For many people, Paul Graham is an essential touch point in building a new company. His perspectives have the ring of experience--and a lot of wisdom, so I'm compiling my own list of nuggets to absorb--here's a batch of good points from the most recent post (worth a whole read).
And the money quote: "Economically, a startup is best seen not as a way to get rich, but as a way to work faster. You have to make a living, and a startup is a way to get that done quickly, instead of letting it drag on through your whole life."
- Release early: "Users hate bugs, but they don't seem to mind a minimal version 1, if there's more coming soon."
- Release often: "Force yourself, as a sort of intellectual exercise, to keep thinking of improvements."
- Value the users: "The vast majority of people who visit your site will be casual visitors."
- Be afraid: "You should compete against what someone else could be doing, not just what you can see people doing."
- Determination is everything. "The only way to convince everyone that you're ready to fight to the death is actually to be ready to."
- Manage your optimism: "Shielding your optimism is nowhere more important than with deals. If your startup is doing a deal, just assume it's not going to happen."
And the money quote: "Economically, a startup is best seen not as a way to get rich, but as a way to work faster. You have to make a living, and a startup is a way to get that done quickly, instead of letting it drag on through your whole life."
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