What Paul Graham thinks about taste
Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb; essayist at paulgraham.com.
Paul Graham 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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11 dated positions, 2002 to 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Paul Graham has said — not written or endorsed by them.
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Their wordsOne very important thing that even the smartest people seem to have to learn from experience is taste in problems.
- 1 day earlier
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Their wordsA company name that appeals to corporate buyers may not appeal so much to their customers.
- 3 years earlier
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Our readingStrange tastes are often strong ones, and a strong taste for work makes a person productive.
Their wordsStrange tastes are often strong ones, and a strong taste for work means you'll be productive.
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Their wordsConsciously cultivate your taste in the work done in your field.
- 17 years earlier
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Their wordsSince there's such a thing as good art, there's also such a thing as good taste, which is the ability to recognize it.
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Their wordsThat's because the test for what gets included in shows is basically the market price, and for recent art that is largely determined by successful businessmen and their wives.
- 4 years earlier
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Their wordsYou need a good sense of design to judge good design. And there is no correlation, except possibly a negative one, between people's ability to recognize good design and their confidence that they can.
- 15 months earlier
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Their wordsSaying that taste is just personal preference is a good way to prevent disputes. The trouble is, it's not true. You feel this when you start to design things.
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Our readingGood design can copy: the greatest masters decide it is more important to be right than original.
Their wordsA novice imitates without knowing it; next he tries consciously to be original; finally, he decides it's more important to be right than original.
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Their wordsBut if you just try to make good things, you'll inevitably do it in a distinctive way, just as each person walks in a distinctive way. Michelangelo was not trying to paint like Michelangelo. He was just trying to paint well; he couldn't help painting like Michelangelo. The only style worth having is the one you can't help.
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Their wordsDon't ignore those voices. Cultivate them. The recipe for great work is: very exacting taste, plus the ability to gratify it.