YC
What Does It REALLY Mean To Do Things That Don't Scale? – Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel
@ Y Combinator
02/10/22
Takeaways
MS
Michael Seibel
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
Doing things that don't scale means founders must engage in manual, personal efforts rather than relying on scalable processes or code.
MS
Michael Seibel
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
On day one, Reddit had no users, so founders Steve and Alexis created fake accounts to make it appear active, which helped attract real users later.
DC
Dalton Caldwell
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
DoorDash founders initially handled all deliveries themselves to ensure customer satisfaction and build relationships with users and restaurants.
DC
Dalton Caldwell
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
The founders of DoorDash learned valuable insights by personally delivering food, which helped them understand the challenges of the business.
DC
Dalton Caldwell
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
In the early stages, the CEO's role is to embrace low-status work and be accountable for making the entire system run effectively.
DC
Dalton Caldwell
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
Many smart individuals are not suited to be founders because they avoid the hard, manual work required in the early stages of a startup.
MS
Michael Seibel
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
Founders often have to deal with customer support directly, facing criticism and feedback that helps them improve their product.
DC
Dalton Caldwell
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
Doing things that don't scale allows founders to learn directly from customers, leading to better products and services.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
Starting a company is challenging, and if it were easy, more people would leave their high-status jobs at companies like Google to pursue it.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
The reason there aren't more successful startups isn't due to a lack of good ideas or funding, but because many people are unwilling to endure the difficult early stages of building a startup.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
Working at a big tech company like Google can instill a mindset focused on scalability, which may not be helpful in the early stages of a startup where doing things that don't scale is often necessary.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
Founders often struggle with unrealistic expectations, believing that once they launch their product, it will immediately succeed, which can lead to disappointment.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
Maintaining motivation as a founder is crucial, and it's important to prepare for the challenges and criticisms that come with the startup journey.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
Doing things that don't scale is essential in the early stages of a startup, and founders should expect to look very different from larger competitors.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
To succeed, founders should focus on achieving small milestones, like making their first delivery, rather than getting overwhelmed by the idea of scaling too quickly.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
02/10/22
@ Y Combinator
Reading Paul Graham's essay "Do Things That Don't Scale" can provide valuable insights for founders navigating the startup landscape.