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Michael Seibel

04/09/22

@ Y Combinator

As Y Combinator partners, we often see founders become overly focused on their competitors, which can lead to fear overshadowing their excitement for their own company.

Video

How To Compete With Amazon and Google

@ Y Combinator

How To Compete With Amazon and Google

04/09/22

Related Takeaways

Y Combinator Cast

12/27/24

@ Y Combinator

During the Y Combinator batch, founders often become super focused on growth and scaling, but they can get distracted by numerous tasks that don't contribute to their core goals.

Michael Seibel

04/09/22

@ Y Combinator

Founders often psych themselves out by worrying about competitors, especially when they see a competitor raise significant funding, leading them to feel like they are failing.

Brad Flora

04/09/22

@ Y Combinator

It's a dangerous mindset for founders to think they must beat their competitors to succeed, which distracts them from focusing on their own customers and product development.

Y Combinator Cast

04/09/22

@ Y Combinator

Founders often focus too much on negativity surrounding competitors instead of addressing their own growth metrics and customer retention.

Dalton Caldwell

06/09/22

@ Y Combinator

Founders who are excited about building and solving problems for users are still applying, and those not making fear-based decisions are more enthusiastic about joining Y Combinator.

Dalton Caldwell

03/22/24

@ Y Combinator

Thinking like a VC often involves analyzing markets and trends, which can distract founders from focusing on their unique startup vision.

Y Combinator Cast

03/01/24

@ Y Combinator

Fear can lead founders to make irrational decisions, such as pivoting too quickly without proper validation of their ideas.

Y Combinator Cast

04/18/24

@ Y Combinator

It's common for founders with expertise to feel fearful and second-guess their ideas, while those without expertise may be overly confident in their assumptions.

Marc Andreessen

06/11/25

@ Uncapped with Jack Altman

The emotional stakes are high for founders when their investors back competitors, as it can undermine their credibility and the trust of their team.