Paul Graham on Startups: 10% Weekly Growth and Catching the Second Wave
ycombinator · x · 2026-08-13
During a YC dinner, Paul Graham shared timeless startup advice:
- 10% Week-over-Week Growth: If you maintain this growth for a long enough period, it's almost impossible to mess up as a founder.
- Riding the Second Wave: Great startups often ride second waves that propel them to be truly huge. You cannot time the wave, but being alive long enough to catch it is key. Zuckerberg didn't predict the iPhone; Replit grew massively due to the rise of vibe coding.
- Formidable Founders: Deeply resilient and execution-oriented.
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