Why I’m helping startup founders

http://joel.is/post/28198804700/why-im-helping-startup-founders

by ColinWright • 14 years ago

18 11 14 years ago

LeonW• 14 years ago

This is a great post, Ziglar's "You will get everything you want in life by helping others get what they want" comes to mind. Simply taking time out every day to help others on a consistent basis can go very far, the fact that this will prepare you to be one of the best startup advisors or angel investors comes without doubt, great inspiration!

polyfractal• 14 years ago

I agree with the sentiment of trying to help other people especially when you are small. I find these kinds of posts the most interesting, since they apply the most directly to my situations.

Reading about scaling to millions or closing a big deal is interesting, but reading about "boots on the ground" this is how I got my first 100 customers is actionable information.

notbitter3• 14 years ago

You are actually hurting startup founders by farting out this HN-optimized fluff of platitudes and having your co-founder vote it up. Please stop it.

thibaut_barrere• 14 years ago

I don't know, really - I can totally relate to most of the items described in this post. Just providing a counterpoint.

ColinWright2• 14 years ago

Thanks for your comment:

  > You are actually hurting startup founders by farting
  > out this HN-optimized fluff of platitudes and having
  > your co-founder vote it up. Please stop it.
  > -- notbitter

As you might imagine, I don't agree with it. More, I don't actually understand what you're really trying to say. I gather you don't like it, and I do understand that some people will have different opinions to mine, but if you don't explain clearly then I really don't have a chance to learn from you.

So, if you don't mind, could you expand on your comment and make your arguments clearer?

I'm also interested in what seems to be some sort of accusation. In particular, you say:

  > ... having your co-founder vote it up.

I didn't write it, and I am not a co-founder of the person who did, so I'd be interested to learn who you think is a co-founder of whom. Otherwise this smells of an accusation of dishonesty.

I look forward to your reply.

Oh, and I just thought I'd add, I haven't downvoted you, not least because I can't. HN doesn't allow downvoting of replies to one's own submissions or comments

notbitter3• 14 years ago

Thanks for your passive-aggressive reply. My comment was directed at the author, not at you. I don't know what if any connection you have to the author.

However, you should note the content-free enthusiastic comment by LeonW, posted right after you submitted the article, in which he does not mention that he is the author's co-founder. You might also have noticed that many articles from this blog are similar: a catchy headline, a bunch of vague inspirational words on an uncontroversial subject, a token link to the conversion funnel, and a surprisingly high rank on the HN front page.

If you aren't even slightly suspicious that this article is 99% conversion fodder and maybe 1% altruism, I am not going to be able to explain it to you.

nfm• 14 years ago

HN has detection algorithms for voting rings and won't count votes in such cases. If a post is getting upvotes, it's typically legit.

archildress• 14 years ago

Fantastic article Joel - I shot you an email.

heretohelp• 14 years ago

notbitter is right, this stuff is cancer.

Why I’m helping startup founders

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