I feel like you're using "normal people" as pejorative. I meant it as "is able to relate to the day-to-day experience of most people in this country."

I'm definitely using it as you intended.

"the day-to-day experience of most people in this country" is nothing like any of the things Altman, PG, Livingston etc... experience on a daily basis.

I'd wager most HN readers can't relate to the day to day experience of most people in this country.

A reminder about how most Americans actually live:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/most-americans-have-less-th...

It's strange to me the huge gap between $5-9k and "over $10k". I wonder if that gap has more to do with upper/middle class or young business owners vs working 9-5?

I would think it's a matter of the same behaviors that get someone to having $5,000 quickly get them to $10,000.

The buckets aren't well sized there.

Also a problem.

Exactly. And I think that's a huge problem.

Ya, or even "is able to relate to the day-to-day experience of most people who read Hacker News."

Sam's startup --like for many here-- was not a roaring success. Few of the entrepreneurs and engineers here on HN have an extra $10m in the bank after an experience like that.