Comments on: Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Startup Entrepreneur? http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/ Startup and Technology News Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:29:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Catalyze This » Blog Archive » I’m of the same mold as Nick Gonzales :D http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1720263 Catalyze This » Blog Archive » I’m of the same mold as Nick Gonzales :D Fri, 02 Nov 2007 05:11:54 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1720263 [...] Check it out. [...] [...] Check it out. [...]

]]> By: Do You Fit the Tech Startup Profile? at Solo Startup : Resources for Starting a Small Business as a Solo Entrepreneur http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1442257 Do You Fit the Tech Startup Profile? at Solo Startup : Resources for Starting a Small Business as a Solo Entrepreneur Tue, 19 Jun 2007 04:36:34 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1442257 [...] read about an interesting personality profiler in the TechCrunch article Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Startup Entrepreneur?. It’s a tool used by a company called Pairwise that uses images to determine your [...] [...] read about an interesting personality profiler in the TechCrunch article Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Startup Entrepreneur?. It’s a tool used by a company called Pairwise that uses images to determine your [...]

]]> By: sfty http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1331335 sfty Sat, 14 Apr 2007 20:07:03 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1331335 90% ..and that means what now? 90% ..and that means what now?

]]> By: Vinod Ponmanadiyil http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1311195 Vinod Ponmanadiyil Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:53:52 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1311195 81%M 81%M

]]> By: Gath Adams http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1304579 Gath Adams Sat, 31 Mar 2007 22:02:08 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1304579 <strong>Are you the next Larry Page or Sergey Brin?...</strong> Venture Capital firm Y Combinator are using this innovative personality test for their next round of applications. So take the test and see if you have what it takes to handle a couple of million being thrown at you. To apply for your Millions, just ... Are you the next Larry Page or Sergey Brin?…

Venture Capital firm Y Combinator are using this innovative personality test for their next round of applications. So take the test and see if you have what it takes to handle a couple of million being thrown at you.

To apply for your Millions, just …

]]> By: internhack http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1303954 internhack Sat, 31 Mar 2007 18:37:57 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1303954 I am a recruitment professional in France. Most of the people I've ever met in my line of work were really knowledgeable about the different kinds of test they had the applicants take, and used them as one tool among many. But one in a hundred is batshit crazy, I swear. They make decisions solely based on one thing, as ridiculous as having horse riding as a hobby or hand writing samples. For the record, this test got me wrong in pretty much every single way, and the meaning behind the pictures was ridiculously transparent. I don't think anybody could take this seriously at this point, but I worry about the one-in-a-million nutjob who's going to rely on this. This totally is an April Fools, right? I am a recruitment professional in France. Most of the people I’ve ever met in my line of work were really knowledgeable about the different kinds of test they had the applicants take, and used them as one tool among many. But one in a hundred is batshit crazy, I swear. They make decisions solely based on one thing, as ridiculous as having horse riding as a hobby or hand writing samples.
For the record, this test got me wrong in pretty much every single way, and the meaning behind the pictures was ridiculously transparent.
I don’t think anybody could take this seriously at this point, but I worry about the one-in-a-million nutjob who’s going to rely on this.

This totally is an April Fools, right?

]]> By: Wayne http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1303823 Wayne Sat, 31 Mar 2007 17:38:44 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1303823 The test doesn't show up at all in IE 6 though you do get greeted by script errors. Works fine in Firefox though. The test doesn’t show up at all in IE 6 though you do get greeted by script errors. Works fine in Firefox though.

]]> By: KwangErn Liew http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1303512 KwangErn Liew Sat, 31 Mar 2007 15:07:50 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1303512 Um, what happened to similarminds.com? Um, what happened to similarminds.com?

]]> By: Jay (living in First Life) http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1303273 Jay (living in First Life) Sat, 31 Mar 2007 13:12:52 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1303273 @ 61 Andy Thanks buddy. @ 64 Gath Agreed. They should also have an attribute for "Bubble Fever" and "Y-Combinator Retardation". @ 61 Andy

Thanks buddy.

@ 64 Gath

Agreed. They should also have an attribute for “Bubble Fever” and “Y-Combinator Retardation”.

]]> By: pligg.com http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1303005 pligg.com Sat, 31 Mar 2007 10:54:36 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1303005 <strong>Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Startup Entrepreneur?...</strong> If you’ve applied for a job before, you’ve probably fretted over how to answer questions like “are you inclined to rely more on improvisation than on careful planning?” or “do you like to create challenges for yourself when you take on a new ... Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Startup Entrepreneur?…

If you’ve applied for a job before, you’ve probably fretted over how to answer questions like “are you inclined to rely more on improvisation than on careful planning?” or “do you like to create challenges for yourself when you take on a new …

]]> By: Gath http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302916 Gath Sat, 31 Mar 2007 10:07:50 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302916 Too bad this didn't have a 'I have anger issues' attribute - I think a few of the posters here could score pretty high... Too bad this didn’t have a ‘I have anger issues’ attribute - I think a few of the posters here could score pretty high…

]]> By: jk http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302910 jk Sat, 31 Mar 2007 10:02:14 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302910 Interesting - my scores all floated around the middle. Around half the photos, I picked by content, and the other half by the shapes or colors. If I saw a lousy pic for something I like, compared to a nice pic of something I didn't care about, I'd choose the latter. The instructions were unclear about which photo I was to choose. Interesting - my scores all floated around the middle.

Around half the photos, I picked by content, and the other half by the shapes or colors. If I saw a lousy pic for something I like, compared to a nice pic of something I didn’t care about, I’d choose the latter. The instructions were unclear about which photo I was to choose.

]]> By: Filmator http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302862 Filmator Sat, 31 Mar 2007 09:29:32 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302862 another pile of shit covered on tc. This thing gives everyone the same results or what? another pile of shit covered on tc. This thing gives everyone the same results or what?

]]> By: Andy http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302766 Andy Sat, 31 Mar 2007 08:36:48 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302766 Jay, you are hilarious, and speak of exactly what is on my mind. Nicely said. Jay, you are hilarious, and speak of exactly what is on my mind. Nicely said.

]]> By: bort http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302698 bort Sat, 31 Mar 2007 08:02:00 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302698 the dumb part is that i can't fix the results to give them feedback to fix their dopey algorithm the dumb part is that i can’t fix the results to give them feedback to fix their dopey algorithm

]]> By: Drive:Activated : Do you have a startup founder's personality? http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302634 Drive:Activated : Do you have a startup founder's personality? Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:24:16 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302634 [...] you have a startup founder's personality? Over at TechCrunch, there's a post about a new startup, Pairwise. It's premise is to rework the personality tests with pictures [...] [...] you have a startup founder’s personality? Over at TechCrunch, there’s a post about a new startup, Pairwise. It’s premise is to rework the personality tests with pictures [...]

]]> By: Elad Kehat http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302596 Elad Kehat Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:02:16 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302596 Boy, this test figured me out wrong in so many ways, it seems to be random. IMHO it's just fundamentally flawed. Boy, this test figured me out wrong in so many ways, it seems to be random.
IMHO it’s just fundamentally flawed.

]]> By: Mo Kakwan http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302425 Mo Kakwan Sat, 31 Mar 2007 05:53:23 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302425 The test is 21st century bullshit!!! I date all bullshit by century. *laugh* The test is 21st century bullshit!!! I date all bullshit by century. *laugh*

]]> By: Jay (living in First Life) http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302418 Jay (living in First Life) Sat, 31 Mar 2007 05:50:43 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302418 This is retarded. PhoneMyPhone.com was ACTUALLY useful. I'm shocked TechCrunch linked to something this worthless. Is this what Y-Combinator is destined to churn out? Crappy Web 2.0 companies run by people who have no business plan and no idea of what the world looks like outisde of Silicon Valley? Some issues: - More humility than intelligence? Please. Anyone know of Bill Gates or Larry Ellison or Steve Jobs? - I like mild food? Ummmm I just at really spicy Thai food today and loved it. I love Indian and Thai food. I live on that stuff. Tabasco flows from my veins. - Messy people make better entrepreneurs? Um no. Messy people make great Y-Combinator funded people because they live in a 200 square foot hole in North Beach and smoke pot once a week. - Verbality? Way to use made up words guys. The real word is VERBOSITY. - People who listen are better entrepreneurs than people who speak? Not in the real world. Listen to your customers, but then TALK up your product. Maybe that's why Y-Combinator companies don't generate any revenues. They can't sell any ads or subscriptions because they can't TALK to anyone. - People with an interest in politics are better entrepreneurs? No, they are more likely to eat sofu-infused organic cage-free, fair trade fungal mucus which obviously also helps them survive in the jungle we call San Francisco Yes, this is a rant. More and more, I realize that Y-Combinator is a big joke. Graham & Co. give 23 year old geeks with no business model a few thousand to slug it out in the ultra expensive Bay Area. The live on ramen and produce cool Web 2.0 gadgets and pray that Yahoo! or Google will buy them out since they never have a way to monetize their userbase if they even have one. Then TechCrunch writes about them, crashes their servers, founders post on here, we clap our hands, and yippee ... only Y-Combinator wins. They underfund these businesses and just hope that one or two of them become Reddit. How is this different from a regular VC firm you ask? Well for one, regular VC firms don't give crap valuations and actually allow their start-up's employees to eat real food. I'm not advocating VCs by any means, but why give up 6% of your company (the median stated on Y-Combinator's web site) for a measly $5000? So you can network with other people caught in the same Ponzi scheme as you and get featured on Justin.tv? Paul Graham - I have finally realized your true genius. You're a pimp of sorts. This is retarded. PhoneMyPhone.com was ACTUALLY useful. I’m shocked TechCrunch linked to something this worthless. Is this what Y-Combinator is destined to churn out? Crappy Web 2.0 companies run by people who have no business plan and no idea of what the world looks like outisde of Silicon Valley?

Some issues:
- More humility than intelligence? Please. Anyone know of Bill Gates or Larry Ellison or Steve Jobs?
- I like mild food? Ummmm I just at really spicy Thai food today and loved it. I love Indian and Thai food. I live on that stuff. Tabasco flows from my veins.
- Messy people make better entrepreneurs? Um no. Messy people make great Y-Combinator funded people because they live in a 200 square foot hole in North Beach and smoke pot once a week.
- Verbality? Way to use made up words guys. The real word is VERBOSITY.
- People who listen are better entrepreneurs than people who speak? Not in the real world. Listen to your customers, but then TALK up your product. Maybe that’s why Y-Combinator companies don’t generate any revenues. They can’t sell any ads or subscriptions because they can’t TALK to anyone.
- People with an interest in politics are better entrepreneurs? No, they are more likely to eat sofu-infused organic cage-free, fair trade fungal mucus which obviously also helps them survive in the jungle we call San Francisco

Yes, this is a rant. More and more, I realize that Y-Combinator is a big joke. Graham & Co. give 23 year old geeks with no business model a few thousand to slug it out in the ultra expensive Bay Area. The live on ramen and produce cool Web 2.0 gadgets and pray that Yahoo! or Google will buy them out since they never have a way to monetize their userbase if they even have one. Then TechCrunch writes about them, crashes their servers, founders post on here, we clap our hands, and yippee … only Y-Combinator wins. They underfund these businesses and just hope that one or two of them become Reddit.

How is this different from a regular VC firm you ask? Well for one, regular VC firms don’t give crap valuations and actually allow their start-up’s employees to eat real food. I’m not advocating VCs by any means, but why give up 6% of your company (the median stated on Y-Combinator’s web site) for a measly $5000? So you can network with other people caught in the same Ponzi scheme as you and get featured on Justin.tv?

Paul Graham - I have finally realized your true genius. You’re a pimp of sorts.

]]> By: jim http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302282 jim Sat, 31 Mar 2007 04:52:51 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302282 really? nobody's called april fool's yet? nice. really? nobody’s called april fool’s yet? nice.

]]> By: Someone http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302211 Someone Sat, 31 Mar 2007 04:19:41 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302211 This is one of the most ridiculous personality tests I have ever seen. And I'm a personality researcher. This is one of the most ridiculous personality tests I have ever seen. And I’m a personality researcher.

]]> By: Peter Cooper http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302108 Peter Cooper Sat, 31 Mar 2007 03:45:15 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1302108 Well that picture thing is obviously a total psuedoscience. I get it far towards smoking (which I don't), far towards exercise (which I also don't!), interested in politics (not at all) and don't have pets (got 4!) .. well, there were some funny pictures at least :) Well that picture thing is obviously a total psuedoscience. I get it far towards smoking (which I don’t), far towards exercise (which I also don’t!), interested in politics (not at all) and don’t have pets (got 4!) .. well, there were some funny pictures at least :)

]]> By: Tom http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1301985 Tom Sat, 31 Mar 2007 03:06:46 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1301985 The test was amazingly accurate for me. I was on the same side but farther out in every category but two as the YC average, the other two I was right in the average. I've been involved in 9 startups, so I probably qualify as a start up type personality. The test was amazingly accurate for me. I was on the same side but farther out in every category but two as the YC average, the other two I was right in the average. I’ve been involved in 9 startups, so I probably qualify as a start up type personality.

]]> By: Randall Randall http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1301969 Randall Randall Sat, 31 Mar 2007 03:01:30 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1301969 Arnold: The quiz doesn't show up or work in Safari, but does in Camino (which is much like Firefox). I'm guessing your browser doesn't do pairwise. Safari works just fine for the likebetter site, oddly. Arnold: The quiz doesn’t show up or work in Safari, but does in Camino (which is much like Firefox). I’m guessing your browser doesn’t do pairwise. Safari works just fine for the likebetter site, oddly.

]]> By: Arnold Leung http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1301922 Arnold Leung Sat, 31 Mar 2007 02:46:39 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/30/are-you-a-y-combinator-founder/#comment-1301922 WHERE is the entrepreneur quiz? I cant find the link anywhere. WHERE is the entrepreneur quiz? I cant find the link anywhere.

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