Ask HN: Do some YC values need to be softened?

10 points by cliffcrosland 10 years ago | 6 comments

From what I understand, Homejoy was one of the fastest growing companies in YC history, and if I'm not mistaken, it closed down in part because it pursued too much international growth too early.

Additionally, it seems that the "macro" scandal at Zenefits may have been a result of taking the "hack-the-system" mindset too far.

In YC content, there is an influential essay emphasizing growth, and the YC application itself asks potential founders about moments when they've hacked a system to their advantage.

Are the YC values of "startup = growth" and "hack-the-system" taken too seriously or too far by founders? Are there healthy ways to soften the values to help founders avoid the pain Homejoy and Zenefits experienced?

coralreef 10 years ago |

HomeJoy closed down because it couldn't drum up repeat business from its customers. At least according to this article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2015/07/23/what-really...

manidoraisamy 10 years ago |

Technically, macro was a crack. Not a hack. Hack should make things; Not break things.

But, I think you are right. Hacks have gone through the hype cycle. When every programmer wants to "hack" to be in the elite circle, they tend to push the boundaries that are grey -> unethical -> unlawful. It's like those greedy bankers - except that they want to look cool; instead of money.

jtfairbank 10 years ago |

YC provides an ethics statement and code of conduct to every startup they fund, and is serious about following up on this.

The "startup = growth" and "hack-the-system" are good mantras inside or outside YC, but are not a "YC value".

If anything, I'd say the #1 thing that YC values are their founders, and they expect them to be smart, driven, and ethical.

argonaut 10 years ago |

What you are suggesting is that YC become more risk-averse (e.g. take less risks on founders that might be too aggressive).

If YC ever fails, it will be because they stopped taking risks, not because they took too many. For every 5 companies that rocket up and flame out spectacularly, there'll be a company that rockets up and stays up.

1123581321 10 years ago |

PG wrote "Do Things that Don't Scale" less than a year after "Startup = Growth."

exolymph 10 years ago |

The nature of the startup game is that the majority will go bust. It is what it is.