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Jessica Livingston

What Jessica Livingston thinks about startups

@jessica-livingston · 20 positions · On ppll ↗

Co-founder of Y Combinator and author of Founders at Work; writes about startups and company culture.

Jessica Livingston did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

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Only Jessica Livingston on startups. See everyone on startups

14 dated positions, 2017 to 2021, in their own words. Our reading of what Jessica Livingston has said — not written or endorsed by them.

  1. Our readingA successful startup is almost impossible to create just by doing what everyone else is already doing.

    Their wordsIt would be almost impossible to create a successful startup just by doing what everyone else has been doing.

    ↗Think Different. Think Users.foundersatwork.posthaven.com 1st of 3 in this piece

  2. 12 months earlier

  3. Our readingA startup's cofounders are harder to replace than the idea they are working on.

    Their wordsYou can always change the idea you are working on, but it's much harder to get rid of a cofounder.

    ↗Startups: The Very Beginningfoundersatwork.posthaven.com 1st of 3 in this piece

  5. Our readingRevenue is the best number for a startup to measure, since it tests whether users genuinely want the product.

    Their wordsThe best number to measure is revenue, if you can. That's a really good test of whether users genuinely like what you've made.

    ↗Startups: The Very Beginningfoundersatwork.posthaven.com 2nd of 3 in this piece

  7. Our readingBeing a woman does not make the difference between a startup's success and failure.

    Their wordsYes, it may be a little harder for you as a female founder. But it's not going to be so much harder that it will make the difference between success and failure.

    ↗Startups: The Very Beginningfoundersatwork.posthaven.com 3rd of 3 in this piece

  8. 20 months earlier

  9. Our readingDomain-expert female founders are often hamstrung in building startups because they can't program.

    Their wordsWith female founders, I've seen a lot of cases where the woman is an ass-kicking domain expert in some field and has a clever idea but she's completely hamstrung because she can't program.

    ↗Why I Started the Summer Hackers Programfoundersatwork.posthaven.com 1st of 2 in this piece

  11. Our readingFewer female programmers is a major reason there are fewer female startup founders than male ones.

    Their wordsone of the reasons there are fewer female startup founders than male ones is that there are fewer female programmers.

    ↗Women: Learn to Program this Summerfoundersatwork.posthaven.com

  13. Our readingChoosing the wrong cofounder or programmer and having to replace them can create enough delay to kill a startup.

    Their wordsin a startup, if you choose the wrong programmer or cofounder and have to replace them, the delay alone can be enough to kill the company.

    ↗Why I Started the Summer Hackers Programfoundersatwork.posthaven.com 2nd of 2 in this piece

  14. 9 months earlier

  15. Our readingA lot more people have what it takes to start some startup than they realize.

    Their wordsIt's not true that every person can start every startup. But a lot more people have what it takes to start some startup than realize it.

    ↗Grow the Puzzle Around Youfoundersatwork.posthaven.com 1st of 3 in this piece

  17. Our readingThe most successful startups tend to be so unusual that the idea sounds preposterous at first.

    Their wordsthe most successful startups do tend to be weird. They're usually such outliers that the idea sounds preposterous at first.

    ↗Grow the Puzzle Around Youfoundersatwork.posthaven.com 2nd of 3 in this piece

  19. Our readingIn a startup, users judge a founder by their product, not their credentials.

    Their wordsin a startup it's the users who judge you, and they care about your product, not your credentials.

    ↗Grow the Puzzle Around Youfoundersatwork.posthaven.com 3rd of 3 in this piece

  20. 2 months earlier

  21. Our readingAnyone reasonably smart and willing to work hard can become an early employee at a startup, even though founding one is not for everyone.

    Their wordsFounding a startup is not for everyone, but anyone who's reasonably smart and willing to work sufficiently hard can be an early employee of one.

    ↗Think about Equityfoundersatwork.posthaven.com 2nd of 3 in this piece

  23. Our readingEquity in a startup is best treated as a bet that might turn out well, rather than a guarantee.

    Their wordsSo you should never consider equity in a startup as more than a bet that might turn out well.

    ↗Think about Equityfoundersatwork.posthaven.com 3rd of 3 in this piece

  24. 10 months earlier

  25. Our readingA great idea and good execution are not enough for a business to succeed; timing also has to be right.

    Their wordsThe most successful founders have the right idea at the right time. And you have less control over that than you might think, because the best ideas are not deliberate: they tend to grow organically out of the founders' lives.

    ↗What's Different about "Unicorns"foundersatwork.posthaven.com 1st of 3 in this piece

  27. Our readingThe best startups often look like unpromising or bad ideas at first.

    Their wordsAlmost all the really big startups seem like dubious ideas at first.

    ↗What's Different about "Unicorns"foundersatwork.posthaven.com 2nd of 3 in this piece