How Not to Die
21 hours ago
- About half of startups fail, but if you avoid dying, you can get rich.
- Startups often die silently; a key warning sign is when founders stop communicating with Y Combinator.
- Regular contact with YC and other founders creates deadlines and peer pressure that keep you working.
- The main cause of startup death is demoralization, not running out of money or losing a founder.
- Startups rarely die in mid-keystroke; keep working and iterating even when things feel hopeless.
- Launching something that fails to gain traction is normal; tweak your product until you find a core of users who love it.
- Do not take on other activities like grad school or side projects—distraction is fatal.
- Fear of public humiliation can be a powerful motivator to keep going.
- Success often comes from not giving up, even when disasters strike.