YC
Tarpit Ideas: The Sequel
@ Y Combinator
07/20/24
Takeaways
DC
Dalton Caldwell
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
When someone asks if their idea is a tarpit, I often start by asking if they've talked to any users, and many say no, which highlights the importance of user feedback.
DC
Dalton Caldwell
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
The concept of a tarpit idea arises when we see many founders applying the same idea repeatedly, often leading to failure, indicating a trend in certain idea spaces that attract many applicants but don't succeed.
MS
Michael Seibel
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
Tarpit ideas are often misinterpreted as simply bad ideas, but they represent a specific subset of ideas that are particularly attractive yet frequently lead to failure.
DC
Dalton Caldwell
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
Many startup ideas receive praise from friends, but tarpit ideas often get the most enthusiasm, even when they may not be viable.
MS
Michael Seibel
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
A characteristic of tarpit ideas is that they have been attempted many times before without success, yet founders often overlook this history and fail to acknowledge past failures.
DC
Dalton Caldwell
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
With the rise of AI and new technologies, classic tarpit ideas may no longer be tarpit ideas if a founder can explain how the new technology makes them feasible.
MS
Michael Seibel
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
Common ideas like 'co-pilot for X' are prevalent, but they aren't necessarily tarpit ideas because not enough people have tried them yet, even though they are frequently proposed.
DC
Dalton Caldwell
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
It's important to recognize that the current set of technology can only address a specific set of problems, and as new technologies emerge, we must re-explore what problems can be solved.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
We're in an 'okay, let's see' phase with AI technology, as opposed to being ten years into B2B SaaS where we had seen many forms of it.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
AI-generated video and audio have been consistently funded by Y Combinator since 2016, and the quality of these technologies is improving.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
I played a personalized podcast called Pocket Pot, and my wife thought it was NPR until it played a quote of me talking, which was surprising and fun.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
It's challenging to connect new technology with existing problems, especially when many ideas have been tried before and failed.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
One common type of tarpit idea is the belief that the world should work differently, which often leads to unrealistic expectations about technology adoption.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
Another tarpit idea involves the allure of quick wealth through arbitrage, where people believe they can get rich quickly by leveraging secret knowledge or trends.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
During the pandemic, many startup ideas emerged from trends like Wall Street Bets, where individuals sought to capitalize on momentary market opportunities.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
The key takeaway is that ideas are not static; what may be a tarpit today could change as technology evolves, and skepticism is necessary when ideas seem too good to be true.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/20/24
@ Y Combinator
When asked if an idea is a tarpit, I often suggest talking to users to validate the concept, as many people overlook this crucial step.