In my experience it is often the opposite trait that is a problem. Hackers don't want to do something they have already figured out -- they crave the novel.
Solving a problem a second time is much more profitable. A big part of business is focusing on your strengths, rather than your weaknesses. Find out what you do best and market the hell out of it. No product is perfect.
Solving a problem a second time is much more profitable
This is compatible with the OP's point - hackers often look for novel solutions, not necessarily novel problems.
But the terminology here is very uncertain - problems and solutions interact in very complex ways: the "assembly line" solution solved the "horse shit all over the roads" problem. Google Wave might end up solving the problems which ORM's and databases are solving - that of storing and synchronizing data structures across machines.
The generalization of Rob's avoidance of new sports and Slava's startup into the category of "new things" doesn't fit. The OP's post was about the effects of social pressure on his choosing to start a company before and after his decision, and the role YC played. The example of Rob only doing things he was good at relates because Rob was influenced by a similar model of success, failure, and social expectations.
Solving a problem a second time is much more profitable. A big part of business is focusing on your strengths, rather than your weaknesses. Find out what you do best and market the hell out of it. No product is perfect.