The hurricane wasn't a surprise... the effects shouldn't have been a surprise.
If you're going to run a startup, this is a good test of being prepared for a (known, impending, likely) shit tsunami, and being agile, and resourceful, and flexible, and, well, you get the idea.
If pg wants to appear compassionate about changing the date, that's fine, but this isn't like a tornado (no warning), or Katrina (total destruction of an entire city).
If people were going to apply at the very last second, guess what - moving the date forward by N days just means they have N more days before applying at the very last second.
If out of compassion pg wants to move the date, or more likely to avoid potential criticism of keeping the original date, then fine. But would this make a real difference, I doubt it.
Besides moving the date back might actually prevent some great company from getting in who are right now, demonstrating extraordinary resourcefulness at finishing the application (typing away on an iphone), getting it in on time, and providing a really cool story of how they did it.
I have absolutely no dog in this fight but I think that postponing the entry deadline for those in the affected region is absolutely the thing to do. Whether or not it is worse than Katrina remains to be seen. Millions of people without power and you think that some great company won't be able to get in because they're busy with the application showing how 'scrappy' they are rather than taking care of the people around them (and themselves) is tantamount to giving an advantage to those without a heart.
Really, a day is much too little, a week would be more appropriate.
I do not think his comment was an "asshole comment". He made a pretty great argument why he opposes shifting the deadline. It was presented in a very respectful manner*
You could have countered it without declaring him an asshole.
*I want to assume we are seeing the same comment so I am replicating it below.
"The hurricane wasn't a surprise... the effects shouldn't have been a surprise.
If you're going to run a startup, this is a good test of being prepared for a (known, impending, likely) shit tsunami, and being agile, and resourceful, and flexible, and, well, you get the idea.
If pg wants to appear compassionate about changing the date, that's fine, but this isn't like a tornado (no warning), or Katrina (total destruction of an entire city).
If people were going to apply at the very last second, guess what - moving the date forward by N days just means they have N more days before applying at the very last second.
If out of compassion pg wants to move the date, or more likely to avoid potential criticism of keeping the original date, then fine. But would this make a real difference, I doubt it.
Besides moving the date back might actually prevent some great company from getting in who are right now, demonstrating extraordinary resourcefulness at finishing the application (typing away on an iphone), getting it in on time, and providing a really cool story of how they did it."
That last paragraph specifically is what I think is completely without any connection to reality and utterly disrespectful towards those that right now put their humanity before their financial or career interests and that spend the time helping their fellow human beings.
No great company is going to be left out because they could not show how resourceful they were.
There is a time to be hustling and there is a time to put a human face on things, natural disasters are not the time to show off who is resourceful other than in helping to combat the disaster if you're in the area.
If you don't have your priorities straight at times like these then you shouldn't be running a company.
"If you don't have your priorities straight at times like these then you shouldn't be running a company."
You have a good counter-point there. However, I believe you could have stated it clearly without the asshole remark.
(S)he thinks it is resourceful that a candidate found a way to complete and submit an application under dire circumstances. Maybe using the neighbor car battery to power a laptop or something more crazy.
You assume Grand OP is deliberately advocating risking life to submit a YC application.
You could have disagreed without the name calling. If everyone branded a comment he disagrees with an "asshole" comment, I do not think here would be a pleasant place to discuss.
> You assume Grand OP is deliberately advocating risking life to submit a YC application.
No, I understand from the original that someone that is 'scrappy' enough to make their application reach YC under these circumstances would be allowed to jump the line at the expense of those hit hard enough that they can't make it. As if such behavior is something that is to be commended, and as if the reward should be that they make it while others do not. Deadlines are imaginary lines in the sand, they can be moved without penalty or further aggravation if the situation warrants it.
YC seems to have the right idea here.
Plenty of people will work really hard to make their submission as good as possible and will submit the final product at the last moment. Being without power or communications (possibly for days) in a region that is hit by a once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) storm front means that obviously the rules of the game have temporarily changed.
The NYC stock exchange seemed to have its priorities straight, I think some two bit unproven start-up should be able to live with the possibility of having to compete with a few more entries, especially when those fellows are in the middle of what now officially qualifies as a disaster area.
'Resourcefulness' in a storm doesn't mean wasting your phone's battery. If one has ample shelter/water/heat/food/electricity, they are sitting pretty and can go about their business without having to be very resourceful. If not, their only thoughts should be on preserving what they do have and using their intellect to improve their immediate situation. I hope that the YC hopefuls in emergency situations are wise enough to focus on taking care of themselves and figure that the application process will work out later.
It's important to not only empathize with things you could believe personally might happen to you, but also to the millions of others who you might know.
Maybe someone has updated their YC several times. But they also haven't heard from a family member in 24 hours in Manhattan.
I don't need proof that we knew the storm was coming, I'm just asking you to put yourself in other people's shoes and anticipate that maybe things are bigger and more out of control than we think.
Equating human tragedy with an application to YC is inane. It's an application, that's all it is. Apply next time. Or drop a note to pg with an explanation if it's that important to you.
ps - it would be a real bummer if someone spent the whole night worrying about sick family in those hospitals that are being evac'd and missed out on the chance to apply.
You have to be kidding me. I would despise working for someone who cared more about an application to YC than they did spending time with the rest of their family in the waiting area, or trying to calm their emotions by relaxing. Wow.
If you're going to run a startup, this is a good test of being prepared for a (known, impending, likely) shit tsunami, and being agile, and resourceful, and flexible, and, well, you get the idea.
If pg wants to appear compassionate about changing the date, that's fine, but this isn't like a tornado (no warning), or Katrina (total destruction of an entire city).
If people were going to apply at the very last second, guess what - moving the date forward by N days just means they have N more days before applying at the very last second.
If out of compassion pg wants to move the date, or more likely to avoid potential criticism of keeping the original date, then fine. But would this make a real difference, I doubt it.
Besides moving the date back might actually prevent some great company from getting in who are right now, demonstrating extraordinary resourcefulness at finishing the application (typing away on an iphone), getting it in on time, and providing a really cool story of how they did it.