[badloginagain]

I really like the bits of historical interest that comes out in the interview, naval battles and Archimedes- you get the sense that he just loves learning, even if it's not "useful" knowledge. What I like most is how that just comes out as supplementary asides, reinforcing a point or framing a metaphor.

Definitely the kind of guy you could just talk to for hours.

[baudehlo]

He's a very interesting guy who I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with at the anti spam conferences he set up. As a speaker at the conference we got to visit his home where he graciously hosted many anti spam geeks with his own resources. Our conversations were always interesting and funny - he has that smart almost British wit about him.

He's been incredibly lucky to be a smart person who managed to make his seed money, and then use it very wisely to turn it into what I guess is now many times what he invested.

It is a shame he has become so busy lately that he can't interact as easily with the "common man" any more. I emailed him not long ago and got no reply. I guess that happens when you have hundreds or thousands of emails in your inbox every day (a problem he has listed often as one he'd like to see solved by a startup).

[seiji]

Always a good re-read: The world was out to dupe and enslave you, but he, Paul Graham, was — disinterestedly, dispassionately — going to get you out of here alive, armed only with Lisp, random facts about medieval Florence, and deep knowledge of Business Things.

http://www.evanmiller.org/the-other-money-problem.html

It's scary how many of pg's early startup article titles can be rephrased as "Top 10 secrets VCs don't want you to know!"

Establishing brands/personalities is easier when you are sharing elite wisdom with unwashed masses. It makes the reader feel special and in some ways indebted to you (even if that wasn't the intended effect in the first place).

[nodesocket]

Completely agree. The most useful advisors I've had in business and startups, always find the perfect analogy for a situation or problem, and break it down. Paul has this amazing ability.

[a8da6b0c91d]

The "upwind" and "archimides lever" references are just things I would expect any reasonably cultured person to get.