You and your ragtag team of engineers likely won’t be able to create something that is competitive with any big incumbent product. However, you can build features, seed content, and brand it in a way that is so obnoxiously relevant for a particular group of people that their… Show more

There is no ideal pitch deck. The narrative depends on what you’re building—but I really like this one: 1. Vision for the world in 5 years 2. The novel wedge that will get you there 3. How you plan to distribute it 4. What could go wrong 5. What you’ll prove by the time you need… Show more

A lot of advice I gave this batch was some version of noticing that one thing the company was doing was working, and encouraging them to prune everything else and focus on that one thing. For example, it's reasonable to try 5 different ways to get users, but if one of them works… Show more

Startups often assume their better funded competitors are doing well, which leads to dogmatically chasing/copying #1 if you’re #2+ #2 tries to catch up to #1 by running the same way but faster. It’s often the case #1 is headed in the wrong direction, and now #2+ is too

1/ Why AI is not going to replace programmers: When I was in college studying Computer Science in 2005, I was told that out-sourcing to India will remove the demand for programmers. It was a real fear! AI replacing coders, I think, it’s based on a similar misconception 🧵

Turns out no amount of fundraising, press, buzz, amazing employees, and/or cool tech guarantees you product market fit.

Here's a common startup situation. A team busts their ass for months building the first version of their product. It's almost done. Now a big question emerges -- how do you get the first people to use your product? Hmm... If you find yourself at this moment, then you are already… Show more

This is one of the fundamental errors of tech thinking. For a certain class of problems caused by technology (e.g., climate change, traffic accidents, electrical fires), yes, the solution is more technology. But for tech-induced human problems like loneliness, anxiety,… Show more

I've been trying to create a "social network for makers" for the last 15 years with different approaches. I made what was basically WIP multiple times 10+ years ago, but it failed each time. The reason is, that a super early, super small community has different needs from a… Show more

Samo's Law of Funding: The more money an organization is supposed to give out, the less likely it is to fund unusual people.