I were 17, I'd learn how to build LLMs from scratch

I would not waste my time with yesterday's fad. The next unicorn generator will be something else.

YC Combinator guy says that with a time machine he would learn to build the currently trillions-valued or whatever technology. Okay.

Can't this guy enjoy being rich in silence? His takes get worse with every passing year.

Venture capitalist suggests everyone to become his future employee, just as he has been (successfully) doing for his whole life.

This is always such a nonsense question-answer thing, asking a person who already succeeded what they would do if they were young.

Even worse when they ask themselves.

What the fuck does this guy know about? I'm sure if we went back through similar statements he's said over the years he's said the same thing about various technologies that are no longer relevant. The guy is a talentless hack who larps as a blogger and his only "redeeming" quality is having lots of money.

Owner of Golf Club Company says I should dedicate my life to golf lmfao.

hackers and painters and kids and ROI and startups and capitalism and the destruction of nature and old guys with money talking like they know better in fascist social networks

The amount of people who missed the point here is absurd. He's advocating for learning about how LLMs work. For the sake of learning. Because no one's going to invent the next thing without at least some understanding of the current thing.

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Twitter mirror: https://nitter.net/paulg/status/2091544343589060625

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I do not think it is a proper thing to do for 17 y.o., unless they are exceptionally mathematically gifted, as proper understanding of how LLMs are trained requires a good grasp of calculus, understanding modern OS and SDE tools for proper implementation of pipeline etc.

I'd rather simply write another mnist implementation and check if I really like all that AI stuff at first place. Even then, before going into mature-on-the-way-to-dying tech (LLMs) I'd rather focus on fundamentals - good ols linear models, regressions, stat etc.

Another great quote by PG. I've been really enjoying his essays recently - truly a great and curious mind.

If I were 17, I wouldn't be using a social media plattform run by racist neo-fascists...

He bases this decision on all of the experience he has amassed, as a 61 year old man in the tech industry. An actual 17 year old, with 17 years of experience, would not think like this, nor should they.