Ask HN: Why do famous technical co-founders tend to fade away?

9 points by jmilinion 13 years ago | 9 comments

Bill Gates is now doing his best to eradicate diseases around the world. Before Steve Jobs died, he revolutionized mobile technology for the common people.

Now the technical co-founders. Paul Allen. Last time I heard, he's collecting rich kid toys. Steve Wozniak? I'm not sure what he's doing. Neither, I believe, seem to be working on anything technical anymore.

michaelpinto 13 years ago |

After most people make their money, they tend to want to enjoy that money. It's very rare that you get a Warren Buffet who keeps focused on his business till his 80s, and it's the same thing in tech. In fact in tech the trend I see is for successful founders to get involved in investing in new companies rather than doing the deed. And mind you this isn't a bad thing either and has helped grow the industry.

gingerlime 13 years ago | |

That seems like a logical explanation. But as far as I could tell reading about Wozniak[1] at least, the guy was 110% focused on playing with technology and making cool things. He didn't seem to care so much about money. So presumably once he had lots of money, he could continue doing what he liked so much. So does it mean that money actually accomplish the opposite result for him? making him less interested in doing hands-on stuff? Or maybe he simply achieved all he ever wanted and there was nothing more to play with??

[1]http://www.foundersatwork.com/steve-wozniak.html

michaelpinto 13 years ago | | |

You know Woz was in an airplane accident in the 80s as I recall, so it may have changed his perspective. In fact he organized a rock concert (the Us Festival) to try and recapture Woodstock in the 80s and I think did some elementary school teaching for a while. But technology for him was fun, it was never really about the ambition. In fact he had to be lured away from HP by friends to co-found Apple, so he didn't have dreams of conquering the world.

trin_ 13 years ago | | |

its probably not that he stopped playing with technology but that he stopped beein involved with technology that is marketed and sold and known.

not everybody craves the recognition and thus they might not sell/opensource everything they do. i for my part would be very content with my private metalworking/electronics(woodworking shop and just do stuff that I want/need just to scrap it eventually if i want to.

samfisher83 13 years ago |

Bill Gates could code. I don't think DOS was coded by either allen or gates.

TheCoelacanth 13 years ago | |

They purchased DOS. The only thing I know of that Gates coded that Microsoft sold was a BASIC interpreter.

gingerlime 13 years ago |

Great question. Whilst you can attribute this shift to older age, and changes in your priorities in life, I also wonder about younger generation: Is Zukcerberg still doing any hacking these days?

cajuntrep 13 years ago |

Because they have already accomplished their goal in the business world, and have moved on to more noble pursuits (or selfish).

lifeisstillgood 13 years ago |

Inner demons most likely.

Whatever it takes to build world class companies out of nothing, luck and timing is only one small part. The rest is what makes people like Jobs unhappy, or perhaps discontent for most of their lives.

One assumes the demons inside Allen and Woz quietened down and stop driving them on.

This of course sounds great till you look at Bill Gates and ask does be look any more unhappy than me? No he looks a lot happier

Bang goes that theory