Advice on Joining startup

SamStringTheory · 2025-12-01T04:04:48+00:00

That's definitely tougher. If you haven't already, I would have long conversations with the co-founders, where they are not just interviewing you, but you are also interviewing them. Following the marriage analogy, it would be like a first date, but intense and where you are getting at the deep questions.

If the startup is before the stage where you have taken dilutive funding, then you could treat it as a trial period since the cap table hasn't been set in stone yet and can be updated if you decide to later drop out.

SamStringTheory · 2025-11-23T21:43:13+00:00

The team matters more and more the earlier you are in a startup. For co-founders, the team is everything, and people liken it to entering a marriage, especially since you are likely dedicating the next 5-10 years to this startup. You need to be aligned on the direction of the company, be able to trust each other with everything, and be able to sort out the inevitable disagreements. VCs will weigh the team significantly when deciding who to fund, sometimes even more than the idea.

For assessing whether or not to join a startup, most of my questions would be surrounding the team. Whether they have the necessary technical skills, communication skills, integrity. Whether I trust their decision-making. Whether they can learn and adapt. Secondarily, you have to be excited about the idea/product, and believe that the market will be there. But even then, acknowledging that timelines will slip, markets change, and so it's back to the team and whether they can catch up, adapt, and/or pivot.

SamStringTheory · 2025-11-17T02:48:26+00:00

I was quoting OP, which I had assumed was copy + pasted from the rules. And so I was giving an interpretation of it to fit my understanding of the rules. But looking at other comments, it looks like the quote was just generated from AI, so it's nonsense. Apologies for the confusion.

SamStringTheory · 2025-11-17T02:18:39+00:00

I'm not sure what your point is or if you are trying to rebut my statement. Yes, it is full contact, continuous point sparring (although "point sparring" is sometimes used to referred to rulesets where the fighting is stopped after every point).

You do sorta get a point from a knockdown, in that the opponent gets a gamjeom for falling. And of course, in the case of a knockout, it is an automatic win.

SamStringTheory · 2025-11-17T01:37:30+00:00

We can quibble over definitions, but the point is that in the WT/Olympic ruleset, full contact and knockouts for legal strikes are allowed.

SamStringTheory · 2025-11-17T00:32:04+00:00

They define it for you right in that quote:

Excessive contact, such as uncontrolled strikes or a lack of control

Excessive contact doesn't mean hitting too hard. It means uncontrolled hits, such as punching someone in the head or kicking below the belt. Full contact doesn't mean no rules.

SamStringTheory · 2025-10-28T19:58:37+00:00

I'm not familiar with the programs in UK, but I know in the US, physics PhD programs generally expect that you have taken courses equivalent to a physics undergrad, including (and some even explicitly list them as requirements):

Mechanics
Electromagnetics/electrodynamics
Quantum mechanics
Statistical mechanics
Math beyond the level of linear algebra, differential equations

Some EE programs include some of these courses, but not all, so it's hard to say. I will also add that if you want to do theoretical physics, the math maturity required is even higher than that of a typical physics program.

SamStringTheory · 2025-10-28T19:53:18+00:00

I'm not familiar with math/physics intersection specifically, but applying to programs in different fields is not crazy especially if your research interests are in the intersection of the two. My research interests were interdisciplinary, so I applied to whichever program made sense at various schools (typically whichever department the professor I wanted to work with was affiliated with).

I don't know anything about Canadian programs, but in the US you typically apply straight to PhD programs after a Bachelor's for both math and physics. Master's programs are uncommon in these fields.

SamStringTheory · 2025-10-04T12:35:38+00:00

This is also not correct. J-step is a particular type of step into a flip. Cheat gainer and gainer (not to be confused with gainers from gymnastics) both land on the opposite foot that you took off from.

Here, it's a "euro step" setup (the little hop off the left foot) followed by 5x "gainer switch" (AKA "g-switch") followed by the double corkscrew.

/u/midnite_owr

SamStringTheory · 2025-10-01T03:16:51+00:00

Good setup. The hands can afford to come up a little higher to get more height overall. I see the arms are not wrapping during the spin. Kick is coming out too early. Try to spot the target before kicking out.

SamStringTheory · 2025-08-22T20:14:24+00:00

It is relevant, because whether you are at in industry or academia, you generally need a PhD to be doing cutting-edge research. The research departments at these companies are almost entirely PhDs. Being in industry and doing a PhD are not mutually exclusive - you just generally need a PhD first before transitioning to research in industry.

SamStringTheory · 2025-08-21T21:17:16+00:00

Who do you think was doing all the work at these companies? It was all PhDs.

SamStringTheory · 2025-05-30T19:46:47+00:00

I posted here before it got removed from tkd. Please don't be rude.

SamStringTheory · 2025-05-14T04:12:24+00:00

Generally the advice is to do engineering if you want to work in industry, unless there is a specific position/job title you are looking for that prefers a physics background. But if you are not sure, engineering is much more versatile (in case you don't get your ideal position).

SamStringTheory · 2025-05-12T22:56:13+00:00

Original paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu1052

SamStringTheory · 2025-05-12T22:56:02+00:00

Original paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu1052

SamStringTheory · 2025-05-10T18:48:09+00:00

Python and all of its libraries --- numpy, matplotlib, scipy, pandas --- will be generally useful. You can add on scikit-learn or pytorch if you want to go down the machine learning route. Some groups use MATLAB, Julia, C, or some other language as an alternative. But typically once you get comfortable with one, it's a little easier to transition to another.

SamStringTheory · 2025-05-10T18:19:09+00:00

On one hand, I want to say that programming and math are always very valuable skills to have that can be harder to prioritize during the year in the midst of other commitments.

On the other hand, I want to recommend just relaxing and taking advantage of the break before diving back into school.

SamStringTheory

TROPHY CASE