YC
Jessica Livingston's Advice For Founders
@ Y Combinator
05/04/17
Takeaways
JL
Jessica Livingston
05/04/17
@ Y Combinator
The most important quality you can have as a founder is determination; many smart and talented founders fail because they can't stick with it when things get tough.
JL
Jessica Livingston
05/04/17
@ Y Combinator
You need to be able to withstand rejection; people will think your idea is crazy, investors will say no, and reporters won't care.
JL
Jessica Livingston
05/04/17
@ Y Combinator
Empathy is crucial; you need to talk to your users and genuinely care about their experience, which is easier if you are a target user of your product.
JL
Jessica Livingston
05/04/17
@ Y Combinator
You must make something that people want a lot; it's not enough for them to want it a little; they need to want it enough to sign up and keep coming back.
JL
Jessica Livingston
05/04/17
@ Y Combinator
Live cheaply at the beginning to extend your runway; startups often take time to figure out what they should be doing, and overspending can lead to running out of time for necessary evolution.
JL
Jessica Livingston
05/04/17
@ Y Combinator
Focus is essential; it's easy to waste time on the wrong things in a startup, so prioritize the one optimal task over the many less important ones.
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Jessica Livingston
05/04/17
@ Y Combinator
It's generally easier to start a startup before having kids; the demands of parenting can pull you in a different direction than your startup does.
JL
Jessica Livingston
05/04/17
@ Y Combinator
If you have a choice, consider starting your startup before having kids, as it can be significantly easier than managing both responsibilities simultaneously.
JL
Jessica Livingston
05/04/17
@ Y Combinator
If you already have kids and are starting a startup, be aware of the challenges and try to outsource tasks that aren't directly related to your children.