Tools

Search

Explore

Videos Channels Figures

Atmrix

About

Tools

Search

Explore

Videos Channels Figures

Atmrix

About

DH

Diana Hu

04/22/23

@ Y Combinator

Even if you start with a less scalable technology, like PHP, you can optimize it later as your user base grows, as seen with Facebook's evolution.

Video

YC

Tips For Technical Startup Founders | Startup School

@ Y Combinator

Tips For Technical Startup Founders | Startup School

04/22/23

Related Takeaways

YC

Y Combinator Cast

03/06/25

@ Y Combinator

Historical examples like Facebook show that while rapid development is possible with simpler tools, scaling requires hiring specialized engineers for complex systems.

DH

Diana Hu

04/22/23

@ Y Combinator

The tech choices you make early on matter less if you can build a product that gains traction; successful companies often adapt their technology as they grow.

MS

Michael Seibel

02/17/22

@ Y Combinator

In the early days of Facebook, they scaled by creating separate database instances for each school, allowing them to manage growth without overwhelming a single database.

SA

Sam Altman

02/24/18

@ Y Combinator

You initially have to do things that don't scale in order to get into scaling, like manually getting users or doing things that wouldn't work with a large user base.

GA

Gustaf Alströmer

12/30/22

@ Y Combinator

Successful startups often start with non-scalable methods to acquire their first customers before moving to scalable growth channels.

DH

Diana Hu

04/22/23

@ Y Combinator

Choosing technology for iteration speed is key; for example, using Django and Python can allow for faster development compared to more complex stacks.

AS

Alex Schultz

03/24/17

@ Y Combinator

Building a scalable translation infrastructure is vital for reaching diverse markets; Facebook utilized community translations to quickly adapt to new languages.

NP

Nirav Patel

05/20/25

@ EO

In the early years at Facebook, we should have focused on iteration speed rather than building a large team and a polished product.

MZ

Mark Zuckerberg

10/25/13

@ Y Combinator

Facebook has pivoted many times, evolving from a college platform to a broader social network, demonstrating the need for flexibility in business.