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The most common post YC failure case for the companies we fund, is they're incredibly focussed during YC on their company... and after they start doing a lot of other things. They advise companies, they go to conferences, whatever.

Sam Altman

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Sam Altman
Age: 39
Born: 1985
Born: April 22
Entrepreneur
Chicago
Illinois
Samuel H. Altman
Samuel Altman
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More quotes by Sam Altman

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The other piece besides focus for execution is intensity. Startups only work at a fairly intense level.
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A small communication breakdown is enough for everyone to be working on slightly different things. And then you loose focus.
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If you compromise in the first five, ten hires it might kill the company.
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When lack of structure fails, it fails all at once. What works totally fine from 0-20 employees, is disastrous at 30.
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Most founders have not managed people before, and they certainly haven't managed managers.
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You're saying no ninety-seven times out of a hundred, and most founders find they have to make a very conscious effort to do this.
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When it comes to starting startups, in many ways, it's easier to start a hard startup than an easy startup.
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In general, it's best if you're building something that you yourself need.
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Losing focus is another way that founders get off track.
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You should always know how you're doing against your metrics. You should always have a weekly review meeting every week.
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To get the very best people- they have a lot of great options, and so it can easily take a year to recruit someone.
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At the beginning, you should only hire when you have a desperate need to.
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Starting a business is like riding a wave between life and death. If you can hang on long enough, you're bound to succeed
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You need conviction in your own beliefs, and the willingness to ignore others naysaying.
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Whatever the founder cares about, whatever the founders think are the key goals, that's going to be what the whole company focusses on.
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The thing that kills startups at some level, is the founders giving up.
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You have to save the vision speeches for when the company is winning. When you're not winning, you just have to get momentum back.
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In the beginning of a company, there is no management and this actually works really well.
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In addition to relentlessly resourceful, you want a tough and a calm cofounder.
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Or a way to stay on strangers couches, that just sounds terrible all around.
Sam Altman