Startups in 13 Sentences

Paul Graham’s essay Startups in 13 Sentences distills startup wisdom into thirteen foundational principles.

The 13 Sentences

1. Pick good cofounders. This is like location in real estate—foundational and hard to change.

2. Launch fast. Learn what users actually need, not what you imagine they need.

3. Let the idea evolve. Startups aren’t mere execution of initial concepts.

4. Understand your users. This drives most success. Maximize “how much you improve their lives.”

5. Better to make a few users love you than many users like you. “It’s easier to expand userwise than satisfactionwise.”

6. Offer surprisingly good customer service. This reveals user insights you can’t get any other way.

7. You make what you measure. Measurement itself improves results.

8. Spend little. Obsessive cost discipline preserves runway and optionality.

9. Get ramen profitable. This changes investor dynamics dramatically.

10. Avoid distractions. Especially paid work that pulls you away.

11. Don’t get demoralized. Prevent demoralization through conscious effort.

12. Don’t give up. “Sheer effort is usually enough” in startups, unlike fields requiring innate talent.

13. Deals fall through. Avoid over-depending on any single deal.

The Core Insight

Understanding users ultimately sustains morale during inevitable challenges and informs nearly every other principle on the list.

Which sentence resonates most with you? I’d love to hear at persdre@gmail.com.