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Comment by good_vibes | Hacker News Reader

This is a life-changing read for me. I was debating if I should move to Seattle or Bay area to pursue my 'science project' or not. My current job is going to give me 7 weeks of severance starting in late April and I think it will be enough to at least make the leap and cross my fingers. What I am working on will change the course of history if I even get close to succeeding.

I was wondering if YC or TechStars would be more ideal for me to start, I do not want to go to a major investment firm that will see $$$ instead of the value my invention has for science and human progress. I know it is possible to build a company and advance science but I have to be VERY careful about who is involved at the early stages. I think the only place for something as 'crazy' as my project and as 'crazy' as myself to be taken seriously is SF.

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I don't doubt that you might change the world, but you should temper your expectations.

My question to you is do you really need YC or another incubator to do it? If what you've got is so world-changing, what they can offer you does not matter. Do you have no other alternatives than moving to one of the most expensive work locales in the world and joining in the rat race? Can you bootstrap? Do you have close friends you can trust? Etc.

YC seems like good people but the VC model is predicated on convincing people they need it. There are just as many failures as successes and there are other ways to succeed and other ways you can control your own destiny. You may even have a better shot if you don't do what everyone else is.

I can't do something this ambitious alone. That's the main thing, I need more engineers, scientists, and designers involved in order for this project to scale and make a significant impact.

I understand your train of thought though. I left Tattooine aka Atlanta because there were not very many people who were fit to co-found this project with me. Moved to Utah instead of Denver to improve as a developer and deepen my discipline in other areas of my life. I feel ready to take the leap now.

Google offered me the foobar challenge a year ago while flying to Seattle (didn't complete in time). I'm confident that should I 'fail', I can end up working at a very nice company that aligns with my moral compass.

I can't live with cognitive dissonance, I have to be around people and ideas that are trying to solve our collect existential crisis.

Good luck. And remember to read! Read read read like your life depended on it

Thanks. :)

Currently reading a textbook about Math for CS from MIT, written by a Googler.

Also, have a stack of books helpful to entrepreneurs/scientists that I will bring with me.

> There are just as many failures as successes

There are way more failures than successes - at least an order of magnitude difference

FWIW, I was very explicit with investors that we would never flip the company. Our intention is to build a company that will last forever. I also acknowledged that things change. If Denny and my opinion changed would let our investors know right away. So far it hasn't changed. If you are planning on partnering with an investor make sure they understand your values and your intention. To clarify this I put it in writing in an email and have the person confirm they understand.

I always make myself available to chat about this with scientists. Drop me a line by email.

Stay crazy.

Duly noted Cindy! I will be as transparent as possible because life is just better in all areas that way. I am a firm believer that investors and co-founders should be following the same moral compass as myself or I will keep looking.

I love Experiment.com, I've been following you guys since YC days. Thanks for trying something different and leaving a blueprint for my team to follow.

If I don't get into YC, I will get into Hack Reactor or Galvanize Data Science program. For the love of science and all that is good in this world, I definitely will stay hungry and stay foolish. Will do!

Awesome, drop us a line when you are looking to set up your lab (https://labspend.com).

If you haven't come across it already, lab supplies and chemicals is a quote/sales rep model that could use some disruption.

will do! I love your work and will gladly support it.

Best of luck! Do you blog? If not you should start, I love reading about people making big changes like you are about to do.

I write prolifically in my journal but I'm a little shy about putting all my observations and thoughts online. I did that when I younger and it became a distraction with the constant comment threads and wondering if people got what I was trying to say or were trying to dissect every sentence to find a mistake.

Currently, I am making an outline for a scientific paper that will double as a business plan. That is what I hope will win YC over to help me. I live in Utah right now, moved here a year ago from Maui, before that I lived in Atlanta for most of my life. Bay Area or PNW was the final leap or Bowser #3, here we go! :)

Best of luck :)

Thanks :)

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