Paul GrahamVerified account

The most privilege most of us have is to be born in the late 20th-21st centuries

We're from Detroit. Not much of any kind of privilege there...

Attempting to discuss this issue in a meaningful way, on twitter, is a tough order of business... but I think this can safely be said "YOU DO NOT NEED WEALTHY PARENTS TO SUCCEED AS AN ENTREPRENEUR". Anyone commenting on a straw man is just trying to stir the pot

@delane Paul simply said that Startups aren’t a rich kid thing - which they aren’t. He didn’t even use the word “Privilege” in his initial tweet. The point he was making is that Brian & Co. didn’t come from money (which is true). Y’all have spun this way out of context.

The founders of @Airbnb had the privilege of being heard and funded for what would be considered a crazy idea of subletting your home to random strangers. Most people with disruptive ideas outside the norm, have to prove beyond numbers and traction that VC attention is worth it.

This is generally true but I grew up very poor, hit lower middle class, then middle, then upper middle, now lower upper. I have momentum now so things move very quickly up. It took a decade to go from poor to upper middle. A decade of work, sacrifice, and focus. 1/2

2/2 if I was born wealthy I’d save probably two decades and I am VERY unusual in my ability and ambition. It’s doable to climb but takes great sacrifice that many are not willing to put in and time beyond many’s horizons.

https://twitter.com/benparr/status/1130144062365999104?s=21 …