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Re:A Boot Camp for the Next Tech Billionaires by rms on Sunday May 13, 2007 @01:16AM (#21715)
We're so young that we all have a very long time to make billions of dollars. We have a lifetime to get there. It also gets easier as the dollar becomes more and more worthless.
Re:A Boot Camp for the Next Tech Billionaires by ralph on Sunday May 13, 2007 @08:10AM (#21747)
The dollar recently hit a 26-year low against sterling and an all-time low against the euro. Just about everything is pointing to a lower dollar. US growth is disappointing (YC excepted ;-) and is set to underperform Europe [IMF]. US rates are expected to be cut later in the year whilst the UK and Eurozone are set to rise. The UK rate is already higher than the US, normally a predictor of bad things to come. US inflation is a bit high which lessens the dollar's appeal as a holding asset.

The US deficit, still 6%, is depending on the sale of US Gov. bonds. Oil producing nations are buying, and so are Asian central banks because they want to see their exports look cheap in USD. (Doesn't China hold USD1.2 trillion?)

The dollar looks set to drift lower. If holders get concerned they have too many and dump some of their wedge it'll plummet.

Interesting times. You could all be millionaires real easily. ;-)

Re:A Boot Camp for the Next Tech Billionaires by vlad on Sunday May 13, 2007 @07:11AM (#21741)
Actually, older people have a higher chance of becoming or already being millionaires, as long as they've already been an entrepreneur for 20 years. While your attitude is helpful when you're first starting out ("it might take me 10 years to make millions, and that's fine!", which is the attitude I had/have, and it's important), the older people actually realize they don't have as much time, and will use their connections and experience to launch a company in 6 months. So, older entrepreneurs have three advantages--connections, experience, AND time pressure. So I think if one wants to compete with ALL entrepreneurs, including those that will inevitably try to copy your ideas and those started by non-technical founders who have resources, thinking that one has 20 years to become a millionaire is not going to be helpful. I think for a young person, having the ability to work on a new idea all day, PLUS thinking that they have only 3 months (the same a 60 year old would think) to launch a web service, would be a useful paradigm. The advantage of 24 year olds is that we don't have money tied up and don't have to shut it down if it doesn't work out after 3 months. Also, it's not like Y Combinator companies have something better to do with their time, and can continue to improve their idea even if it doesn't show any profits, taking advantage of publicity that 24 year olds can get just for being 24 years old. But, the idea must be done (in other words, released) as soon as possible--a week, a month, three months from now. So, while you take one idea and try to spend ten years to make it work, you have to be on the lookout for better opportunities that might only take you one week to do.