startups

26 Aug 2026

Paul Graham quoted

Our readingFounders' reputation for overconfidence is sample bias; most good startups actually underrate themselves.

Startup founders have a reputation for overconfidence, but this is just sample bias; the arrogant ones are also the loudest. Even now most good startups underrate themselves, so it really helps to encourage them.

↗@paulg on Xx.com

12 Aug 2026

Paul Graham quoted

Our readingIf AI turns the world upside down, the safest place to be is a small, fast-moving company that can change direction easily.

A lot of founders I talk to are worried about what will happen with AI. So am I frankly. But they're actually better off than anyone else. If the world is going to get turned upside down, the safest place to be is in a small, fast-moving company that can easily change direction.

↗@paulg on Xx.com

12 Aug 2026

Paul Graham quoted

Our readingAlmost all standard startup advice is still true in the AI era.

One common question I get now is how much of the standard startup advice is still true in the AI era. So far almost all of it. There's more difference between the advice I give different startups in one batch than between what I've given pre-AI and post-AI startups.

↗@paulg on Xx.com

18 Jul 2026

Pieter Levels quoted

Our readingAbout 5% is the most common final ownership stake for the founder of a VC-funded startup that works out.

You think this is crazy low but ~5% ownership probably the most common final % most VC funded startups will have when they work out, especially when you have a co-founder

↗5% ownership is probably the most common final stake for VC funded startup founderslevels.io

25 Feb 2026

Boris Cherny quoted

Our readingBuild for the model six months from now, not the model of today.

At Anthropic, we don't build for the model of today, we build for the model of six months from now. And that's still my advice to founders that are building on LLMs.

↗Y Combinator, quoting Boris Cherny on the Lightcone Podcastx.com