Y Combinator’s annual Startup School is one of my favorite startup-related events. I haven’t been lucky enough to be picked to attend in person but have always tried to watch them live. They are so inspiring that I always want to get back to working on my startup before the intermission! With this being the month… Continue reading Advice from Startup School 2014
Tag: startup
Later-stage Advice
Lecture 20: Later-stage Advice Link: How to Start a Startup (You can find notes to the other lectures here.) Sam Altman (@sama) In most companies of under 20 to 25 employees most are structured with everyone reporting to the founder. That is what you want at that stage. When lack of structure fails it… Continue reading Later-stage Advice
Legal and Accounting Basics for Startups
Lecture 18: Legal and Accounting Basics for Startups Link: How to Start a Startup (You can find notes to the other lectures here.) Kirsty Nathoo, Carolynn Levy (@cjoneslevy) It is dangerous for founders to get bogged down in the details. (Carolynn Levy) The primary purpose of forming a separate legal entity is to protect yourself… Continue reading Legal and Accounting Basics for Startups
How to Design Hardware Products
Lecture 17: How to Design Hardware Products Link: How to Start a Startup (You can find notes to the other lectures here.) Hosain Rahman (@hosain) The whole point is to help people to a better life with technology. Think about, “where is the world going?” Have organizing principles. Thinking needs to shift from being about… Continue reading How to Design Hardware Products
How to Run a User Interview
Lecture 16: How to Run a User Interview Link: How to Start a Startup (You can find notes to the other lectures here.) Emmett Shear (@eshear) If you’re building something that is just for you then you don’t need to talk to anyone else. Most startups are not just built for the person that is… Continue reading How to Run a User Interview
How to Operate
Lecture 14: How to Operate Link: How to Start a Startup (You can find notes to the other lectures here.) Keith Rabois (@rabois) People are irrational. Building a company is taking all of the irrational people you know and putting them in one building and living with them for twelve hours a day at… Continue reading How to Operate
How To Be A Great Founder
Lecture 13: How To Be A Great Founder Link: How to Start a Startup (You can find notes to the other lectures here.) Reid Hoffman (@reidhoffman) A founder is someone who deals with a ton of different headaches. A competitive edge is super important. It is very hard to tell the difference between madness and… Continue reading How To Be A Great Founder
Building for the Enterprise
Lecture 12: Building for the Enterprise Link: How to Start a Startup (You can find notes to the other lectures here.) Aaron Levie (@levie) In the Internet in 2004 there wasn’t a lot going on. Any market that has a significant change in the underlying raw materials or the enabling factors is about to change… Continue reading Building for the Enterprise
How to Raise Money
Lecture 9: How to Raise Money Link: How to Start a Startup (You can find notes to the other lectures here.) Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) Ron Conway (@RonConway) Parker Conrad (@parkerconrad) You’ve got to be a communicator and a born leader. (Rob Conway) The venture capital business is 100% a game of outliers. (Marc Andreessen) There… Continue reading How to Raise Money
Doing Things That Don’t Scale
Lecture 8: Doing Things That Don’t Scale Link: How to Start a Startup (You can find notes to the other lectures here.) Stanley Tang (@stanleytang) It is okay to hack things together at the beginning. Do things that don’t scale. Doing things that don’t scale allows you to become an expert in your own business.… Continue reading Doing Things That Don’t Scale