[AznHisoka]

I haven't gone through anything that has resembled dark burnout, but I also share a similar sentiment.

Years ago, I would be amazed at all the cool startups and tools people were building. Now, my reaction is more.. "OK, so what? You build AirBnb for X... so what?"

[ai_ia]

Off the record, your comment reminded me of this Douglas Adams quote:

1) everything that’s already in the world when you’re born is just normal;

2) anything that gets invented between then and before you turn thirty is incredibly exciting and creative and with any luck you can make a career out of it;

3) anything that gets invented after you’re thirty is against the natural order of things and the beginning of the end of civilization as we know it until it’s been around for about ten years when it gradually turns out to be alright really.

[nck4222]

>You build AirBnb for X... so what?

I can't stand this template anymore. There's probably a natural cycle/rise-and-fall for these things.

1) Problem identified, "how do i quickly and efficiently describe the purpose of what we're doing"

2) "[existing popular company everyone knows] for [different market that it can be applied to]" is passed on to others to solve that problem. Phrase becomes popular, more people start using it.

3) Everyone starts using it, phrase becomes overused.

4) People begin questioning whether it still has the same meaning or if it's changed contexts since it was originally suggested.

5) People despise hearing it.

I'm right around step 4 there at the moment, heading towards 5. All I keep thinking is "so you're using the same phrase everyone uses, yet you're telling me you're revolutionary, and groundbreaking."

I get that it's just one phrase, and I'm starting to make assumptions here, but I think at some point it becomes more formulaic. And it's hard for me to believe you're hacking, innovating, and revolutionizing when you're following a formula. It's just more "I'm in-the-club" language now.

[jamesjyu]

The good startups use this formula as a shorthand to communicate an idea quickly, but don't religiously pin their real strategy on this. Once you dive in one layer deep, these analogies break down pretty quickly.