Historically, I’ve believed no one really has special insights. It all comes down to execution and focus

Lessons for Founders

Old habits die hard. At YC I would give a lot of advice to founders, so it’s hard not to offer a few thoughts for anyone building a venture-backed silicon valley company.

First: it is your responsibility to have a direct conversation with your customers, constituents, potential employees—whoever. Even if it’s personally taxing,... See more

It’s been interesting to see people I’ve known closely over the last 15+ years in the valley be lauded, become active on X and then be hated. Not disliked but really hated. Sometimes even I can’t believe what this fairly sane person is posting. But I think that’s less about them and more about the medium. Almost everything has nuance. But nuance is... See more

The alternative narrative is fundamentally direct-to-consumer. Just like brands that skip traditional distribution, ideas now bypass institutions entirely. Everyone from Alex Karp to Zohran Mamdani to President Trump operates on this wavelength:

I don’t want to hear from your corporation or your party. I want to hear directly from you.

Institutional... See more