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← Optimism, more than money, is the fuel early-stage startups run on.
17 connected korrents · 19 moments from 22 Jul 2019 to 10 Sept 2026. Nearly all of them are about optimism .
Everything filed under startups
startups
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product management
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venture capital
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LLMs
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AI alignment
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discipline
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Russia Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Read this korrent: Optimism, more than money, is the fuel early-stage startups run on. Optimism, more than money, is the fuel early-stage startups run on. Last stated 7 years ago
22 Jul 2019
DC
Dalton Caldwell — holds since 2019-07-22 — tap for who they are
Same subject: As soon as founder mode is an established idea people will misuse it: founders excusing an inability to delegate, and managers deciding to act like founders. — tap to centre the map on it As soon as founder mode is an established idea people will misuse it: founders excusing an inability to delegate, and managers deciding to act like founders. Last stated 2 years ago
1 Sept 2024
PG
Paul Graham — holds since 2024-09-01 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Building a startup requires enough optimism to see past a problem toward a future solution that makes things better. — tap to centre the map on it Building a startup requires enough optimism to see past a problem toward a future solution that makes things better. Last stated a year ago
16 Sept 2025
JE
Jason Evanish — holds since 2025-09-16 — tap for who they are
Same subject: AI safety worriers and AI optimists both believe AI will be a hugely transformative economic success, unlike the AI-bubble skeptics. — tap to centre the map on it AI safety worriers and AI optimists both believe AI will be a hugely transformative economic success, unlike the AI-bubble skeptics. Last stated 2 months ago
10 Sept 2026
MY
Matthew Yglesias — holds since 2026-09-10 — tap for who they are
Same subject: America is a country that rewards first-principles thinkers and builders and encourages reinvention despite cynicism. — tap to centre the map on it America is a country that rewards first-principles thinkers and builders and encourages reinvention despite cynicism. Last stated 4 months ago
5 Jul 2026
SW
swyx — holds since 2026-07-05 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Battery-electric airliners do not work even on optimistic assumptions, and the arithmetic said so before anyone built one. — tap to centre the map on it Battery-electric airliners do not work even on optimistic assumptions, and the arithmetic said so before anyone built one. Last stated 6 years ago
2 Apr 2021
BF
Bjorn Fehrm — holds since 2021-04-02 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Being optimistic about AI as it currently exists requires a degree of privilege. — tap to centre the map on it Being optimistic about AI as it currently exists requires a degree of privilege. Last stated 11 months ago
3 Dec 2025
JC
Josh Collinsworth — holds since 2025-12-03 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Believing that Trump might yet help Ukraine is not harmless optimism: it is part of a manoeuvre that buys Putin time. — tap to centre the map on it Believing that Trump might yet help Ukraine is not harmless optimism: it is part of a manoeuvre that buys Putin time. Last stated 2 months ago
23 Aug 2026
PO
Phillips P. OBrien — holds since 2026-08-23 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Connecting a conversational LLM to systems that have real-world consequences is likely to cause real harm, because the model is trained on human text and will behave as unpredictably as humans do. — tap to centre the map on it Connecting a conversational LLM to systems that have real-world consequences is likely to cause real harm, because the model is trained on human text and will behave as unpredictably as humans do. Last stated a year ago
4 Jun 2025
AR
Armin Ronacher — holds since 2023-02-17 — tap for who they are
AR
Armin Ronacher — no longer holds since 2025-06-04 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A founder should take half the valuation if it buys all of the control, because the right to be wrong in your own way is what founding was for. — tap to centre the map on it A founder should take half the valuation if it buys all of the control, because the right to be wrong in your own way is what founding was for. Last stated 5 months ago
2 Jun 2026
MP
Mark Pincus — holds since 2026-06-02 — tap for who they are
Same subject: AI factories and foundries are too capital-intensive for venture money; they need government or sovereign funds behind them. — tap to centre the map on it AI factories and foundries are too capital-intensive for venture money; they need government or sovereign funds behind them. Last stated 4 months ago
18 Jun 2026
LT
Lip-Bu Tan — holds since 2026-06-18 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Being formidable means getting what you want in any situation, and that is exactly why investors want it: a formidable founder's interests and theirs are the same. — tap to centre the map on it Being formidable means getting what you want in any situation, and that is exactly why investors want it: a formidable founder's interests and theirs are the same. Last stated 2 months ago
3 Sept 2026
PG
Paul Graham — holds since 2026-09-03 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A bubble can only be identified in retrospect, so arguing about whether one is happening now cannot be settled now. — tap to centre the map on it A bubble can only be identified in retrospect, so arguing about whether one is happening now cannot be settled now. Last stated 11 months ago
9 Dec 2025
HM
Howard Marks — holds since 2025-12-09 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A central bank can eliminate a self-fulfilling ('sunspot') debt crisis simply by credibly committing to buy as many bonds as needed at the low interest rate. — tap to centre the map on it A central bank can eliminate a self-fulfilling ('sunspot') debt crisis simply by credibly committing to buy as many bonds as needed at the low interest rate. Last stated 4 years ago
1 Jun 2022
OB
Olivier Blanchard — holds since 2022-06-01 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A government debt crisis is measurable and therefore visible well in advance; the diagnostic is mechanical rather than a matter of judgement. — tap to centre the map on it A government debt crisis is measurable and therefore visible well in advance; the diagnostic is mechanical rather than a matter of judgement. Last stated 2 months ago
21 Aug 2026
RD
Ray Dalio — holds since 2026-08-21 — tap for who they are
Same subject: "Simplify onboarding" is an action, not a problem, and a roadmap line written that way will not work. — tap to centre the map on it "Simplify onboarding" is an action, not a problem, and a roadmap line written that way will not work. Last stated 2 years ago
19 Jan 2025
EV
Elena Verna — holds since 2025-01-19 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A company captured by ideology will produce useless products — tap to centre the map on it A company captured by ideology will produce useless products Last stated 3 years ago
8 Mar 2024
DH
David Heinemeier Hansson — holds since 2024-03-08 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A company needs someone with a product vision to recover — tap to centre the map on it A company needs someone with a product vision to recover Last stated 4 years ago
5 Nov 2022
DH
David Heinemeier Hansson — holds since 2022-11-05 — tap for who they are
At the centre
Optimism, more than money, is the fuel early-stage startups run on.
Holds Read this korrent →
As soon as founder mode is an established idea people will misuse it: founders excusing an inability to delegate, and managers deciding to act like founders.
Holds
Building a startup requires enough optimism to see past a problem toward a future solution that makes things better.
Holds
AI safety worriers and AI optimists both believe AI will be a hugely transformative economic success, unlike the AI-bubble skeptics.
Holds
America is a country that rewards first-principles thinkers and builders and encourages reinvention despite cynicism.
Holds
Battery-electric airliners do not work even on optimistic assumptions, and the arithmetic said so before anyone built one.
Holds
Being optimistic about AI as it currently exists requires a degree of privilege.
Holds
Believing that Trump might yet help Ukraine is not harmless optimism: it is part of a manoeuvre that buys Putin time.
Holds
Connecting a conversational LLM to systems that have real-world consequences is likely to cause real harm, because the model is trained on human text and will behave as unpredictably as humans do.
No longer holds
A founder should take half the valuation if it buys all of the control, because the right to be wrong in your own way is what founding was for.
Holds
AI factories and foundries are too capital-intensive for venture money; they need government or sovereign funds behind them.
Holds
Being formidable means getting what you want in any situation, and that is exactly why investors want it: a formidable founder's interests and theirs are the same.
Holds
A bubble can only be identified in retrospect, so arguing about whether one is happening now cannot be settled now.
Holds
A central bank can eliminate a self-fulfilling ('sunspot') debt crisis simply by credibly committing to buy as many bonds as needed at the low interest rate.
Holds
A government debt crisis is measurable and therefore visible well in advance; the diagnostic is mechanical rather than a matter of judgement.
Holds
"Simplify onboarding" is an action, not a problem, and a roadmap line written that way will not work.
Holds
A company captured by ideology will produce useless products
Holds
A company needs someone with a product vision to recover
Holds