The Pocket Guide of Essential YC Advice

• Launch now
• Build something people want
• Do things that don’t scale
• Find the 90 / 10 solution
• Find 10-100 customers who love your product
• All startups are badly broken at some point
• Write code - talk to users
• “It’s not your money’”
• Growth is the result of a great product not the precursor.
• Don’t scale your team/product until you have built something people want.
• Valuation is not equal to success or even probability of success.
• Avoid long negotiated deals with big customers if you can.
• Avoid big company corporate development queries - they will only waste time.
• Avoid conferences unless they are the best way to get customers.
• Pre-product market fit - do things that don’t scale: remain small/nimble.
• Startups can only solve one problem well at any given time.
• Founder relationships matter more than you think.
• Sometimes you need to fire your customers (they might be killing you).
• Ignore your competitors, you will more likely die of suicide than murder.
• Most companies don’t die because they run out of money.
• Be nice! Or at least don’t be a jerk.
• Get sleep and exercise - take care of yourself.