This is Paul Graham.
Our early training and our self-centeredness combine to make us believe that every judgement of us is about us. In fact most aren't.
Two Kinds of Judgement
One way to discover broken models is to be stricter than other people. Broken models of the world leave a trail of clues where they bash against reality
How to Do Great Work
You need to be good at some kind of technology, you need an idea for what you're going to build, and you need cofounders to start the company with.
How to Start Google
The questions depend on inspiration, but the answers can be got by sheer persistence.
The Best Essay
One of the biggest things holding people back from doing great work is the fear of making something lame. And this fear is not an irrational one.
Paul Graham • Early Work
The best essay would be on the most important topic you could tell people something surprising about.
The Best Essay
So when you look at something like Reddit and think "I wish I could
think of an idea like that," remember: ideas like that are all
around you. But you ignore them because they look wrong
think of an idea like that," remember: ideas like that are all
around you. But you ignore them because they look wrong
Six Principles for Making New Things
One thing I know is that if you want to do great things, you'll have to work very hard.
Paul Graham • How to Work Hard
The way to get startup ideas is not to try to think of startup ideas. It's to look for problems, preferably problems you have yourself.