The Right Brain Division in Hacking and Painting

5min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Hackers and painters both have a left brain, right brain division. The best programmers are the ones who combine in one head both the ability to translate ideas into code and having the ideas. Cezanne could not draw but he was great at deciding what to produce with his hand when you put stuff on the wall.

Paul Graham, essayist, programmer and partner in the y-combinator talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about start-ups, innovation, and creativity. Graham draws on his experience as entrepreneur and investor to discuss the current state of the start-up world and how that world has changed due to improved technology that makes it easier to start a software company. Graham talks about his unusual venture firm, the y-combinator, and how he and his partners work with start-ups to get them ready for more advanced funding. Along the way, Graham discusses why hackers are like painters and how to survive high school.