dcpdx

I'm sitting at my desk eating lunch and browsing HN and a thought occurred to me--why does HN display 30 posts per page? Is there some attribute to the design that makes 30 an ideal number for usability, or some optimization on the backend that makes 30 the ideal number? Why not 25, or 35, why not infinite scroll? Is it because "it's the way it's always been, and users are used to it?"

I am not a technical person but enjoy the content posted here and love learning about why things are the way they are. If anyone has any background on this from either inside YC or out, I'd love to hear it.

To the HN community,

I'm at a crossroads in my career and wanted to reach out to the HN community as I value the insights and experience of everyone here. For a little background, I'm 25, spent 3 years at Shell Oil Co. as a Territory Sales Manager, and quit my job about 6 months ago to join a YC startup in SF. I ended up leaving the company for a variety of reasons, and now face a decision to either go work at Google on their inside sales team in Mountain View, or take a business development lead role at a startup in Pittsburgh, PA. The cofounder and I worked together in college and we actually started a company together during our last year in school. I trust him (I toasted at his wedding this summer), and the company has a solid revenue growth curve with a product that I believe has great potential.

I've always wanted to start a company of my own in the next few years or so, and I want to choose the role that will put me in the best position to succeed when that time comes. Of course, there are other factors to consider, like where I want to live (I've always wanted to live and work in the Bay area), relevance of experience, and the credibility that goes along with a company like Google. Also, I'll probably end up putting down some roots and possibly starting a family within the next few years wherever I end up.

I know that this is a decision that only I can make, but I was hoping some of you may have insights to offer based on your experience either starting a company, working at a startup, or working for a company like Google (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). I want to go where I have the best opportunity to develop my skills and work alongside folks who will take my skillset to the next level. This will be one of the more difficult decisions that I make in my life, so I value input from many different perspectives. Thanks in advance for your comments!