Humanity's best future will converge as follows. When a child is born, or on any day after, their parental custodian may enlist the services of a special for-profit company. It will be best to do this early because the company is likely going to give the child
Someone said I'm making people legible and this is a good thing, a needed thing. I realized just now reading a bunch of my own old blog posts that I'm also making silicon valley culture "legible", and the principles underneath it, as well as
I've come up with some new analogies this week to fit Ampersand U into people's brains, including mine. We can think of it as the Thiel Fellowship meets Shark Tank! As far as I know, the Thiel Fellowship operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, part
Yesterday's blog post gave a few examples of how altruism fails in practice. "Being nice" and "doing good" are historically unsound bases for social programs and progress. When we lead with our feelings, humans struggle to intellectually grasp the long-term implications of their
PlayPumps is the modern story of good intentions creating bad outcomes. They raised tens of millions to install children's merry-go-rounds as infrastructure in Africa. Turns out the kids got tired fast. This left poor mothers struggling to push toys for water, wishing they had normal pumps
Essentially, the main question is do I like you a lot and trust you profoundly. &U is a good fit for: * first-time founder, under age 25 * wants to get into YC * wants to make lots of money * no prestigious credentials * not from nor living in USA (yet :) * has
Do you reject the default path? Are you leveling yourself up? Want to change the world? I'd like to have a conversation with anyone who relentlessly overcomes challenges, frequently bets on themself, and eagerly ships projects. Or maybe you're not sure if this describes you...yet.
I took a walk around Fairfax yesterday and discovered the lovely public library. Strolling around the shelves, I recalled my elementary school days. I didn't like reading at first. It was hard, boring, annoying. Then Harry Potter changed me. My dad read books 1 & 2 aloud but
Phu is kind. He wants others to be happy. He took me on a walk when I had trouble getting out of bed the other day. He's always offering to help. Usually I refuse, because I see his offers coming not from a concrete theory of change but
If you don't like how other people behave then try teaching them to do things differently. Or go find people whose behaviors you like more. "But I'm not their parent. But people don't change. But it's too hard. But..." If
A founder friend told me investors aren't super helpful beyond a certain point. I had never thought about this before. Isn't Peter Thiel always right? If you've spent 3 or more years honing your skills and collecting experience every single day, fitting yourself to
I've been biking to the gym. The tires need air. For proper care, cleaning and lubricating the chain every 1-3 weeks depends on dirt levels, usage, wetness. Who actually does that though? Leg day for the first time in years left all my muscles sore. I stretched