h100ker

I'm building a great product with a few dozen early users. The niche I'm starting with is betting on auction results, since I'm deeply embedded in the broader automotive, art, watch, and other communities, both in person and online. I know how to build a great product from this niche and have proven to find early PMF among the initial adopters. However, where does one find investors for an idea like this? I believe PolyBets.fun can be bigger than Kalshi in a shorter period of time by focusing on these niches that people follow religiously day to day. Whether they can or can't afford them, they watch these markets to gain insight into their personal portfolio strategies.

I don't want to apply to YC again. I applied 7 times, with and without co-founders, with and without referrals, and with multiple different ideas. I'm YC'd out, so now I'm just looking for people who believe in the product, the founder (me), and the vertical. We're looking for a large number, primarily to get past all the regulatory hurdles (CFTC DCM), which require a good amount to get started with.

I've driven air-cooled 911s, water-cooled GT cars, and everything in between at different levels of intensity over the past 8 years.

This is the purest water-cooled Porsche I've ever driven. It almost has an air-cooled personality, but with the modern amenities you'd expect from 996-992 models.

Things I like: cable wire throttle feels like a go-kart. Mechanical latches, stripped-down weight, no traction aids, halogen headlights, ease of service (post-IMS/RMS repairs), and resistance to various driving conditions. The 3.4 flat-6 is very rev-happy and significantly more reliable than the 3.6, with little to no bore scoring issues.

Things I don't like: no cup holders; mine didn't come with an LSD (which is rare), and those weird insulation foams coming out of the AC vents (a common issue on 996/997s, apparently).

Can't say enough positive things about this generation of 911. I used to dislike the '98 Boxster headlights (the orange fried eggs), and I was part of that camp myself. But nobody has the right to criticize the 99 headlights. After all, these lights helped light the way for the GT 1 to win Le Mans in 1998. So if that's still a reason for anyone to hate the entire car, they should build a bridge and get over it.

My one reservation: interior quality could have been better, but the fact that parts are cheap and readily available is a huge plus. The interior design was once criticized, but it has aged well, and everything falls into place when you drive it daily.

I can't praise the 996.1 C2 enough. I'm definitely keeping this car since it's a clean example with 145k miles. It's a blast and a complete bargain for a rear-engine 911 under $20k.

If you're in the market, a 1999 base Carrera C 2 with complete service records, IMS/RMS done, and LSD (if available) is an incredible deal at any mileage. It's almost certain to become a classic and is definitely worth buying right now. The dual-row IMS has a failure rate of less than 2%, so even if it has been serviced every 99, it's not a big concern.

Among all the hate for the 996, the 1999 C2 is the best option outside of the Hans Mezger flat-6 engines found in Turbo and GTS models.

When I look back, Buildbook wasn’t born in a boardroom — it started from a place of frustration. I was studying Mathematical Finance at CSU Long Beach and looking for people to build real software with. Not for a class, not for a grade — just to get better. But around me? Nothing. No builders. No momentum.

So I started looking elsewhere. I found a Discord server of people helping each other with Leetcode. We started talking. It turned out many of them were from Berkeley or nearby, and they were just as hungry to build something real. We spun up a side chat and built a real-time podcast fact-checking extension together. It wasn’t perfect, but it clicked. Everyone grew. We gained new skills, new stories to tell in interviews, and most importantly, new collaborators.

That one project changed everything. It made me realize that what’s broken isn't just recruiting — it’s how technical people find each other, collaborate, and show the world what they can do. LinkedIn is outdated. GitHub is noisy. Product Hunt is a ghost town. None of these platforms were built for what Gen Z and AI-native builders need.

So we started Buildbook — a place where technical students and professionals collaborate in public, get credit for what they build, and get discovered based on real work. It’s social GitHub meets verified identity. We launched in January, and since then over 16,000 users have joined us — all grassroots, all word of mouth.

This isn't just about helping students build resumes. It’s about redefining how people break into tech, how they grow, and how recruiters find actual builders instead of keyword matches. I’m building Buildbook because I needed it. And I know a million other people do too.