How to Start a Startup, Lecture 1
Sam Altman (Stanford CS183B)
The single best 50 minutes on what a startup actually is, why most fail, and what real traction looks like.
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External resources we recommend for founders attempting to build a tech startup.
10 must-watch
A short, opinionated playlist. If you only have a weekend, watch these in order.
Sam Altman (Stanford CS183B)
The single best 50 minutes on what a startup actually is, why most fail, and what real traction looks like.
Open on YouTubePaul Graham (Y Combinator)
Counterintuitive truths every first-time founder gets wrong. Read it, then watch it.
Open on YouTubePeter Thiel (Stanford)
Why monopolies, not competition, build great companies. Reframes how you pick a market.
Open on YouTubeSimon Sinek (TEDx)
The clearest explanation of why some products inspire and most don't. Pure positioning fuel.
Open on YouTubeMichael Seibel (Y Combinator)
Stops you from over-building. The cheapest, fastest version of your idea is the right one.
Open on YouTubeEric Migicovsky (Y Combinator)
Most founders never do real user interviews. This shows you exactly how.
Open on YouTubeJared Friedman (Y Combinator)
Ideas are not a thunderbolt. They come from noticing problems. This explains the system.
Open on YouTubeBrian Chesky with Sam Altman
Founder mode, doing things that don't scale, surviving the early Airbnb years. From a non-technical founder.
Open on YouTubeMarc Andreessen, Ron Conway, Parker Conrad (Stanford CS183B)
Honest mechanics of fundraising: what investors actually look for and how rounds really happen.
Open on YouTubeSteve Jobs
Three short stories on connecting the dots, doing the work you love, and mortality. Required viewing.
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