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quick stanford football notes
Here’s what you need to know for the season:
Andrew Luck: The former Cardinal quarterback and NFL standout has
returned to Stanford as the football program’s first general manager.
At Stanford, Luck earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural design
in 2012 and a master’s degree in education in 2023. He produced a
record-setting collegiate career while leading the Cardinal to
national prominence before going on to be selected as a No. 1 overall
pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2012 NFL draft.
Frank Reich: The NFL veteran is serving as Stanford’s interim head
football coach. Reich is one of the sport’s most respected offensive
minds thanks to more than 30 years in professional football. He played
as a quarterback for 14 years in the NFL and was a member of six Super
Bowl teams. He coached Luck during his final season with the
Indianapolis Colts in 2018 and has also held coaching roles with the
Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Transfers: Stanford welcomed 17 transfers to the program this year,
including nine this summer, the most in a single season in the
program’s history and more than all other seasons combined. The
newcomers bring strong athletic and academic prowess to the team.
Stadium changes: Stanford Stadium has several new enhancements this
season. The Red Zone student section now stretches from the east
sideline to the south end zone, wrapping around the tunnel and placing
Stanford students closer to the visiting team bench. There are also
new concession options, discounts and a new raffle for season ticket
members, and a charter service from San Francisco to the stadium.
Stanford Football Alumni United (SFAU): A group of Cardinal legends
has launched SFAU, a coalition of former players and leaders committed
to working with the Stanford football front office and Stanford
Athletics to support the team and players through alumni engagement,
mentorship, career development, and marketing.
Andrew Luck: The former Cardinal quarterback and NFL standout has
returned to Stanford as the football program’s first general manager.
At Stanford, Luck earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural design
in 2012 and a master’s degree in education in 2023. He produced a
record-setting collegiate career while leading the Cardinal to
national prominence before going on to be selected as a No. 1 overall
pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2012 NFL draft.
Frank Reich: The NFL veteran is serving as Stanford’s interim head
football coach. Reich is one of the sport’s most respected offensive
minds thanks to more than 30 years in professional football. He played
as a quarterback for 14 years in the NFL and was a member of six Super
Bowl teams. He coached Luck during his final season with the
Indianapolis Colts in 2018 and has also held coaching roles with the
Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Transfers: Stanford welcomed 17 transfers to the program this year,
including nine this summer, the most in a single season in the
program’s history and more than all other seasons combined. The
newcomers bring strong athletic and academic prowess to the team.
Stadium changes: Stanford Stadium has several new enhancements this
season. The Red Zone student section now stretches from the east
sideline to the south end zone, wrapping around the tunnel and placing
Stanford students closer to the visiting team bench. There are also
new concession options, discounts and a new raffle for season ticket
members, and a charter service from San Francisco to the stadium.
Stanford Football Alumni United (SFAU): A group of Cardinal legends
has launched SFAU, a coalition of former players and leaders committed
to working with the Stanford football front office and Stanford
Athletics to support the team and players through alumni engagement,
mentorship, career development, and marketing.
More Emails to the World
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Internet is ouroboros-ing
The internet as we know it is dying: For the first time ever, machines write more of the web than humans do 😳
Oxford and Graphite data confirm it:
→ AI-generated content passed 50% in late 2024.
→ By 2026, it could hit 90%.
Because AI costs <$0.01.
Humans cost $10–100.
But here comes the interesting part.
When AI trains on AI data, quality collapses.
It’s like photocopying a photocopy.
Every generation gets dumber.
The web is now full of content no one sees, and AI keeps learning from its own garbage.
I guess we didn’t notice the internet ending after all.
Maybe because AI wrote the obituary.
Oxford and Graphite data confirm it:
→ AI-generated content passed 50% in late 2024.
→ By 2026, it could hit 90%.
Because AI costs <$0.01.
Humans cost $10–100.
But here comes the interesting part.
When AI trains on AI data, quality collapses.
It’s like photocopying a photocopy.
Every generation gets dumber.
The web is now full of content no one sees, and AI keeps learning from its own garbage.
I guess we didn’t notice the internet ending after all.
Maybe because AI wrote the obituary.
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Every Reddit thread is secretly a JSON API endpoint!
Interesting. How'd I not know this earlier? Gonna figure out how to use.
Instagram used to have something similar, but then was shut down when got too popular. Remember ?a=1. Fun times!
Instagram used to have something similar, but then was shut down when got too popular. Remember ?a=1. Fun times!
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YC buys into the team, more than the idea!
This is one of the most overlooked questions in the YC application:
“How long have the founders known one another and how did you meet?”
Don’t fall into the trap of just saying “6 months” and moving on to the idea, “the more important part”.
Here’s what I noticed during the YC batch: almost every company I knew either completely pivoted or made big adjustments to their idea.
But if the idea is the criterion for acceptance and it changes so often… aren’t these companies just toast?
No. Because a lot of times, YC isn’t buying into the idea at all.
They’re buying into the team. The FOUNDERS.
They want to make sure that you are an exceptional team. That you won’t give up. That you can stick together when you’re stressed and crammed in a room for 16+ hours a day for years (and maybe even living together).
When put like that, can you think of even one person you would want to do that with? If so, maybe it’s time to start a startup lol.
Founder conflict is one of the top causes of startup failure. YC is screening for that.
Some startups pivot 5+ times before landing on their breakout idea. Successful companies will change ideas and directions in weeks. What they won’t change is their founding team.
That’s why this isn’t a throwaway question. It’s your chance to prove you’re the kind of team that will still be standing when the idea inevitably changes. Don’t waste it.
“How long have the founders known one another and how did you meet?”
Don’t fall into the trap of just saying “6 months” and moving on to the idea, “the more important part”.
Here’s what I noticed during the YC batch: almost every company I knew either completely pivoted or made big adjustments to their idea.
But if the idea is the criterion for acceptance and it changes so often… aren’t these companies just toast?
No. Because a lot of times, YC isn’t buying into the idea at all.
They’re buying into the team. The FOUNDERS.
They want to make sure that you are an exceptional team. That you won’t give up. That you can stick together when you’re stressed and crammed in a room for 16+ hours a day for years (and maybe even living together).
When put like that, can you think of even one person you would want to do that with? If so, maybe it’s time to start a startup lol.
Founder conflict is one of the top causes of startup failure. YC is screening for that.
Some startups pivot 5+ times before landing on their breakout idea. Successful companies will change ideas and directions in weeks. What they won’t change is their founding team.
That’s why this isn’t a throwaway question. It’s your chance to prove you’re the kind of team that will still be standing when the idea inevitably changes. Don’t waste it.
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The Scythe
Death came to a blacksmith with his scythe and asked him to sharpen it. The terrified blacksmith started the task hoping death wasn’t there for him.
As he worked on the scythe, the blacksmith looked at it and said:
“I can’t believe I’m holding a weapon that has killed so many.”
Death leaned in towards the blacksmith and said:
“I didn’t kill anyone. Not a single person. It’s you who kill each other and blame me. I was once a handsome man when I was first entrusted with the duty of escorting people to their final destinations. But that was before I met people’s souls.”
“And now?”, the blacksmith asked.
“Now I wear black clothes to hide the blood on me. I wear a hood to conceal the tears I have cried because I cannot stop the horror of human hatred.”
Death then took the scythe and began to walk away.
“Wait! I have one last question!”
Death turned around.
“Why do you carry a scythe at all?”
Death smiled and said:
“The road to heaven has long been overgrown with grass. After all, I rarely get to use that path.”
As he worked on the scythe, the blacksmith looked at it and said:
“I can’t believe I’m holding a weapon that has killed so many.”
Death leaned in towards the blacksmith and said:
“I didn’t kill anyone. Not a single person. It’s you who kill each other and blame me. I was once a handsome man when I was first entrusted with the duty of escorting people to their final destinations. But that was before I met people’s souls.”
“And now?”, the blacksmith asked.
“Now I wear black clothes to hide the blood on me. I wear a hood to conceal the tears I have cried because I cannot stop the horror of human hatred.”
Death then took the scythe and began to walk away.
“Wait! I have one last question!”
Death turned around.
“Why do you carry a scythe at all?”
Death smiled and said:
“The road to heaven has long been overgrown with grass. After all, I rarely get to use that path.”
express, not stress