Video · ~20 min

Tarpit Ideas: The Sequel

Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel · Y Combinator Library Free Beginner

A tarpit idea is one that looks easy and gets praise from everyone, yet has quietly killed hundreds of founders who tried it. Caldwell and Seibel explain how to recognize an idea that feels great precisely because it is unproven and unhard, and why friend-praise is the opposite of a green light. This is the clearest short explanation of the 'everyone loves it, nobody builds a business on it' pattern.

  • Ideas that seem obviously good and get lots of praise are often long-dead tarpits.
  • The real test is whether you have talked to users and gotten a customer, not applause.
  • Easy-sounding, unhard ideas usually hide a reason they never work.
Open on ycombinator.com ↗

It answers 2 questions

  1. What are the warning signs that I have weak founder-market fit and I'm forcing it?
  2. What are the warning signs that an idea will quietly waste a year of my life?

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