[MatthewPhillips]

He went to a party where Andreessen Horowitz happened to also be attending. I'm assuming he didn't crash this party. I didn't say he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, just that he was in a position where his hard work was likely to be recognized.

[dudeguy999]

Come out to SV and hustle. It's not that hard to attend a party with a VC firm. It's their job to be approachable.

[mikecane]

Being at that party is precisely what luck is all about.

[joering2]

?? what does him going to the party knowing that Horowitz will be there has to do with luck??

[matwood]

Luck is commonly referred to as being ready when an opportunity presents itself.

[paulhauggis]

Many people here on HN mistake it for winning the lottery. Almost as if that is the only reason you can and did succeed.

[matwood]

And that kind of stuff does happen, just look at people who win the lottery :) But even in that simple example those people still had to play.

Luck, or what appears to be luck, generally happens to people who are constantly prepared to accept an opportunity when it presents itself. In fact this leads to another popular saying that opportunity is everywhere. The problem is that it is often dressed in overalls and looks like work[1].

[1] Very liberal paraphrase of Edisons quote.

[paulhauggis]

"And that kind of stuff does happen, just look at people who win the lottery :)"

Yes, but creating a business isn't as easy as buying a ticket. That's my point. There is more skill than luck involved in any business success.

[joering2]

never heard this one. I like Wiki take: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luck