Paul Graham

"The difference between cities is a matter of degree. And if, as nearly everyone who knows agrees, startups are better off in Silicon Valley than Boston, then they're better off in Silicon Valley than everywhere else too."


Ad: "Hackers & Painters" by Paul Graham

"It's so cheap to start web startups that orders of magnitudes more will be started. And if the pattern holds true, that should cause dramatic changes."


Ad: "Hackers & Painters" by Paul Graham

"If it seems like a daunting task to do philosophy, here's an encouraging thought. The field is a lot younger than it seems."


Ad: "Hackers & Painters" by Paul Graham

"Things are very different in the new world of startups. We couldn't save someone from the market's judgement even if we wanted to. And being charming and confident counts for nothing with users. All users care about is whether you make something they like. If you don't, you're dead."


Ad: "Hackers & Painters" by Paul Graham

"When startups die, the official cause of death is always either running out of money or a critical founder bailing. Often the two occur simultaneously. But I think the underlying cause is usually that they've become demoralized."


Ad: "Hackers & Painters" by Paul Graham

"The weakest point in big companies is that they don't let individual programmers do great work. So if you're a little startup, this is the place to attack them. Take on the kind of problems that have to be solved in one big brain."
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Ad: "Hackers & Painters" by Paul Graham

"Every thing you own takes energy away from you. Some give more than they take. Those are the only things worth having."
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Ad: "Hackers & Painters" by Paul Graham