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Atmrix

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Atmrix

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YC

Y Combinator Cast

08/27/22

@ Y Combinator

Startups can learn from successful companies like Gusto and AWS by studying their strategies and adapting them, rather than reinventing the wheel.

Video

YC

The Better Customer–Startups or Big Enterprise?

@ Y Combinator

The Better Customer–Startups or Big Enterprise?

08/27/22

Related Takeaways

YC

Y Combinator Cast

08/27/22

@ Y Combinator

Selling to startups can be a powerful strategy, as demonstrated by Gusto, which started with startups and successfully expanded into the broader SMB market.

WV

Werner Vogels

11/12/18

@ Y Combinator

Startups often make the mistake of treating AWS like a traditional data center, which limits their ability to leverage AWS's higher services and security features.

KS

Karri Saarinen

06/05/25

@ FirstRoundCapital

Startups often make the mistake of trying to emulate other companies; instead, they should do the opposite of what competitors are doing.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

07/01/23

@ Y Combinator

Founders should prioritize understanding what users want and learn from successful companies, rather than just copying their surface-level traits.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

07/01/23

@ Y Combinator

Copying successful companies without understanding their context often leads to failure, as seen with startups that blindly imitated WeWork and Zoom Pizza.

MS

Michael Seibel

08/17/19

@ Y Combinator

Many startups make common mistakes, but exceptions exist where some have succeeded despite them; however, minimizing these mistakes can improve your chances of success.

GR

Geoff Ralston

12/15/20

@ Y Combinator

The pace of innovation in startups remains strong, with many companies applying successful models from one geography to another, such as adapting the Shopify model to India.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

07/01/23

@ Y Combinator

Many startups superficially imitated Uber's scaling tactics without understanding the context, leading to poor outcomes.

AL

Aaron Levie

02/20/25

@ Y Combinator

Startups should focus on creating unique value propositions that go beyond what models like ChatGPT can offer, as they may incorporate similar functionalities.