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Atmrix

About

BS

Ben Silbermann

10/25/13

@ Y Combinator

Our problem in distribution wasn't an engineering problem; it was a community problem, and building the first really cool thing was a design problem.

Video

YC

Ben Silbermann at Startup School 2012

@ Y Combinator

10/25/13

Related Takeaways

AP

Avni Patel Thompson

09/22/17

@ Y Combinator

Building a startup is not about building a product; it's about solving a problem.

ES

Eric Simons

03/13/25

@ Lenny's Podcast

Building technology first and then finding a problem to solve later can lead to success, as demonstrated by Bolt's journey from near shutdown to a leading AI coding product.

MK

Mike Krieger

03/26/25

@ EO

A key lesson from Artifact was that users won't adopt a product just because of the technology; it must also solve a real problem effectively from the start.

DC

Dalton Caldwell

01/06/22

@ Y Combinator

I think we had it backwards by creating a company around a hot technology instead of focusing on a real problem to solve.

MS

Michael Seibel

09/06/18

@ Y Combinator

Identifying a problem that others haven't solved is the true genius in product development, not just creating a solution.

DS

Dan Siroker

10/26/13

@ Y Combinator

We faced a significant challenge with distribution, as it's tough to get parents and teachers to adopt new technology, often requiring a one-on-one approach without any scale or leverage.

JF

Jared Friedman

11/18/22

@ Y Combinator

It's crucial to personally want the solution you are building and to know others who want it as well; otherwise, you risk creating something that nobody cares about.

GM

Gaurav Misra

03/27/25

@ Lenny's Podcast

The core of building products involves identifying a user problem, applying technology to solve it, and finding the right audience for that solution.

MS

Michael Seibel

08/17/19

@ Y Combinator

Founders often have no idea where their first users will come from, which is a critical oversight when choosing a problem to solve.