Y Combinator’s Startup School Event

Wish I hadn’t missed this event.

Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) says to only hire young employees:

“Young people just have simpler lives. We may not own a car. We may not have family.” In the absence of those distractions, he says, you can focus on big ideologies. He added, “I only own a mattress.” Later: “Simplicity in life allows you to focus on what’s important.”

Paul Buchheit (Google employee #23 and Gmail creator) says to “seek out risk-taking opportunities where they can learn”. (That makes me think of any young entrepreneurs out there that have the ability to code — and have the ability to spend the summer in Boulder. If you can get accepted into TechStars, I think you’ll find the experience priceless.)

… and more tips from others. Read the article by VentureBeat for sure.

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  • Bob Ellsworth

    This is pretty arrogant and foolish in my opinion. Young, unexperienced talent is great for cheap labor, long hours and single-minded dedication, but terrible for applying learned experience to the job.

    If you were Oracle and hired only 22 year old sales people, no one would ever figure out how to sell the product, much less close a deal.

    The successful company has young, dedicated people directed by experienced management/advisors/backers.

    Wonder how many 20-somethings failed for every few one that succeeded. They may have failed before they even started becuase of incorrect assumptions, flawed thinking or poor management.

  • http://techstbooks.wordpress.com Colin Dowling

    Some good advice in there. I really like Paul Graham’s contributions regarding the “7 deadly sins” and their relationship to users.