added by Johanna · updated 2y ago
Startup Advice
Johanna and added
- Be bold
I believe that it’s easier to do a hard startup than an easy startup. People want to be part of something exciting and feel that their work matters.
If you are making progress on an important problem, you will have a constant tailwind of people wanting to help you. Let yourself grow more ambitious, and don’t be afraid to work on what you rea... See morefrom How to Be Successful by blog.samaltman.com
Luc Cheung added
- In the first few weeks of a startup’s life, the founders really need to figure out what they’re doing and why. Then they need to build a product some users really love. Only after that they should focus on growth above all else.
from Before Growth by Sam Altman
Johanna added
Sam Altman What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Optimism, obsession, self-belief, raw horsepower and personal connections are how things get started. Cohesive teams, the right combination of calmness and urgency, and unreasonable commitment are how things get finished. Long-term orientation is in short supply; try not to worry about what people think in
... See moreG Lutz added
- The most counterintuitive secret about startups is that it’s often easier to succeed with a hard startup than an easy one. A hard startup requires a lot more money, time, coordination, or technological development than most startups. A good hard startup is one that will be valuable if it works (not all hard problems are worth solving!).
from Hard Startups - Sam Altman by blog.samaltman.com
Johanna added
- How to convince people to join your startup
I actually researched and covered this in a previous issue, so go read that post. Here’s the high-level summary of what you need to get right:- Captivating vision —Make it easy for candidates to visualize what you are building toward and to feel like their work will be meaningful.
- A++ early team —The best
from Hiring your early team by Lenny Rachitsky
Luc Cheung added
- Start with an ambitious, high-potential idea, but challenging and full of ambiguities — the rough shape of a nascent great idea. It typically isn’t new, but solves many problems in a simpler, more intuitive way. It ignites people’s curiosity and self-motivation. At the end, it should seem “obvious” so that others want to copy, because there aren’t ... See more
from Notion – The all-in-one workspace for your notes, tasks, wikis, and databases.
Nicolay Gerold added
- The very best startup ideas tend to have three things in common: they're something the founders themselves want, that they themselves can build, and that few others realize are worth doing. Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, Google, and Facebook all began this way.
from How to Get Startup Ideas by Paul Graham
Ajinkya Wadhwa and added