Schlep Blindness

Paul Graham’s essay Schlep Blindness explores our unconscious inability to recognize promising startup ideas that involve tedious, unpleasant work.

The Definition

“Schlep was originally a Yiddish word but has passed into general use in the US. It means a tedious, unpleasant task.”

Why We Miss Opportunities

Hackers and entrepreneurs instinctively avoid uncomfortable work. They’d prefer building software without user interaction or business complexities. This unconscious avoidance blinds them to valuable problems.

“A company is defined by the schleps it will undertake.”

The Stripe Example

The payment processing industry exemplifies this. For years, countless developers experienced painful payment systems, yet few attempted to fix this massive infrastructure problem.

Instead, they built recipe sites and event aggregators—easier projects with minimal demand. The complexity of handling banks, fraud, and regulations kept the real opportunity invisible.

The Counterintuitive Advantage

Tackling intimidating problems creates competitive advantage. Fewer founders pursue them because “everyone else will have been frightened off by the challenges involved.”

Overcoming Schlep Blindness

Two strategies:

Leverage ignorance — especially valuable for young founders who underestimate obstacles
Reframe the question — from “what should I solve?” to “what problem do I wish someone else would solve for me?”