[JustSomeNobody]

"What do you want your obituary to say?"

Is this really one of the questions?

So, it's funny, I tell people there's usually two kinds of people. Those that want to be a <X> and those who want to have been an <X>. The former enjoys the journey. The latter wants to skip to the end. This question seems like it is targeting the latter group. Shouldn't YC be trying to target the former?

[michaelt]

Not sure I see the distinction here?

I mean, if you want to invent a flying car, if successful you'll be the inventor of the flying car, and your obituary will say so.

The question just seems like a roundabout way of asking "Tell us how your startup idea is going get huge and stay huge for ages"

[JustSomeNobody]

I thought I was pretty clear. Some people want to skip the being and go straight to have been. They want to be remembered as being Stephen King, but they don't want to put in the effort of writing on a consistent enough basis to actually be Stephen King. They're the type who always has some plan their working on, but really they aren't.

> "Tell us how your startup idea is going get huge and stay huge for ages"

Then ask that question.