Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Wow. I’ve known pg to sometimes make empty statements, but this one takes the cake.

Read: guy with immense privilege tells others not to work for others.

This doesn’t even begin to account for the risk that comes with startups that some people cannot take. When you make $7/hr and do a Bootcamp, and now can be employed by Google, you’re not going to abandon that for a tiiiiiiny possibility to build a successful startup just because “you weren’t meant to have a boss”.




Curious, is it possible to work at Google for a few years, save some money, build a bigger network, get inspired, and do your own thing? Perhaps one started off making $7/hr, but that's just where one was at that point in time. At a later time both skills and safety net will increase. At that point quitting Google is still a risk, but circumstances are much different now. Transitioning into software is already a leap, but if one has already done that and has the skills/safety-net/desire to be their own boss -- why not take the next leap?


I mean, sure, but then not everyone ends up at Google.


> I sometimes wonder if people on HN even know what privilege is or how they sound to the entire rest of the world. You think it's typical that people making $7/hr just happen to land a job at Google?

The initial comment mentioned that the person making 7 dollars an hour finished a bootcamp and _could_ work at google. Nezaj went from that

—-

In general, discounting what’s beneficial to people, by labeling it as “privilege” is only a disadvantage to the non-elites. The elites will continue to do just fine.

If not having a boss, living a certain kind of life is advantageous, we should do what we can do go for that. If our means don’t allow for it, let’s work towards it.

(This comes from an immigrant without a degree, who got one of those great jobs, and now works without a boss. For now at least.)


You're asking whether a person making $400k+ a year, even in a place like SV, with a network of other engineers also making $400k+ a year could branch out and start their own software business that requires almost $0 overhead because, you know, it's software.

Gee, I don't know.

I sometimes wonder if people on HN even know what privilege is or how they sound to the entire rest of the world. You think it's typical that people making $7/hr just happen to land a job at Google?


FWIW I was replying to the GP's comment "When you make $7/hr and do a Bootcamp, and now can be employed by Google"


Capitalism does a poor job making capitalists. I think of socialism as capitalism for everyone, not just the top 1%. If everyone was secure enough, with food and shelter and healthcare, then everyone can pursue their passions, build companies, etc.


I'm pretty sure that is what Marxists mean by "owning the means of production" vs alienation.

I also suspect that the USSR was "Communist" in practice in the same way that many companies are "Agile".


I believe Lenin called the USSR "state capitalism".




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: