Before the Startup
paulgraham.com
Before the Startup
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Re: Before the Startup
#2[deleted]
Re: Before the Startup
#3I find it interesting how YC is trying to increase its classes sizes significantly and YC partners are traveling all around encouraging everyone to apply (which would seemingly reduce the standard for getting in, unless qualified applicants are significantly increasing every year) in light of pg's point about gaming the system. Getting into an incubator, for many applicants, is effectively like "playing house" at starting a company or gaming the system, when really what those people should be focusing on is just building/growing their product, rather than figuring how to get into an incubator before they have a validated product. Especially given the predictors on a YC app that might increase an applicant's chance of getting in (prestigious school, work experience, etc.), seems like there are still lots of opportunities for "gaming the system" in YC.
Re: Before the Startup
#4I find it interesting how YC is trying to increase its classes sizes significantly and YC partners are traveling all around encouraging everyone to apply (which would seemingly reduce the standard for getting in, unless qualified applicants are significantly increasing every year) in light of pg's point about gaming the system. Getting into an incubator, for many applicants, is effectively like "playing house" at sta…
>>which would seemingly reduce the standard for getting in, unless qualified applicants are significantly increasing every year
An ulterior motive behind Sam Altman's startup class? Incredible engagement already with 400+ University viewing groups*
*https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P5xh1t0SOUlVmFkLKPk0...
Re: Before the Startup
#5one guaranteed way to turn your mind into the type that has good startup ideas is to get yourself to the leading edge of some technology—to cause yourself, as Paul Buchheit put it, to "live in the future." When you reach that point, ideas that will seem to other people uncannily prescient will seem obvious to you. You may not realize they're startup ideas, but you'll know they're something that ought to exist.
I think this is one reason why geographic clusters of startups occur: You get a few people "living in the future" co-located and suddenly the "uncannily prescient" idea no longer just seem obvious to you, they seem obvious to everyone around you too, and everyone wants them now.
The future is here, it is just not evenly distributed -- William Gibson.
Re: Before the Startup
#6Well written article.
I think PGs advice doesn't just apply to startups but to nearly everything in life. Learning (or as PG puts it, "Just Learn") is huge part of the equation if one wants to advance. You'll be surprise how this attitude is not very prevalent to the general population of adults.
Want to get earn more money? Just learn how.
Want that promotion? Just learn what you need to achieve.
Not an expert on a particular thing? Just learn from someone else.
In trouble and need help? Just learn where to find it.
Having said that, in my experience, I think another crucial step needs to tie in with learning is self-efficacy to make it worthwhile. Learning is one thing but if you don't have the belief to stick to it and act on it, learning will only get you so far.
Re: Before the Startup
#7Regarding the first point, I recently came to this conclusion: "The reason listening is hard is that not-listening doesn't feel like not-listening, it just feels like the other person is wrong."
Keeping this in mind has been very helpful.
Re: Before the Startup
#8I was really hoping this article would be about how massive companies were built (billion dollar or otherwise) before the invention of the "startup."
Something along these lines: http://startupguide.com/world/the-history-of-entrepreneurshi... with less use of the word "entrepreneur" as PG expressed his distaste as such.
Re: Before the Startup
#9> Yet when it comes to startups, a lot of people seem to think they're supposed to start them while they're still in college.
Is PG seriously implying he doesn't know where college students got the idea that they should be founding startups instead, after spending the last ten years telling them to?
Re: Before the Startup
#10I find it interesting how YC is trying to increase its classes sizes significantly and YC partners are traveling all around encouraging everyone to apply (which would seemingly reduce the standard for getting in, unless qualified applicants are significantly increasing every year) in light of pg's point about gaming the system. Getting into an incubator, for many applicants, is effectively like "playing house" at sta…
> > which would seemingly reduce the standard for getting in This statement is fairly unfounded
This is basically just speculation (and rather uncharitable speculation at that). And, plausibly, if the YC partners manage to increase the pool of applicants faster than they increase class sizes (which is plausible because the class sizes have not expanded tremendously), it would only raise the bar
> unless qualified applicants are significantly increasing every year
This is probably what is happening.