, access to bubblicious capital is necessarily facilitated by social connections and fueling outrage toward a small time charitable event because it can be pigeonholed as a symptom is a great way to ignore the actual cause of the decay.
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I agree with michaelochurch. I think this is less important that where the money will be spent than what kind of culture your are creating.
In my observation, here in India (I am from India) that a child born in a poor family remains poor for whole of his life . There are exceptions, but this is true for most of the cases. In my opinion, the reason behind is that the society and culture makes feel a child of poor family that he/she is poor in all aspect of life. This goes to un-conscious mind of children that they are poor and they never come out this thought when they grow up and even if they are very very talented.
Please do make such kind of culture where kids feel bad simply because their parent can't afford something for them. Please do not make kids feel that they belong to a poor family. I can see the current bid is $20K which is a big amount even for a middle class family.
I know that world is not perfect, but we can try making it better at least by not playing the money games in kids matter. If you think further, this kind of culture is a way to society where only children of rich people will get proper healthcare, education etc.
In my observation, here in India (I am from India) that a child born in a poor family remains poor for whole of his life . There are exceptions, but this is true for most of the cases. In my opinion, the reason behind is that the society and culture makes feel a child of poor family that he/she is poor in all aspect of life. This goes to un-conscious mind of children that they are poor and they never come out this thought when they grow up and even if they are very very talented.
Please do make such kind of culture where kids feel bad simply because their parent can't afford something for them. Please do not make kids feel that they belong to a poor family. I can see the current bid is $20K which is a big amount even for a middle class family.
I know that world is not perfect, but we can try making it better at least by not playing the money games in kids matter. If you think further, this kind of culture is a way to society where only children of rich people will get proper healthcare, education etc.
Even the purr of a cat will eventually be metered and priced if these people can find a way.
Hey, isn't that the Uber kittens thing?
Hey, isn't that the Uber kittens thing?
What harm does it do if only rich kids get to go to a YC dinner?
A place for some more deserving poor kid would be nice.
A place for some more deserving poor kid would be nice.
I used to hate when conservatives and Republicans made Real Americans arguments but this issue is a litmus test for whether one is on or not on the hot air balloon of the current, out-of-touch, Silicon Valley elite, or whether one is down here with the rest of us for whom gravity and reality apply.
The New 1%, the out of touch types, look at things like this and think they are somehow progressive, based on an Econ-101 understanding of "efficiency" (which is not well-defined for sociological problems). The rest of us, who've actually had struggle in our lives, find it disgusting and perverse, because it makes a mockery of the hard work of such a massive number of people out there.
Also, that scholarship is probably going to go to some middle-income-but-highly-connected child of a Stanford professor or a diplomat, and not an actual poor person. Just sayin'.
The New 1%, the out of touch types, look at things like this and think they are somehow progressive, based on an Econ-101 understanding of "efficiency" (which is not well-defined for sociological problems). The rest of us, who've actually had struggle in our lives, find it disgusting and perverse, because it makes a mockery of the hard work of such a massive number of people out there.
Also, that scholarship is probably going to go to some middle-income-but-highly-connected child of a Stanford professor or a diplomat, and not an actual poor person. Just sayin'.
"why not make an unconditional donation to Bing and then open up these dinners to teenagers willing to apply/write an essay for them, regardless of ability to pay?"
What was done was easy to do. Simple decision "yes or no" here is the benefit. [1]
What you are asking would require meetings, details and more thought amongst people who don't really have the time for that.
[1] Keep that in mind when you are doing business with people. Make it simple for them to agree and require no effort on their part (or at least as little as possible). If you want to delay decision making do the opposite. If you want to delay it even more give them an assignment to complete (like a 3 page list of questions that they need to answer before you will take their money). Friction kills deals just like time does.
What was done was easy to do. Simple decision "yes or no" here is the benefit. [1]
What you are asking would require meetings, details and more thought amongst people who don't really have the time for that.
[1] Keep that in mind when you are doing business with people. Make it simple for them to agree and require no effort on their part (or at least as little as possible). If you want to delay decision making do the opposite. If you want to delay it even more give them an assignment to complete (like a 3 page list of questions that they need to answer before you will take their money). Friction kills deals just like time does.
> If you want to delay it even more give them an assignment to complete (like a 3 page list of questions that they need to answer before you will take their money).
In my opinion, you are comparing apples to oranges. This is not like putting up a 12 field registration/payment form for your web app, it is asking people who are interested in getting access to one of these dinners to express why they think they are worthy of attending. The perceived value is high enough such that you should theoretically only be reading essays from people who took the time and made the effort to apply.
You are absolutely right, this is the easiest way, and it is by no means a bad idea. Donating to charity in anyway is a great idea. However, the virtue of that fact does not automatically mean that the method for raising the money to be donated was intrinsically great.
I must note that my opinion is colored by the fact that I would have loved to attend one of these dinners myself during my teen years, but my parents (nor myself) could absolutely not afford to have paid for it, but I would have been happy to compete for the spot on other criteria.
In my opinion, you are comparing apples to oranges. This is not like putting up a 12 field registration/payment form for your web app, it is asking people who are interested in getting access to one of these dinners to express why they think they are worthy of attending. The perceived value is high enough such that you should theoretically only be reading essays from people who took the time and made the effort to apply.
You are absolutely right, this is the easiest way, and it is by no means a bad idea. Donating to charity in anyway is a great idea. However, the virtue of that fact does not automatically mean that the method for raising the money to be donated was intrinsically great.
I must note that my opinion is colored by the fact that I would have loved to attend one of these dinners myself during my teen years, but my parents (nor myself) could absolutely not afford to have paid for it, but I would have been happy to compete for the spot on other criteria.
I'm pretty sure the YC partners don't have the time to comb through dinner attendance applications and manage the rest of that, unfortunately. Maybe they could outsource that, though.
Why should PG be worrying about the cheap shots? At the end of the day, well done for raising this amount of money for a good charity. He could of sat on the couch watching a mind numbing tv show, but instead, he raised money for a charity offering children a very important stage early on in their lives. It would however indeed be TOTALLY AWESOME (!!) if PG also would organise a dinner for other kids, free of charge, that they can somehow win, but at the end of the day, this remains to be his choice.
“Bing was constructed as a laboratory school with a grant from the National Science Foundation and a gift from Dr. Peter S. Bing and his mother, Mrs. Anna Bing Arnold.”
I’m glad I went on DDG before assuming Microsoft paid to name a nursery school after its advertising business.
I’m glad I went on DDG before assuming Microsoft paid to name a nursery school after its advertising business.
That's all well and good, but couldn't even more net social utility be created by a better auction? This perpetuates generational wealth rather than giving an opportunity to someone who earned it for themselves.
At the very least, couldn't you auction off a seat to adults? At least that would be people using their own money to buy themselves advantages rather than yet another example of parents buying significant advantages for their children.
Maybe I'm just bitter because I'm 20 and my parents could never afford to pay $20,000. I don't see why you should purposefully give someone else whose parents could yet another advantage in life.
PS. To put my money where my mouth is, I'd donate $1,000 of my own money to Watsi or another charity of your choice if it buys a seat.
At the very least, couldn't you auction off a seat to adults? At least that would be people using their own money to buy themselves advantages rather than yet another example of parents buying significant advantages for their children.
Maybe I'm just bitter because I'm 20 and my parents could never afford to pay $20,000. I don't see why you should purposefully give someone else whose parents could yet another advantage in life.
PS. To put my money where my mouth is, I'd donate $1,000 of my own money to Watsi or another charity of your choice if it buys a seat.
Is your auction and seems fairly harmless on the scale of things, but surely this prize is expressly intended to give an advantage to the kids of people rich enough to buy it otherwise you would presumably have chosen to auction off a different prize.
...otherwise you would presumably have chosen to auction off a different prize.
Do you have something in mind? An invite to a YC dinner is free and, much more importantly, costs nobody at YC very much time.
Do you have something in mind? An invite to a YC dinner is free and, much more importantly, costs nobody at YC very much time.
An invite to a YC dinner is free
The catering isn't.
Besides, my point wasn't about suggesting something else, it was just remarking that the whole intent of auctioning access to a business dinner is to sell some kind of percieved power to those who can afford it.
If there wasn't percieved power there, then the prize wouldn't raise much money.
Now it could also be that this prize was chosen precisely because it counterpoints the eventual use of the money, which would be as good a reason as any.
At the end of the day there are many ways of getting rich people to pay into charity and this is just one of them, is also probably quite effective as it taps into the whole dynasty thing.
The catering isn't.
Besides, my point wasn't about suggesting something else, it was just remarking that the whole intent of auctioning access to a business dinner is to sell some kind of percieved power to those who can afford it.
If there wasn't percieved power there, then the prize wouldn't raise much money.
Now it could also be that this prize was chosen precisely because it counterpoints the eventual use of the money, which would be as good a reason as any.
At the end of the day there are many ways of getting rich people to pay into charity and this is just one of them, is also probably quite effective as it taps into the whole dynasty thing.
I'm OK with auctions, price-based-rationing of scarce goods, and your analysis of the net good this will do.
But, you might also consider an occasional raffle'd spot, or a spot otherwise drawn from an eligibility pool with a lower economic barrier-to-entry.
You might raise as much or more, and it would be easier to mix in things like donated-tickets or third-party-sponsored-tickets.
And, the pool of losing-entries would itself be valuable, as a community with expressed interest in YC. Perhaps the drawing-winner(s) and some volunteer YCers could throw a followup separate, larger-audience event for them: passing on the good wisdom and fortune, in the YC style.
But, you might also consider an occasional raffle'd spot, or a spot otherwise drawn from an eligibility pool with a lower economic barrier-to-entry.
You might raise as much or more, and it would be easier to mix in things like donated-tickets or third-party-sponsored-tickets.
And, the pool of losing-entries would itself be valuable, as a community with expressed interest in YC. Perhaps the drawing-winner(s) and some volunteer YCers could throw a followup separate, larger-audience event for them: passing on the good wisdom and fortune, in the YC style.
I just wished there was a solution to this that made everyone happy. The mere idea of bestowing knowledge to someone who has a resource advantage creates discomfort.
I know the amount of places is limited, but would it be possible for the next time to offer a differential attendance? For example, donators get front-seats and the non-resourceful can participate farther-back or standing up, a la kickstarter.
I know the amount of places is limited, but would it be possible for the next time to offer a differential attendance? For example, donators get front-seats and the non-resourceful can participate farther-back or standing up, a la kickstarter.
This is a cause that YC likes, and they're donating one of their assets to support the cause. Why is there so much negativity around this?
First, this is basically the most valuable thing YC can give away (without selling slots into its batches). What else would be a reasonable thing to offer? Second, this is access to a YC dinner, but it doesn't ruin the meritocracy aspect -- just because you met a partner at a dinner doesn't mean you can get into YC with a crappy idea or without a lot of work. Third, it makes sense to target wealthy people and offer them a valuable reward for their contributions. They have the most to contribute, and a reward makes them more likely to contribute, and to contribute more.
The negative responses really bum me out.
First, this is basically the most valuable thing YC can give away (without selling slots into its batches). What else would be a reasonable thing to offer? Second, this is access to a YC dinner, but it doesn't ruin the meritocracy aspect -- just because you met a partner at a dinner doesn't mean you can get into YC with a crappy idea or without a lot of work. Third, it makes sense to target wealthy people and offer them a valuable reward for their contributions. They have the most to contribute, and a reward makes them more likely to contribute, and to contribute more.
The negative responses really bum me out.
I think that it is more the fact that the prize is specifically for the children of the people who have, at this point, $20k+ to contribute to a perfectly valid cause. It would be another matter entirely if it were some adult buying access to a YC dinner. It is not. The gut reaction is that some rich kid gets to build his/her Rolodex because he/she hit the sperm lottery. In my opinion, it just seems like the antithesis of what YC is all about, which is (as far as I can tell), "who are you, what have you built, and why are you so good at what you do."
The gut reaction is that some rich kid gets to build his/her Rolodex because he/she hit the sperm lottery. In my opinion, it just seems like the antithesis of what YC is all about, which is (as far as I can tell), "who are you, what have you built, and why are you so good at what you do."
Bingo.
Now, it's a huge topological stretch to argue that attending the YC dinner is really going to set a kid for life. More likely, he'll make a jackass of himself and that will be the end of that. However, it's the statement, the impression, and the direction that's getting everyone riled up.
The reason people dislike VCs is that they give resources to people who need them the least. They'd be more respected if they were pouring their efforts (at least in terms of time and mentorship; as they are businesses, they shouldn't be funding nonviable candidates) into projects and people who could actually use the help. No one likes a fairweather friend.
Bingo.
Now, it's a huge topological stretch to argue that attending the YC dinner is really going to set a kid for life. More likely, he'll make a jackass of himself and that will be the end of that. However, it's the statement, the impression, and the direction that's getting everyone riled up.
The reason people dislike VCs is that they give resources to people who need them the least. They'd be more respected if they were pouring their efforts (at least in terms of time and mentorship; as they are businesses, they shouldn't be funding nonviable candidates) into projects and people who could actually use the help. No one likes a fairweather friend.
Well intentioned probably. Full of suck though. Let's face it, if Y Combinator can't fund a few scholarships for whatever school it wants to, it isn't the most successful incubator in the world, or whatever it is. It can and it should it it wants to. Drawing attention to it like this seems remarkably gauche.
This seems to implicitly support the 'poor' in a rather patronising way. Rich person pays for kid to come to dinner. Poor person gets gift of education.
Wonder who would bid if it was rich person gets to pay for poor person's kid to go to dinner and rich kid gets 0?
This seems to implicitly support the 'poor' in a rather patronising way. Rich person pays for kid to come to dinner. Poor person gets gift of education.
Wonder who would bid if it was rich person gets to pay for poor person's kid to go to dinner and rich kid gets 0?
As if a Bay Area kid whose parent has a couple extra grand to bid on such dinners is going to be short on advantages in startuplandia. How about a chance for disadvantaged kids to attend a YC dinner?
How about a chance for disadvantaged kids to attend a YC dinner?
The Poors are dangerous.
The Poors are dangerous.
This looks like a life changing experience for a teen. Is this auction going to Bing Nursery School?
Yes, it's for the scholarship fund.
You should do a TOMS model for this - as in, one person pays for the meal and chance to meet/greet with founders, developers, and SV leaders (unfortunately biased towards wealthier people). Then, you give away a "meal" to a person who applies with an essay or something and who's parents can't pick up the check on this opportunity.
Since the money's going to scholarships, the situation actually is something like that, except the latter parents get something better.
I think you should consider adding it to the auction page. It would probably make it clearer and help raise bids.
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Would it really be? I guess it depends on the teen.
Am I reading this wrong, or is this an auction for a single slot that's currently at twenty thousand dollars? If this is a standard auction model and that's what's actually going on... wow.
I don't think you should be auctioning this for money. I think you should have some sort of way for kids in that age range to submit a video to you, like a 30 second video someone on YCombinator could watch, and to see their potential. Some rich kid that might think he's got what it takes will ask his rich daddy to pay for it.
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As a 22 year old, I'd happily give $1000 to go to a YC dinner.
What would be interesting is if you could elaborate on a) where you would get the $1000 and how significant $1000 is to you personally (vs. whatever your assets are) b) what you would hope to gain by paying $1000 and doing this that you could get by being creative and not spending the money.
A.) I have a job. $1000 is about 58% of what I pay for a month of rent, and about 1/3rd of my monthly income. B.) Meet people, have fun, absorb information from smart people in a memorable moment. I don't see it as much different from e.g. a WWDC ticket, which would be nearly double the cost.
I will add: I grew up relatively poor in Michigan. My parents income was less than $60k, so I couldn't really afford college. I moved into my own apartment when I was 18, and supported myself except for around $130/mo in cell phone and car insurance bills. The only remaining financial support from my parents is a $19/mo cell phone bill.
This year I moved to Silicon Valley with less than $3000 in pocket, and I now work at a startup.
I will add: I grew up relatively poor in Michigan. My parents income was less than $60k, so I couldn't really afford college. I moved into my own apartment when I was 18, and supported myself except for around $130/mo in cell phone and car insurance bills. The only remaining financial support from my parents is a $19/mo cell phone bill.
This year I moved to Silicon Valley with less than $3000 in pocket, and I now work at a startup.
I guess his $1000 is worth the same than everyone else.
Only from a literal third party perspective. Someone whose family lives in a poor area and lives on food stamps will place a whole lot more value on $1,000 than a rich kid who gets the latest tech, his private high school tuition, and his car paid for by his parents.
Most aren't this black and white, of course, but the point is that a fixed amount of any asset can mean vastly different things to people in different circumstances.
Most aren't this black and white, of course, but the point is that a fixed amount of any asset can mean vastly different things to people in different circumstances.
And how would you feel about chatting with startup founders there when you yourself is not one of them?
I don't think it's about being in their social circle, but about the high concentration of smart people and being able to absorb their knowledge.
I believe the real issue we are discussing is do the ends justify the means. Is setting the precedent that you can buy a seat at a YC dinner worth a 20,000$ charitable donation. All in all I think it is. Also as a fifteen year old programmer whose parents definitely couldn't afford the 20k, I don't see this seat at the table as a great advantage and am thankful that the less fortunate will be helped.
It's a no-brainer. One seat at one dinner for one seat for one year of education. That's an obvious win for everyone. I'm sad something so trivial turned into something so meaningful can become so controversial.
20k? Wow!
I suspect that a resourceful kid could get a meeting with PG for free if they thought hard enough.
So I see this as 100% Donation. In some traditions, the value value of a donation is from the heart of the donor. In others it's from the benefit to the recipient. I am in the latter camp. I hope there is a bidding war and some rich self righteous jerk pays 500k to it. I think the charity would do a lot of good with that money.
I suspect that a resourceful kid could get a meeting with PG for free if they thought hard enough.
So I see this as 100% Donation. In some traditions, the value value of a donation is from the heart of the donor. In others it's from the benefit to the recipient. I am in the latter camp. I hope there is a bidding war and some rich self righteous jerk pays 500k to it. I think the charity would do a lot of good with that money.
I guess we can get market data on the value of a YC dinner...
As a 20 year old I'm seriously thinking about putting my internship money into this right now. I'll check back at 9:50pm and see what's the price.
Totally not worth 20k, I'll tell you that! There are better ways to get your foot in between the door, for free (unless you have no social skills what so ever).
Perhaps the winner will be a sullen, rebellious child of overbearing rich parents... who rather than showing up that night decides to crash daddy's car.
Have invitations for the interviews for YC Winter 2014 been sent out yet?
As a 20 year old student, this would be fantastic. I don't have the parents who could bid on this, so I suppose I'll shoot for it myself.
If I had a kid/wasn't a kid myself I'd bid. I'd imagine this is one of the most inspiring events a young person could witness
I read "come" as "become" and was like...what horrible joke awaits me?! Glad to see you won't be eating any children...
Cool, I how the funds help YC in some way.
Oh, they're being donated. Well that's cool too... But what was the purpose of this?
I'm tempted to bid on this for myself
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This idea that parents can buy YC connections for their kids is the final nail in the coffin of the idea of Silicon Valley meritocracy.
Oh, for goodness' sake. You could have made a legitimate point if you hadn't been so abruptly cut-throat.
The fact of the matter is that connections, luck, etc. rule pretty much everywhere. It's useless and unproductive to cast this blame to specific, ultimately small entities. If I had been born about 5 miles north of where I was born -- in the ghettos, vs. to a household that valued education, I would have been living a very different life. And I'm grateful that didn't happen, I'm grateful for all the opportunities I got, that my dad had friends in high places and were willing to hire me as an intern. I'm grateful that I had the social support to seek therapy when I had depression, a place to live when I was unemployed and penniless, friends that respected me, etc. I would not have had a lot of this if I was living in the third world, where opportunity is scarce.
That is the way it is. You could chide YC and all the VC world, and I'm not sure if you'd get anywhere. As far as VC firms and incubators go, it's clear to see YC is something else: they're funding nonprofits like Watsi, their partners seem to have some sense of social good, so I think snark here is misplaced.
The fact of the matter is that connections, luck, etc. rule pretty much everywhere. It's useless and unproductive to cast this blame to specific, ultimately small entities. If I had been born about 5 miles north of where I was born -- in the ghettos, vs. to a household that valued education, I would have been living a very different life. And I'm grateful that didn't happen, I'm grateful for all the opportunities I got, that my dad had friends in high places and were willing to hire me as an intern. I'm grateful that I had the social support to seek therapy when I had depression, a place to live when I was unemployed and penniless, friends that respected me, etc. I would not have had a lot of this if I was living in the third world, where opportunity is scarce.
That is the way it is. You could chide YC and all the VC world, and I'm not sure if you'd get anywhere. As far as VC firms and incubators go, it's clear to see YC is something else: they're funding nonprofits like Watsi, their partners seem to have some sense of social good, so I think snark here is misplaced.
I actually tend to like YC and the people it funds. They started with a noble mission, which was to provide access to funding for a larger set of people. I'd say that 75% of the YC founders I know are quality people.
I do think that Silicon Valley's arrogance and general out-of-touch attitude-- and unashamedly handing out VC connections to children who already benefit from a massive private welfare system is pretty damn out of touch-- poses a threat to the reputation of technologists in general (including people like me) and I'm going to fight the tide by making fun of this sort of shit. When the country stops liking "the techies" I would at least hope that some of them would recognize that we're not all the same, and that lifelong engineers are of a different (and better) character than the reigning VC-halo/TechCrunch leadership.
I do think that Silicon Valley's arrogance and general out-of-touch attitude-- and unashamedly handing out VC connections to children who already benefit from a massive private welfare system is pretty damn out of touch-- poses a threat to the reputation of technologists in general (including people like me) and I'm going to fight the tide by making fun of this sort of shit. When the country stops liking "the techies" I would at least hope that some of them would recognize that we're not all the same, and that lifelong engineers are of a different (and better) character than the reigning VC-halo/TechCrunch leadership.
"and that lifelong engineers are of a different (and better) character than the reigning VC-halo/TechCrunch leadership."
In what way? That's not a disagreement or a challenge but I'm curious what you mean by "better".
In any case isn't this exactly what happens when things become to popular and money is made? (Reminds me of that Paul Simon song where he refers to Joe Dimaggio.)
In what way? That's not a disagreement or a challenge but I'm curious what you mean by "better".
In any case isn't this exactly what happens when things become to popular and money is made? (Reminds me of that Paul Simon song where he refers to Joe Dimaggio.)
They started with a noble mission, which was to provide access to funding for a larger set of people.
I'm simply curious, did you mean to imply that this is something of the past?
I'm simply curious, did you mean to imply that this is something of the past?
I'm simply curious, did you mean to imply that this is something of the past?
The use of past tense was more to reflect deficiencies in my knowledge. I was a huge fan of PG and YC circa 2006-7 because of what the original mission seemed to be: to make funding possible for less established or connected people. I have no reason to doubt that he has deviated from his mission; however, I avoided the present tense because I do not know that he stayed the course. I can speak with more confidence on the past, hence the use of that tense.
The use of past tense was more to reflect deficiencies in my knowledge. I was a huge fan of PG and YC circa 2006-7 because of what the original mission seemed to be: to make funding possible for less established or connected people. I have no reason to doubt that he has deviated from his mission; however, I avoided the present tense because I do not know that he stayed the course. I can speak with more confidence on the past, hence the use of that tense.
Okay thanks for clarifying!
Did you read pg's clarification that's now at the top, and does it change your feelings about this particular instance?
can you elaborate on 'children who already benefit from a massive private welfare system'?
The current system isn't really socialism or capitalism. It's the best of both for a well-connected elite ("the 1%", but it's closer to 0.1%) and the worst of both for the rest.
Their connections comprise a welfare system that keeps them from really failing.
Their connections comprise a welfare system that keeps them from really failing.
That is the way it is. You could chide YC and all the VC world, and I'm not sure if you'd get anywhere.
This is it, isn't it. The scale of the problem is so vast that it's easy for everyone to shrug off their share of the responsibility. This seems to be the case with all civilization-scale problems and one of the deepest flaws of our species.
This is it, isn't it. The scale of the problem is so vast that it's easy for everyone to shrug off their share of the responsibility. This seems to be the case with all civilization-scale problems and one of the deepest flaws of our species.
Sort of yes, but not exactly.
It is the scale of the problem that's the problem, but not in the "everybody just shrugs their shoulders way". People are working on it. The problem is that nobody can fix the problem all at once, and so in the process of creating new winners, they also create new losers.
Think about it this way: YC did not exist 8 years ago. There was no way for someone like the Reddit founders or Brian Chesky of AirBnB to create their companies; after all, they lacked connections too. There was no way for people to gain income by renting out their spare rooms (I have at least one friend who is financially kept afloat by this).
But when you solve that problem, you leave behind all the other folks who think they could also found a billion-dollar company, if only given the chance, but for whatever reason don't make it into YC. And so they get bitter and complain about how unfair the world is. Which is true; their number didn't come up on the dice, but complaining about it is not doing themselves any favors.
Keep in mind that people are upset because one rich kid will get to pay $20K to go to a YC dinner, while a couple poor kids get scholarships to attend an elite private school they wouldn't otherwise be able to go to. This is about as close to a strictly-positive-for-everyone deal as possible.
I think that one of the deepest flaws of our species is that we measure ourselves by relative accomplishment instead of absolute accomplishment. If you are reading Hacker News, you are probably in the top 1% by opportunities available worldwide. But we compare ourselves to the lucky sops who cash out for billions (even though there are only a handful of them), rather than the people around us.
It is the scale of the problem that's the problem, but not in the "everybody just shrugs their shoulders way". People are working on it. The problem is that nobody can fix the problem all at once, and so in the process of creating new winners, they also create new losers.
Think about it this way: YC did not exist 8 years ago. There was no way for someone like the Reddit founders or Brian Chesky of AirBnB to create their companies; after all, they lacked connections too. There was no way for people to gain income by renting out their spare rooms (I have at least one friend who is financially kept afloat by this).
But when you solve that problem, you leave behind all the other folks who think they could also found a billion-dollar company, if only given the chance, but for whatever reason don't make it into YC. And so they get bitter and complain about how unfair the world is. Which is true; their number didn't come up on the dice, but complaining about it is not doing themselves any favors.
Keep in mind that people are upset because one rich kid will get to pay $20K to go to a YC dinner, while a couple poor kids get scholarships to attend an elite private school they wouldn't otherwise be able to go to. This is about as close to a strictly-positive-for-everyone deal as possible.
I think that one of the deepest flaws of our species is that we measure ourselves by relative accomplishment instead of absolute accomplishment. If you are reading Hacker News, you are probably in the top 1% by opportunities available worldwide. But we compare ourselves to the lucky sops who cash out for billions (even though there are only a handful of them), rather than the people around us.
In silicon valley merits play a huge part, but just like any other places, people are the build blocks of social interaction. Your connections and people you know and any other form of resources (rich parents, friend of VCs, etc) would fundamentally play a huge role in your success.
I still think Silicon Valley is meritocracy since it's actually very difficult to succeed without any kind of value/merit, but meritocracy does not imply it's always going to be a fair playground for everyone.
I still think Silicon Valley is meritocracy since it's actually very difficult to succeed without any kind of value/merit, but meritocracy does not imply it's always going to be a fair playground for everyone.
People with money have an advantage over people without money. News at 11.
No need to make that disadvantage deeper by contributing to it.
I also find selling connection-potential to be as anti-meritocratic as you can be.
I also find selling connection-potential to be as anti-meritocratic as you can be.
It's not that hard to get a free meeting with pg.
Scroll down, click apply.
Scroll down, click apply.
I wonder if someone will apply to YC S14 with this idea? I mean, raising funds for charities like these for access to the people behind YC and taking a small cut could be the next IPO! I can see the tagline now: "Watsi but for addressing the growing inequalities in the 'developed' world" and for growth would be just buying up the clones that pop up in the rest of the world.
Oh, cool, you found a way to stack the startup game towards the wealthy.
How is the startup game not stacked towards the wealthy already?
Even though this is for charity I feel the same way. :/
We knew when we decided to offer this item for auction that people would give us grief about it. But we're happy to take the heat to give more kids the opportunity to attend Bing.