[rwallace]

My remarks were certainly addressed also, by the same logic, to people trying to become Olympic athletes. Founding a startup isn't quite the same, because there isn't so much a fixed quota of startups. It is possible to win without having to make ten thousand other people lose.

[munin]

you'll only find out for sure if you'll lose when you try. if you don't try, you definitely lose.

should we select movie stars, athletes, and professors at birth? via lottery?

[rwallace]

> you'll only find out for sure if you'll lose when you try. if you don't try, you definitely lose.

If you're going to follow that philosophy, you're better off buying a lottery ticket. They're a lot cheaper.

> should we select movie stars, athletes, and professors at birth? via lottery?

I'll bite that bullet. Partial allocation by lottery would be a lot less cruel and wasteful than the current system of full allocation by sacrifice.