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Essays Paul Graham

Essays Paul Graham

How to Get Startup Ideas November 2012 The way to get startup ideas is not to try to think of startup ideas. It's to look for problems, preferably problems you have yourself. The very best startup ideas tend to have three things in common: they're something the founders themselves want, that they themselves can build, and that few others realize are worth doing. Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, Google, and Facebook all began this way. Problems Why is it so important to work on a problem you have? I made it myself. Why do so many founders build things no one wants? At YC we call these "made-up" or "sitcom" startup ideas. For example, a social network for pet owners. The danger of an idea like this is that when you run it by your friends with pets, they don't say "I would never use this." Well When a startup launches, there have to be at least some users who really need what they're making—not just people who could see themselves using it one day, but who want it urgently. You don't need the narrowness of the well per se.

TechCrunch AiGameDev Seth's Blog Y Combinator Eyes Wiid Open Cork desk light, made from hand-turned agglomerated cork, aluminium, mild steel, nickel-plated brass fittings and high quality imported LED's WORDS: Remy Raitt | PHOTOS: Henrique Wilding Twenty-four-year-old Laurie Wiid van Heerden is creating design items that rival international offerings. Under his label Wiid Design, the young buck aims to create eco-efficient design with a global aesthetic. “I studied product design at Cape Tech but didn’t finish. I wanted to venture more into the practical side but instead felt like a machine in a curated and limited environment,” Laurie says. From there he was employed by Bronze Age Art Foundry where he worked with some of his creative heroes including Trevyn McGowan, Cécile and Boyd, Graham Viney, William Kentridge and Wim Botha – whom he still assists. At the Foundry, Laurie developed an understanding for a range of materials, as evident in his body of work which makes use of porcelain, wood, cork, felt, paper pulp and metal. 0 Comments Add a comment

Signal vs. Noise America’s Relationship With China’s Power Elite When the blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng escaped confinement and beatings to find temporary refuge in the United States Embassy in Beijing, he thrust a huge unanticipated problem into talks between American and Chinese officials. After things settled down a bit, a relieved American official was quoted as saying “the days of blowing up the relationship over a single guy are over” (“Behind Twists of Diplomacy in China Case,” front page, May 9). The comment reflects a serious misconception that has hampered United States-China policy for years. Chen Guangcheng, like other people who stand up to abuse in China, is not “a single guy.” And what exactly is “the relationship” that American officials value and this single guy threatens? For decades America’s managers of China policy have accepted the implicit demand of China’s rulers that they, and only they, are “China.”

[Startup] Jacques-Antoine Granjon et Xavier Niel rejoignent Marc Simoncini sur #cent1projets Le projet #vingt5projets devient maintenant #cent1projets avec l’arrivée de deux géants du web, que l’on ne présentent plus: Jacques-Antoine Granjon et Xavier Niel. Le projet initialement lancé par Marc Simoncini prend une nouvelle envergure suite aux annonces faites sur Twitter dimanche 23 juin 2013. Ce n’est plus 25 mais 101 projets qui devraient être soutenus à hauteur de 25 000 euros chacun, portés par des jeunes entrepreneurs de moins de 25 ans. Lancée le 23 juin à 10 heures et relayé par Le Parisien, l’opération prend donc un nouvel élan. @lesmartweb Bonjour, le transfert des #vingt5projets vers #cent1projets est automatique ! Une nouvelle fois, un appel à candidatures est donc lancé sur la toile par ces trois géants du web, jusqu’au 25 septembre. 300 projets seront pré-sélectionnés pour participer à une soirée qui se déroulera le 18 Novembre au Théâtre de Paris, récemment acquis par Jacques-Antoine Granjon, fondateur de Vente-Privée. X. A relire sur ce sujet:

Sean Parker: Facebook Power Users Have Gone to Twitter or Google+ Spotify investor and former Facebook President Sean Parker had some harsh words for his favorite social network: Its problem isn't privacy, it's that some of its most active users are leaving for other services. "The threat to Facebook is that power users have gone to Twitter or Google+," Parker told the Web 2.0 Summit. They are leaving, he says, because Facebook isn't giving them enough ways to manage a glut of information. Parker also defended Spotify's decision to integrate the music service with Facebook, requiring users to sign up with a Facebook account. Battelle continued on the Facebook line, asking Parker what he thinks of the argument that Facebook is perceived as being a "little creepy." SEE ALSO: Sean Parker Joins Twitter, With Apology to Mark Zuckerberg Parker also had some harsh words for the record labels, arguing that bands can simply bypass them. Unless they desperately need an advance, Parker believes, bands are better off on their own.

Coding Horror [Infographie] Les 10 points qui font qu'une bonne idée peut devenir une bonne startup Une bonne idée, peut-elle être une bonne idée de startup? Selon le Founder Institute, il existe 10 points importants montrant qu’une bonne idée peut être à l’origine d’un projet solide de startup. Si la pensée moderne tend à dire que l’idée n’est rien et que tout se retrouve dans l’exécution, ces 10 rappels semblent nécessaire pour croire à son projet. Tout d’abord, il est nécessaire d’être passionné par son projet par son idée, qui doit être la plus simple possible à expliquer. La suite dans l’infographie ci-dessous: Crédit photo: 7 Ceries Tagged Conseils pour monter sa startup, founder institute, infographie, selection-de-la-semaine

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