Paul Graham
10 notes in the collection. Writes at paulgraham.com (opens in a new tab)↗
First saved What to Do on July 13, 2026.
Startups don't take off on their own; founders have to push them early by recruiting users by hand and delighting them in ways that would never work at scale.
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- How to Raise MoneyPaul Graham
- NewHow to Raise Money 46 min
Paul Graham's practical guide to early fundraising: when to raise, how investors think, and how to run the process without letting it distract from the company.
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- NewStartup = Growth 23 min
A startup is a company designed to grow fast, and Graham explains why growth rate is the one metric that should guide nearly every decision a founder makes.
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- NewWhy Nerds are Unpopular 25 min
Paul Graham argues nerds are unpopular in school because they care more about being smart than popular, and because schools are artificial places with no real work to do.
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- NewHow to Do What You Love 20 min
"Do what you love" is harder than it sounds; Graham unpacks how to tell real interest from prestige, money, and others' expectations when choosing your work.
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- NewLife is Short 7 min
Having kids convinced Graham that life really is short, so the answer is to cut out the bullshit, avoid letting time slip by, and do what matters to you now.
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- fun is the only metric that doesn’t liesignull
- PsychokineticsManav B. Ponnekanti
- Everything that turned out well in my life followed the same design processHenrik Karlsson
- NewBlack Swan Farming 9 min
Startup investing returns come from a few huge winners, and the best ideas look bad at first, so investors should bet on ideas that seem crazy rather than safe.
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- NewHow to Make Wealth 39 min
Paul Graham on why starting or joining a startup is the most reliable way to get rich: wealth is created, not taken, and startups compress a working life into a few years.
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- Fundraising Mistakes Founders MakeSam Altman
Hard problems get solved by the thinking you do without trying, like in the shower, so guard what occupies your mind, especially against money and disputes.
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- NewWhat to Do 7 min
Paul Graham's answer to what a person should do with their life: help people, take care of the world, and make good new things.
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- fun is the only metric that doesn’t liesignull
- PsychokineticsManav B. Ponnekanti
- Everything that turned out well in my life followed the same design processHenrik Karlsson
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