According to the original argument, that directly contradicts the assertion that only highly priviledged people linked to the elite are able to succeed.
Unless the goalpost is moved further away to the point that middle class is now part of the elite, it's quite clear the original argument doesn't hold water.
Exactly. There is a jealous undercurrent on HN about success. Usually it is around so and so started rich and/or was just lucky.
Is some luck involved? Sure. It also helps greatly to not have to worry where their next meal is coming from, but that is very different than having to start in the elite.
There is a severe discount of what can be best coined “courage” by Aristotle, the balance between brashness and fear, when it comes to startups from people who don’t exercise it. Everything looks so predictable in hindsight that the virtuous quality of taking a chance is voided because someone started life eating better baby food. It’s plain ignorant.
According to the original argument, that directly contradicts the assertion that only highly priviledged people linked to the elite are able to succeed.
Unless the goalpost is moved further away to the point that middle class is now part of the elite, it's quite clear the original argument doesn't hold water.