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Paul Graham is best known for revolutionizing the venture capital industry through Y Combinator and for his influential essays that serve as the canon of startup philosophy. Unlike traditional investors who focused on finance, Graham approached business with a hacker's mindset, viewing startups as systems to be optimized through code and iteration. He gained initial fame by creating Viaweb, the first web-based application, proving that software could be delivered over the internet—a model now known as SaaS. His enduring legacy lies in his writing, where he deconstructs complex topics ranging from income inequality to the nature of programming languages. His distinct voice combines the precision of computer science with the observational wit of a social critic.
Computer Scientist · Venture Capitalist
Paul Graham is a computer scientist, venture capitalist, and essayist who profoundly shaped the modern startup ecosystem. As a co-founder of Y Combinator, he introduced a new model of seed funding that prioritized mentorship, speed, and the concept of batching startups, helping launch giants like Airbnb, Stripe, and Dropbox. Before his investing career, he founded Viaweb, arguably the first software-as-a-service company, which he sold to Yahoo in 1998. Graham is equally renowned for his prolific writing; his essays offer lucid, often contrarian perspectives on programming, economics, and social dynamics. His philosophy emphasizes the power of independent thinking, the superiority of the Lisp programming language, and the imperative for founders to make something people want. By blending the analytical rigor of a hacker with the creative spirit of a painter, Graham has become the intellectual godfather of Silicon Valley, teaching a generation that the best way to predict the future is to build it.
Featured highlights
"Focus on the things that only you can do."
"Writing is not just a way to record thoughts, but a way to have them."
"The problem with distractions is not that they take time, but that they take over the top of your mind."
"Success comes from focusing on the right things, not from doing everything."
"The most important thing in any venture is to be the kind of person people want to play iterated games with."
"You have to be willing to say no to almost everything."
"The best way to stay focused is to work on something you're passionate about."
"Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats."
"The low points in a startup are so low that few could bear them alone."
"Benevolence is a competitive advantage."
"Avoid things that are mere 'theater' of work."
"The most successful people are often the ones who are least afraid of looking stupid."
"You have to be confident enough to be different."
"The biggest waste of time is doing something well that didn't need to be done at all."
"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."
"The most important thing is not to be intimidated."
"Money is not wealth. Wealth is what you want."
"If you're not working on the most important problem you think you can solve, why not?"
"The most dangerous thing is to be a conformist without knowing it."
"The most important part of creativity is choosing what to work on."
Quick answers about Paul Graham.
His work fundamentally changed how technology companies are funded and built, shifting leverage from investors to founders. His essays provide the intellectual framework for the modern digital economy, defining the culture of Silicon Valley.
Apply his thinking by ignoring scalability in the early stages to ensure a perfect user experience for a small group. Focus relentlessly on making something people want rather than chasing prestige or credentials.
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"Paul Graham remains the primary philosopher of the internet age, proving that the most powerful tool for success is independent thought."