Andrew Yang for Mayor of New York? (1 Viewer)

[NorvilleBarnes]

Thoughts from the "Yang Gang" on this?

NYTimes link

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Well he's certainly no Rudy.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I hope he wins.

 

[Sea Duck]

He's the living embodiment of an internet startup. He's got a perfectly manufactured image and says all the right things, but when you peek behind the curtains you realize that there just isn't much substance there.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

He's the living embodiment of an internet startup. He's got a perfectly manufactured image and says all the right things, but when you peek behind the curtains you realize that there just isn't much substance there.

My take is the opposite. He doesn't have the right pedigree or résumé for a politician, but he outclasses nearly all politicians in the substantive ideas department.

 

[Max Power]

Thoughts from the "Yang Gang" on this?

NYTimes link

It would be good experience for him, but I've soured on the guy. He's lost his outsider appeal. The DNC never gave him a chance and now he's falling in line. 

 

[Lutherman2112]

Thoughts from the "Yang Gang" on this?

NYTimes link

Impossible. Yang moved to Georgia.

https://forums.footballguys.com/forum/topic/790080-georgia-the-battle-for-the-senate/?do=findComment&comment=23117367

 

[JAA]

He's the living embodiment of an internet startup. He's got a perfectly manufactured image and says all the right things, but when you peek behind the curtains you realize that there just isn't much substance there.

Where do I go to see this information.  Is it he has great ideas but poor execution?  Or he is just a good talker?

 

[KiddLattimer]

Wish he would challenge for Governor, but now is certainly not a good time for that.

 

[Sea Duck]

He's the living embodiment of an internet startup. He's got a perfectly manufactured image and says all the right things, but when you peek behind the curtains you realize that there just isn't much substance there.

Where do I go to see this information.  Is it he has great ideas but poor execution?  Or he is just a good talker?

I'm just going by what I see on Wikipedia and other stories I've read throughout the presidential race. He sounds like a lot of dotcom startup entrepreneur dudes -- start a few businesses with your college buddies where you reciprocally name each other as CEO, then parlay that into running a nonprofit. It's almost a stereotype.

I'm not saying that Yang doesn't have some interesting ideas. I just think that maybe a guy should actually run a real business for a while before playing the "I'm a businessman who can shake up politics!" card.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I'm just going by what I see on Wikipedia and other stories I've read throughout the presidential race. He sounds like a lot of dotcom startup entrepreneur dudes -- start a few businesses with your college buddies where you reciprocally name each other as CEO, then parlay that into running a nonprofit. It's almost a stereotype.

I'm not saying that Yang doesn't have some interesting ideas. I just think that maybe a guy should actually run a real business for a while before playing the "I'm a businessman who can shake up politics!" card.

Thanks. I don't know much about him but if he's just had that kind of experience, then I definitely agree with you.

I'm completely biased because it's how I think, but I'm very much in favor of business people getting into government. 

Government isn't "real" in the sense as you can literally print your own money. 

Starting a restaurant where you put your life savings into it and borrow money from friends and family is "real". There are real live consequences to missing a forecast. That's what I mean. That kind of business is what I'm talking about.

With that said, tons of dot com startups today aren't like the restaurant as they're artificially fueled by venture capital. They can lose money and be fine.

So in some sense, I'd personally prefer a life long bureaucrat over a VC business guy. 

And to be fair to Yang, I have no idea what he's done or what kind of businessman he is. 

 

[tymarsas]

Thanks. I don't know much about him but if he's just had that kind of experience, then I definitely agree with you.

I'm completely biased because it's how I think, but I'm very much in favor of business people getting into government. 

Government isn't "real" in the sense as you can literally print your own money. 

Starting a restaurant where you put your life savings into it and borrow money from friends and family is "real". There are real live consequences to missing a forecast. That's what I mean. That kind of business is what I'm talking about.

With that said, tons of dot com startups today aren't like the restaurant as they're artificially fueled by venture capital. They can lose money and be fine.

So in some sense, I'd personally prefer a life long bureaucrat over a VC business guy. 

And to be fair to Yang, I have no idea what he's done or what kind of businessman he is. 

Most startups first round of financing is called "friends, family and fools". Just because you eventually get to the point of venture capital doesn't mean that's where you start. Burning cash doesn't mean that you are wasting it. Just like any company, there are well run and poorly run startups. And it can be as stressful as running any company.

I don't think it is good to discount a person because they were an executive in startups. I may admittedly be biased since I work in startups.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Most startups first round of financing is called "friends, family and fools". Just because you eventually get to the point of venture capital doesn't mean that's where you start. Burning cash doesn't mean that you are wasting it. Just like any company, there are well run and poorly run startups. And it can be as stressful as running any company.

I don't think it is good to discount a person because they were an executive in startups. I may admittedly be biased since I work in startups.

Not discounting startups at all. I'm discounting VC money that covers tons of things a normal business would have to account for. 

On the flipside, a startup owner has other skillsets of raising capital and other things that are certainly valuable. 

 

[tymarsas]

Not discounting startups at all. I'm discounting VC money that covers tons of things a normal business would have to account for. 

On the flipside, a startup owner has other skillsets of raising capital and other things that are certainly valuable. 

I guess I view it a bit differently. VC money usually comes with a lot of strings attached including a board seat and ambitious growth expectations. The VC will have no problem replacing executives if they feel they are not maximizing growth. We've had both our CFO and head of sales fired in the past year and a half.

I do understand where your view comes from though. There are many stories of excess and waste. I have many myself. An ex coworker started working for a well known startup. On his first day, he asked timidly... "Can I get a mouse?" The person he asked opened a closet packed with computer equipment and says "take whatever you want". 

Also I respect that your view as a business owner might be entirely different than my view as an employee of a startup.

That being said I have no idea if Yang can run a city or a country. I find him interesting. I like his view of using data to drive decisions. Not sure how that translates to running a city but it intrigues me as someone that believes in using data to drive decisions.