Startup incubator Y Combinator backs its first weapons firm(ft.com)
ft.com
Startup incubator Y Combinator backs its first weapons firm
https://www.ft.com/content/17f16071-87e0-4675-a152-6d6285b97fd5
19 comments
From the article:
“Y Combinator, the San Francisco start-up incubator that launched Airbnb, Reddit, Stripe and Coinbase, is backing a weapons company for the first time, entering a sector it has previously shunned.
“Ares Industries, which launched last week, has pitched its “low-cost cruise missiles” as suited for use in a potential war between the US and China in the Taiwan Strait. The start-up claims that US weapons stockpiles would be exhausted within weeks in such a conflict, and that “recent conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine have shown that our weapons are too large, too expensive for the wars of today”.
”Ares’ founders, Alex Tseng and Devan Plantamura, say their $300,000 anti-ship cruise missiles “will be 10x smaller and 10x cheaper” than today’s alternatives. On the YC website, Tseng’s biography consists of a single sentence: “Missiles are cool.”
Yeah… a couple million people in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and elsewhere might have different feelings about the inherent coolness of missiles.
Is it inevitable that the startup heroes of twenty years ago become absorbed into the worst aspects of the old system? The creator of Mosaic and Netscape is now a crypto-peddling Trump supporter, and Paul Graham’s YC is part of the military-industrial complex.
“Y Combinator, the San Francisco start-up incubator that launched Airbnb, Reddit, Stripe and Coinbase, is backing a weapons company for the first time, entering a sector it has previously shunned.
“Ares Industries, which launched last week, has pitched its “low-cost cruise missiles” as suited for use in a potential war between the US and China in the Taiwan Strait. The start-up claims that US weapons stockpiles would be exhausted within weeks in such a conflict, and that “recent conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine have shown that our weapons are too large, too expensive for the wars of today”.
”Ares’ founders, Alex Tseng and Devan Plantamura, say their $300,000 anti-ship cruise missiles “will be 10x smaller and 10x cheaper” than today’s alternatives. On the YC website, Tseng’s biography consists of a single sentence: “Missiles are cool.”
Yeah… a couple million people in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and elsewhere might have different feelings about the inherent coolness of missiles.
Is it inevitable that the startup heroes of twenty years ago become absorbed into the worst aspects of the old system? The creator of Mosaic and Netscape is now a crypto-peddling Trump supporter, and Paul Graham’s YC is part of the military-industrial complex.
It’s great to be on a pedestal and say violence is bad and peace is great. You are sure are relying on trillions of dollars and nuclear and conventional military capability to let you be at peace though.
>You are sure are relying on trillions of dollars and nuclear and conventional military capability to let you be at peace though.
The US-supplied bomb that destroyed my sister's hearing at age 23 is not helping me "be at peace."
The US-supplied bomb that destroyed my sister's hearing at age 23 is not helping me "be at peace."
Just because we reap the benefits of a system built on war and terror (one which many did not choose, I may add) does not mean that we are not allowed to criticize that system
In fact civil disagreement is the cornerstone of democracy. We talk. We express our concerns about the government might be making decisions that are misaligned with our philosophy and goals. When enough people speak up, policy and practice change. That’s democracy.
>that we are not allowed to criticize that system
You are allowed, but go ahead and try to provide a solution to this "system"
You are allowed, but go ahead and try to provide a solution to this "system"
I’m totally with you in spirit. It’s irresponsible to create terrible weapons. Rule of thumb: never create a weapon you won’t want turned against you. (I don’t want ANY weapon turned against me, ergo…)
The recent interview with the cofounder of Palantier provided a more nuanced view though. The military of your country exists to defend you and your way of life against those who wish to attack and destroy it. Why wouldn’t you help?
The breakdown comes when the citizens look at what their military is doing and it doesn’t seem to connect to defending them and their way of life.
Ukrainian citizens I’m sure have zero qualms about supporting their military because they’re in a fight for the very existence of their country and their way of life.
If not missiles, you could be one of those people that are under the fire.
Weapons are strong deterrence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deterrence_theory
Weapons are strong deterrence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deterrence_theory
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We are the good guys and fight for the good and we should have better weapons than the bad guys.
Says the bad guy too.
Says the bad guy too.
Reminds me of “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_power_grows_out_of...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_power_grows_out_of...
Betrayed and resolving to not help YC anymore.
SpaceX also sold out and now does offensive war capabilities.
The enemy justifies installing into you when you engage in military production.
Sequoia buying UFC is really strange, too.
Are the original founders of YC still in control of this vehicle?
SpaceX also sold out and now does offensive war capabilities.
The enemy justifies installing into you when you engage in military production.
Sequoia buying UFC is really strange, too.
Are the original founders of YC still in control of this vehicle?
SpaceX has been a military contractor since the day it was founded. It was credited for pioneering the use of venture capital (including from In-Q-Tel, owned by the CIA) to fund businesses that would otherwise be entirely funded with SBIR or DoD contracts.
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> Sequoia buying UFC is really strange, too.
I'm having trouble finding sources for this. I do see that Sequoia Capital China invested in ONE Championship, but not Sequoia and UFC
I'm having trouble finding sources for this. I do see that Sequoia Capital China invested in ONE Championship, but not Sequoia and UFC
It seems to be available here:
https://archive.is/8Em1V
https://archive.is/8Em1V
Ares Industries – Building low-cost cruise missiles
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41305736