Tools

Search

Explore

Videos Channels Figures

Atmrix

About

Tools

Search

Explore

Videos Channels Figures

Atmrix

About

PG

Paul Graham

07/17/19

@ Y Combinator

Founders often neglect to pay enough attention to their users, instead getting lost in their own vision and ideas.

Video

YC

Paul Graham: What are some common mistakes founders make?

@ Y Combinator

Paul Graham: What are some common mistakes founders make?

07/17/19

Related Takeaways

YC

Y Combinator Cast

07/22/23

@ Y Combinator

Founders often get distracted by coding and overbuilding instead of focusing on understanding the core problems their users face.

PG

Paul Graham

07/17/19

@ Y Combinator

It's common for founders to spend too much time alone, developing elaborate ideas without engaging with users, which is crucial for sales.

MS

Michael Seibel

08/17/19

@ Y Combinator

Founders often have no idea where their first users will come from, which is a critical oversight when choosing a problem to solve.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

03/22/24

@ Y Combinator

Founders often forget to focus on acquiring their first customer, instead preparing for scaling and hiring prematurely.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

04/01/22

@ Y Combinator

Founders often get caught up in collecting mentors and advisors instead of focusing on building and launching their product, which can lead to a time sink.

BF

Brad Flora

02/13/25

@ Y Combinator

Founders often overspend because they haven't realized that their product isn't what customers want yet, leading them to chase after growth without understanding their market.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

03/16/22

@ Y Combinator

Founders often know only a small part of the overall story, which can lead to misguided decisions about when to launch their products.

MS

Michael Seibel

01/27/22

@ Y Combinator

Many founders mistakenly believe they know what their customers want without validating their assumptions through user feedback.

MS

Michael Seibel

08/17/19

@ Y Combinator

First-time founders often make the mistake of solving problems they don't care about, which can lead to a loss of motivation and ultimately failure.