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PB

Paul Buchheit

10/25/18

@ Y Combinator

The first version of Gmail I wrote in a day; it wasn't very good, but it was a start, and I iterated based on user feedback.

Video

YC

The Path to $100B by Paul Buchheit

@ Y Combinator

10/25/18

Related Takeaways

MS

Michael Seibel

02/17/22

@ Y Combinator

When Gmail was first developed, Paul Buchheit created a makeshift email interface using Google Groups, which allowed him to read his emails and led to the development of essential email features.

PB

Paul Buchheit

10/25/18

@ Y Combinator

The key to Gmail's development was to focus on making users happy, which involved iterating on features based on their requests.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

05/23/25

@ Y Combinator

After using Gmail for 20 years, I believe a good product could create a draft prompt based on my email history.

MS

Michael Seibel

02/17/22

@ Y Combinator

Paul Buchheit, the inventor of Gmail, built it as a side project at Google, focusing on doing things that don't scale, which ultimately led to a product used by 1.5 billion people.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

05/23/25

@ Y Combinator

The Gmail system prompt serves as a basic email writer, producing emails that no individual would authentically write, which limits its effectiveness.

MS

Michael Seibel

02/17/22

@ Y Combinator

The initial Gmail invite system was not a clever growth hack; it was a necessity due to limited server space, forcing them to limit access until they could scale.

DS

Dan Siroker

10/26/13

@ Y Combinator

At Google, I was one of the first product managers for Google Chrome, where I learned the value of a feedback loop in product development.

SA

Sam Altman

09/25/24

@ David Perell

I started writing a personal blog to practice my writing skills, inspired by Paul Graham's impactful writing that helps startup founders.

BS

Ben Silbermann

11/09/16

@ Y Combinator

To find our first users, I emailed friends, but they didn't really get it. The initial users were actually people I grew up with, using it for everyday things like home design and food planning.