Essay

How to Start a Startup

Paul Graham · paulgraham.com Free Beginner

The foundational essay behind YC's whole worldview. Graham argues a startup needs good people, something users want, and low spending, and he puts people first for a reason. It gives you the vocabulary to judge whether your founding team can actually build and ship, not just pitch.

  • Good people are the first of the three things a startup needs
  • You want makers who can build the product on the team
  • Founders should spend as little money as possible early
Open on paulgraham.com ↗

It answers 2 questions

  1. I'm non-technical, do I actually need a technical co-founder?
  2. Should I hire an agency or a freelancer to build my MVP?

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