Before the Startup with Paul Graham (How to Start a Startup 2014: Lecture 3)

Summary

Startups are counterintuitive and require a different set of instincts. They are like skiing, where your natural instincts can lead you astray. The talk will provide a list of counterintuitive things to remember when starting a startup.

Founders often ignore advice from mentors and regret it later.
Trusting instincts about people is important in business.
Choose people to work with based on personal compatibility, not just intelligence or skills.
Expertise in startups is not necessary for success, expertise in users is crucial.
Don't go through the motions of starting a startup without creating something people want.
Young founders are trained to play games and exploit the system.
Work done in college and educational settings is often artificial.
Best way to convince investors is to have a startup that is doing well and growing fast.
Gaming the system does not work in startups, focus on creating something users love.
Being unsure or afraid of starting a startup is normal, but don't let fear hold you back.
Immersing yourself in learning about things that matter to you can lead to good startup ideas.
Having co-founders who you like and respect is crucial.
Expertise in technology is not necessary, working on interesting problems is.
Being at the leading edge of technology and having domain expertise is important.
Starting a startup should be an ulterior motive for curiosity, not the primary goal.
Technical and non-technical founders have different roles depending on the startup.
Business school is not necessary, hands-on experience is the best way to learn.
Hiring the right people in the early stages is important.
Market is unpredictable, economic downturns are possible.
Starting multiple companies simultaneously can be successful.
Female founders face challenges in raising money, but performance can overcome biases.
Focus on growth graphs, not gender, when raising money.
Follow curiosity and study physics, even if it may not directly help in starting a startup.
Having kids can make one more efficient, but don't have kids solely for that purpose.
Work on things you like to be more efficient.
Turn a side project into a real startup when it takes over a significant portion of your life.
Do things that don't scale in the early stages.
Y Combinator is not suitable for startups destined to fail or intolerable founders.
Many successful startups are founded by people who hire their friends from college.

Have questions about the video? Create a FREE account to ask Wiz AI

7 days free trial