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YC

Y Combinator Cast

03/03/22

@ Y Combinator

The genius and the idiot often reach the same conclusion; sometimes, the simplest approach is the most effective.

Video

YC

Elon Musk & The Midwit Meme – Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel

@ Y Combinator

Elon Musk & The Midwit Meme – Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel

03/03/22

Related Takeaways

YC

Y Combinator Cast

03/03/22

@ Y Combinator

The midwit meme illustrates how both geniuses and idiots can arrive at the same conclusion, highlighting the importance of simplicity in decision-making.

RS

Rory Sutherland

04/10/25

@ EPIC Conjoint

In the real world, the opposite of a good idea can also be another good idea, and sometimes the best solution involves contradictory approaches.

RH

Raaz Herzberg

11/17/24

@ Lenny's Podcast

When something feels too complex, it often indicates that it's not the right solution; sometimes you need to take a step back to find a simpler approach.

RR

Rick Rubin

01/16/23

@ Andrew Huberman

When something works, it's easy to believe that's the only way to do it, but it's just one way that happened to work at that time.

JO

John Ousterhout

04/09/25

@ The Pragmatic Engineer

Designing things twice can lead to better outcomes, as the first idea is often not the best; forcing oneself to think of alternatives can yield superior solutions.

MS

Michael Seibel

03/03/22

@ Y Combinator

Elon Musk exemplifies the midwit meme, as he often appears either as a genius or an idiot depending on the perspective, yet he continues to succeed regardless of the narrative.

LF

Lex Fridman Cast

06/15/25

@ Lex Fridman

Mistakes can be productive; sometimes, the initial false dawn of a solution can lead to breakthroughs after much effort, as was the case in a project I worked on for two years.

MS

Michael Seibel

09/06/18

@ Y Combinator

Identifying a problem that others haven't solved is the true genius in product development, not just creating a solution.

MS

Michael Seibel

09/06/18

@ Y Combinator

Most hard ideas can be simplified into easier concepts by identifying and removing unnecessary complexities.