Engaging directly with customers as a founder can create a strong impression and foster trust, making it easier to build relationships and gain feedback.

I tell aspiring founders to talk to customers, but many get quiet when asked how many they've actually spoken to.

During Y Combinator, we learned the importance of talking to customers directly, not just through customer service.

Great founders engage with future customers even before having a product, as this helps them understand user motivations and gather honest feedback.

Founders often mistakenly believe that advisors have complete knowledge of every user base and problem, but they should be talking to their customers instead.

If I could give one piece of advice to YC founders, it would be to engage with real users early on to gather valuable feedback, rather than perfecting the product in isolation. I think through what the world will look like if hundreds of thousands or millions of people were to use this product or service, which helps me imagine the future of the product.

It's crucial for founders to engage directly with users and the market rather than relying on external opinions to gauge their startup's potential.

It's important for founders to remain involved in customer service to understand their customers' needs and feedback, even as they scale.

Being close to your customers allows you to iterate quickly by obtaining immediate feedback and building solutions that meet their needs.