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TP

Tom Preston-Werner

10/25/13

@ Y Combinator

Experiencing bad companies can provide valuable lessons on what not to do in your own startup.

Video

YC

Tom Preston Werner at Startup School 2012

@ Y Combinator

Tom Preston Werner at Startup School 2012

10/25/13

Related Takeaways

NB

Nate Blecharczyk

10/26/13

@ Y Combinator

After quitting my corporate job due to lack of learning, I joined a startup where I learned valuable lessons about what not to do in business.

AC

Adora Cheung

03/20/17

@ Y Combinator

I learned a lot about what not to do if I were to start another startup after Homejoy, and much of this comes from my past failures.

JK

Justin Kan Cast

05/27/21

@ Justin Kan

I don't regret the painful experiences in my startup journey, as they taught me valuable lessons about myself and my capabilities.

PC

Paul Copplestone

05/14/25

@ Accel

I learned a lot from my first startup, especially about what not to do, like playing startup without having product-market fit.

AP

Avni Patel Thompson

01/31/19

@ Y Combinator

It's important to have conversations about the realities of startup failures, as they are part of the journey and can lead to valuable learning experiences for future endeavors.

JK

Justin Kan

07/30/18

@ Y Combinator

The management at startups generally really sucks, which can hinder your experience and growth.

SA

Sam Altman

11/09/24

@ Y Combinator

I learned a lot from my early experiences, even though my first company didn't succeed. The rate of learning in startups is incredibly high.

MS

Michael Seibel

04/21/22

@ Y Combinator

The lessons learned at a big tech company may not apply to startups, as many founders find that their corporate experience is irrelevant compared to their college coursework.

HT

Harj Taggar

05/20/22

@ Y Combinator

Just because you're a startup founder doesn't mean you're good at hiring and managing people; this realization often comes after the first experience.