When it's very cheap to start a startup, what that means is anyone can do it, right? Like back in the days when a startup meant like a hardware company and you had to get raise money to build an actual factory. Now anybody who wants to do it doesn't cost anything. Doesn't cost anything more than just hanging out for a summer anyway,. And so what that mean is there's this huge, much larger pool of people and there's much more variation in it actually. I mean, if reward is proportionate to risk, then the fact that people can do so many more risky ideas than they used to be able to automate will now put your ass faster, right?
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.