We Need A YC for Everything This is Problem #3 on my list of The World’s Biggest Problems. The short answer is you need to know somebody. If you don’t already know one of them, you’re not getting in the front door. Those who do break through without connections take a grueling path to success,Continue reading “The Front Door”
Category Archives: Essays
YC for Politics
An accelerator for rising stars in politics Create a new front door for politics and government. YC did this for VC. This has massively increased the pool of potential startup founders. We can create a YC-like path for less privileged people to become politicians. Network and fundraise from the Democratic or Republican establishment. This systemContinue reading “YC for Politics”
The Money Problem
Money vs. Meaning Everyone has a number where they’d be financially ‘free’. The gap between this number and your current wealth is your money problem. Most people would quit if they had $100K+ to cover their next 1-2 years. This is Personal Capital. Many people need $10K or less to start their passion project. See:Continue reading “The Money Problem”
We Need A Middle Class For Startups
Bootstrapped from zero. “Sell a product or course online! Sell services locally!” There are millions of different get rich quick schemes floating online now. The goal here is to secure the bag and escape the grind ASAP. Raised $100M+ from VCs. “Are you a Unicorn yet? Which Y Combinator class were you in?” Startups areContinue reading “We Need A Middle Class For Startups”
The Decades Are Short But The Centuries Are Long
Labdoor is turning 10 years old this month! We’ve been through so much — moving cross-country to SF to join Rock Health, raising a seed round led by Mark Cuban, creating a passionate community of smart consumers, getting accepted into Y Combinator’s Winter 2015 class, fighting multiple lawsuits from supplement companies, raising a Series A ledContinue reading “The Decades Are Short But The Centuries Are Long”
The Most Important Job in the World
Goalie, St. Louis Blues: 1992-95 Astronaut, NASA: 1995-99 President, USA: 1999-2010 Owner, St. Louis Blues: 2000-Now Help Dad Rebuild His Business: 2010-12 Make Independent Testing Ubiquitous: 2012-2020 Solve the World’s Biggest Problems: 2020-Now My first loves were hockey and the St. Louis Blues. I started playing hockey when I was four, first street and rollerContinue reading “The Most Important Job in the World”
Real Real GDP
A woman in Coldwater, Michigan works 60 hours a week for $8.50 per hour ($510/week). Minimum wage is increased to $15 per hour. The same woman now works 34 hours a week for $15 per hour ($510/week). Answer: Nothing. That 26 hours per week goes into childcare and housework and, yes, leisure. But GDP doesn’tContinue reading “Real Real GDP”
Hidden Ambition
We’re scared of losing, but we’re terrified of being called a loser. We grew up watching elementary school bullies pick on the “nerds”. If you’re like me, you were usually the target of the teasing. It’s easy to internalize the idea that being ambitious isn’t cool. Social media is full of bullies making fun ofContinue reading “Hidden Ambition”
You Have To Make Life Meaningful
They’ll summarize your life into a few words, sentences, or paragraphs. The family you created, the friends you made, the things you did. In those words are the meaning of your life. Life’s secret is that these words aren’t predetermined. We get to pick these words through our actions now. We have to make ourContinue reading “You Have To Make Life Meaningful”
Ambitious Optimists
Moonshots force us to stretch to the limits of our potential. The pursuit of these goals turn dreams into reality. “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure theContinue reading “Ambitious Optimists”