For those interested, the book Sam references is called 'The score takes care of itself', it's about Bill Walsh and his the Standard of Performance principle he used to bring the dead-last SF 49ers to the Super Bowl in 3 years. Amazing book.
My first exposure to a Y Combinator class and I have to applaud Dustin & Sam for laying out the realities of startups, unicorns and enviromental contrast of then and now. I have to admit that in my younger years I would have been swinging for the home run and glossed over the challenges/commitment of being a founder. Now that I'm older, wiser (some experience) and a "great product idea", these overviews/discussions will be valuable. I was also not accepted into the program but it just means I have to network harder for like minded team members and future investors! Thanks for the opportunity YC!
If you idea is app-based (or software) we are available to help you refine and establish a plan to create and prove your idea is great. (blastoffapps.com/about) we have the experience and our salary is $495/m. Our sprints are priced reasonably (for app development). Our avg. MVP build is $8,100, but again completely customizable. P.S. we are in this program, so I'm not just hunting and pecking, I was on this re-watching it and figured I'd let you know our team is available to help. We can't and won't give any Y-combinator info, but our team can help! (if you have software needs of course).
Rudy, the life is best teaching school. Agree with u absolutely I had left my 1st job in India, and now after 25 years again left good career at bank to start founder journey.
Watching the video from Sam and Dustin yesterday, the first video released from the 2017 Startup School, I can say that the contents improved a lot since CS183B in 2014. A great tool for Founders everywhere. Thanks for the effort and distribution.
I was feeling lonely battling with common ideas my entire journey up to minute 20:25, and it was all written in slides. Having anyone express my believes is such a relief. Life Changing, Makes me cry !!! I always believed in what Sam says, no-cofounder better than a random co-founder, no need to focus on scale, find a feedback improvement loop in everything (press, business development). Example business development, people told me make a form, send it, but no one told me how to iterate, what to look for, and what to improve on, what metrics should I be looking at. I had to understand that my product and everything surrounding it is a hypothesis and the form have to either accept or refute the hypothesis (like bio stats) to create that form. In my product is a hypothesis, the hypothesis is my product answers the issue I am trying to solve. Like any other hypothesis it needs to be validated.
Great insights. Interesting to think that Trello for instance, seems so much as a feature of a bigger product, although as a startup it did amazingly well. Wouldn't know what to decide in that case.
I worry that Dustin's note about Aptitude and "being the best person to bring that idea into the world" (11:53) might be misinterpreted by viewers as suggesting that they, as potential founders, must have all three of what Sam suggests is important in a co-founder (27:53), "values first, aptitude second, and specific skills third." Sam suggests that with a co-founder, specific skills can be learned, so establishing firstly whether they have the right values and aptitude is most important (41:26). I do not see why this would not also be the case with founders themselves. I suspect that it's important for founders to gain the specific skills that they'll need, but that it would also be important for them to establish which values and aptitudes would be required to get their venture headed down the right path, evaluate whether they have the relevant values and aptitudes, and either set about cultivating their relevant values and aptitudes or stepping away from the venture because they wouldn't be able to cultivate the relevant values and aptitudes enough to steer it in the right direction.
As a country foreigner who has worked inside and outside Silicon Valley, I think I have some clue about some of the things that make this place so special, there are three main things: 1.- You are more afraid of looking as a looser by loosing and opportunity than by taking a risk, this is the inverse in other places. 2.- You try to do the things well, and I mean everything, from creating a company to respect traffic lights, you have a "quality, living honesty" thinking so ingrained that is normal for you, which, at least in my country, is what most of people and companies lack. 3.- You have learnt before than anyone that your employees are your most valuable assets, ant you treat them as such, and I am not talking just about the money. Unlike other cultures in which the employees are just tools and don´t even pay them what they deserve, which often makes the companies to fail because no one wants to to give a plus in a place he/she is not comfortable
Group 17. Great lecture, thanks Sam and Dustin! I watched all the lectures of "how to start a startup" not long ago, but still learn something, very useful!
Sam... I've worked for two companies in the last 3 years that have done what you said "keep small and ensure that you are doing right, and then hyperscale". Both of these companies ended up failing as their core products from the small times started to dwindle and then hyperscale product changes floundered. Both companies ended up having to scale back massively, cutting back all the hyperscaling and more to a point where they could finally survive again. Would love some elaboration on what to do after hyperscaling, because it is clear both of these companies did it wrong after they started. I am guessing such info will be later in the course? Just popped in my mind now and wanted to say something. Thanks for making this available for everyone!
Looks like Dustin rediscovered the "hedgehog concept" from Good to Great (J. Collins), where the focus that leads to success is the intersection of passion, aptitude, and usefulness.
Being really persistent and passionate about the product and the problem it solves, check. Looking at the calendar and realizing it is now years instead of months. Seriously needing the reinsurance to keep going, thanks. My first mayor setback was actually that cofounder thing. I recognized early on what was said here about potential cofounders and ended up going solo, which means I have to do everything and switching hats takes time from me, let alone learning how to fill roles I would have never thought of filling before.
There are great information, tips and even some strategys in this video makes startups understandable, neverthless, I will recommend the use of more dynamism because the explanation turns buring.
Fund and incubate whacky ideas for a living. Now need a Stanford CS (comp science) major with specialization in ML thru Computer Vision, Deep Learning, Neural Networks for a CTO role with pay+equity for industrial analytics product!
Passion of co-founders is so valuable. If your co-founder or employee lacks sufficient passion they will not be able or willing to weather the rough spots and will be a cancer to your startup.
I got accepted and I don't know why. I didn't have a proper landing page at all thought... no team either. The only difference I think is that accepted members can have office hours with the advisor? Not sure... but happy that Y combinator shares the video for everyone.
Summary: To get rich, have impact and control over work you probably should do something else beside startup. But if you are obsessed with idea or passion go for it. Cofounder should be a friend who cares for the values. The apptitude and skills come second. Surround yourself with people who are not afraid to think big, who go that'd be huge if it goes big. Practice discussing problems with smart people who are ambitions. Determination is one big factor of successful founders. Take funding when someone is giving you or when you absolutely need it, in general when you are growing, and you will know where you're growing.
Thanks for the lecture Sam and Dustin! Solid gold lecture. I didn't get in. Is there an unofficial online hangout for connecting with others who are participating in these lectures?
I've passed on many ideas in the past due to their being inferior, but my current idea has legs, and I'm intent upon running beside it and keeping it going for as long as I can. (I admit that I've already watched the video, so my answer may be unconsciously edited to fit Dustin's recommendation.)
Love these, even after watching them a few times! “100th engineer at Facebook has a vastly better outcome than most founders”... ^^^ This will make anyone think twice.
Trust me The cofounders have way less skills than workers, employees and managers. But something that they excel in is taking risks, believing in their ideas and determination to find investors.
When was the last time that somebody that did it for the money actually succeeded? Most of the biggest tech companies started as personal hobbies or side projects.
Not all the viewers are here for the full ride. I came here from this specific video being linked as an extra resource in a different course. Considering the number of people studying alongside myself, that's no surprise to me
I'm super interested to know what apps Sam has in his MacBook dock.. on 20m17s.. anyone know what these three icons are? - the blue and white clock icon infront of Keynote - the blue and white S in-between Wunderlist and Spotify - the red one after Spotify Cheers!
Hmmm... maybe he's trying to get us to join an existing company instead of starting a startup to prevent an increase in current competition and instead increase the size of the employee pool... Just kidding, I have faith that his intentions are pure. I'm grateful to have received an insider's perspective on the reality of entrepreneurship and will pursue something else. Many thanks.
I enjoyed all 45 minutes of this video. It is difficult tracking down users if your product is a one off sale. Also sending targeted emails and asking people to try a new product sounds like a give away. Startups yet to receive external funding can't do this. Especially hardware startups in developing countries.
I reached out to Sam with a landing page after I met him in person. Why does he say “people support each other” when he didn’t even acknowledge a founder he just met that reached out..?
I like these series but damn this guy is such a downer. How many different ways can he say "this is going to be next to impossible for you"!! Dude I F'ing know!! You're draining my optimism!! I didn't like this one because it was way too much cynicism. I don't need a reality check on how hard it is. I get it!! I don't need it repeated 100 times.
I can't believe that such great content can be found in YT for free
So glad you're enjoying it, thanks for your comment!
@@stanfordonline If I may know why 2 videos are hidden? there are total 18 video lectures 16 are showing 2 are hidden.
@@zohairchishtiofficial how did you find out that 2 are hidden?
I'm amazed, too
For those interested, the book Sam references is called 'The score takes care of itself', it's about Bill Walsh and his the Standard of Performance principle he used to bring the dead-last SF 49ers to the Super Bowl in 3 years. Amazing book.
My first exposure to a Y Combinator class and I have to applaud Dustin & Sam for laying out the realities of startups, unicorns and enviromental contrast of then and now. I have to admit that in my younger years I would have been swinging for the home run and glossed over the challenges/commitment of being a founder. Now that I'm older, wiser (some experience) and a "great product idea", these overviews/discussions will be valuable.
I was also not accepted into the program but it just means I have to network harder for like minded team members and future investors!
Thanks for the opportunity YC!
If you idea is app-based (or software) we are available to help you refine and establish a plan to create and prove your idea is great. (blastoffapps.com/about) we have the experience and our salary is $495/m. Our sprints are priced reasonably (for app development). Our avg. MVP build is $8,100, but again completely customizable.
P.S. we are in this program, so I'm not just hunting and pecking, I was on this re-watching it and figured I'd let you know our team is available to help. We can't and won't give any Y-combinator info, but our team can help!
(if you have software needs of course).
Rudy, the life is best teaching school. Agree with u absolutely I had left my 1st job in India, and now after 25 years again left good career at bank to start founder journey.
Blast Off Apps i submitted a request to you guys and hopefully i can get a chance to work with your company.
Watching the video from Sam and Dustin yesterday, the first video released from the 2017 Startup School, I can say that the contents improved a lot since CS183B in 2014. A great tool for Founders everywhere. Thanks for the effort and distribution.
I was feeling lonely battling with common ideas my entire journey up to minute 20:25, and it was all written in slides. Having anyone express my believes is such a relief.
Life Changing, Makes me cry !!!
I always believed in what Sam says, no-cofounder better than a random co-founder, no need to focus on scale, find a feedback improvement loop in everything (press, business development).
Example business development, people told me make a form, send it, but no one told me how to iterate, what to look for, and what to improve on, what metrics should I be looking at.
I had to understand that my product and everything surrounding it is a hypothesis and the form have to either accept or refute the hypothesis (like bio stats) to create that form.
In my product is a hypothesis, the hypothesis is my product answers the issue I am trying to solve. Like any other hypothesis it needs to be validated.
I can relate to what you felt.
I had the same dilemma. 🌼
@@hrishikeshh How did it go ?
@@asha-vahishta peeerfect
thank you guys for posting these , truly contributing to the betterment of the next generation
thank you for the inspiration and well of knowledge.
Sam's been hitting the gym!
Great insights. Interesting to think that Trello for instance, seems so much as a feature of a bigger product, although as a startup it did amazingly well. Wouldn't know what to decide in that case.
Really important to watch. I'm working my own project and all this that was told here is practical.
I worry that Dustin's note about Aptitude and "being the best person to bring that idea into the world" (11:53) might be misinterpreted by viewers as suggesting that they, as potential founders, must have all three of what Sam suggests is important in a co-founder (27:53), "values first, aptitude second, and specific skills third."
Sam suggests that with a co-founder, specific skills can be learned, so establishing firstly whether they have the right values and aptitude is most important (41:26). I do not see why this would not also be the case with founders themselves. I suspect that it's important for founders to gain the specific skills that they'll need, but that it would also be important for them to establish which values and aptitudes would be required to get their venture headed down the right path, evaluate whether they have the relevant values and aptitudes, and either set about cultivating their relevant values and aptitudes or stepping away from the venture because they wouldn't be able to cultivate the relevant values and aptitudes enough to steer it in the right direction.
As a country foreigner who has worked inside and outside Silicon Valley, I think I have some clue about some of the things that make this place so special, there are three main things:
1.- You are more afraid of looking as a looser by loosing and opportunity than by taking a risk, this is the inverse in other places.
2.- You try to do the things well, and I mean everything, from creating a company to respect traffic lights, you have a "quality, living honesty" thinking so ingrained that is normal for you, which, at least in my country, is what most of people and companies lack.
3.- You have learnt before than anyone that your employees are your most valuable assets, ant you treat them as such, and I am not talking just about the money. Unlike other cultures in which the employees are just tools and don´t even pay them what they deserve, which often makes the companies to fail because no one wants to to give a plus in a place he/she is not comfortable
Group 17. Great lecture, thanks Sam and Dustin! I watched all the lectures of "how to start a startup" not long ago, but still learn something, very useful!
Really good first video! Dustin is such a smart man.
Sam... I've worked for two companies in the last 3 years that have done what you said "keep small and ensure that you are doing right, and then hyperscale".
Both of these companies ended up failing as their core products from the small times started to dwindle and then hyperscale product changes floundered.
Both companies ended up having to scale back massively, cutting back all the hyperscaling and more to a point where they could finally survive again.
Would love some elaboration on what to do after hyperscaling, because it is clear both of these companies did it wrong after they started.
I am guessing such info will be later in the course? Just popped in my mind now and wanted to say something.
Thanks for making this available for everyone!
Looks like Dustin rediscovered the "hedgehog concept" from Good to Great (J. Collins), where the focus that leads to success is the intersection of passion, aptitude, and usefulness.
Being really persistent and passionate about the product and the problem it solves, check. Looking at the calendar and realizing it is now years instead of months. Seriously needing the reinsurance to keep going, thanks. My first mayor setback was actually that cofounder thing. I recognized early on what was said here about potential cofounders and ended up going solo, which means I have to do everything and switching hats takes time from me, let alone learning how to fill roles I would have never thought of filling before.
build something users love.Never forget this because good technological solution
is incremental.
There are great information, tips and even some strategys in this video makes startups understandable, neverthless, I will recommend the use of more dynamism because the explanation turns buring.
Amazing first lecture! Tons of useful insights.
Fund and incubate whacky ideas for a living. Now need a Stanford CS (comp science) major with specialization in ML thru Computer Vision, Deep Learning, Neural Networks for a CTO role with pay+equity for industrial analytics product!
Passion of co-founders is so valuable. If your co-founder or employee lacks sufficient passion they will not be able or willing to weather the rough spots and will be a cancer to your startup.
I got accepted and I don't know why. I didn't have a proper landing page at all thought... no team either. The only difference I think is that accepted members can have office hours with the advisor? Not sure... but happy that Y combinator shares the video for everyone.
This lecture is really great. Thanks for sharing this.
Always love listening to Dustin!
missed the application deadline :( but following the lectures and also ISO technical cofounder : ) in NYC.
Great start to the course!
Kudos for the closed captions :)
wow too excited for start this class
Amazing value coming from Sam!
Interesting to see that from a South-East-Asia perspective, where we do not have a Silicon Valley, much smaller scale and less VCs.
in india it's getting started to boom in startup ecosystem
Summary:
To get rich, have impact and control over work you probably should do something else beside startup.
But if you are obsessed with idea or passion go for it.
Cofounder should be a friend who cares for the values. The apptitude and skills come second.
Surround yourself with people who are not afraid to think big, who go that'd be huge if it goes big.
Practice discussing problems with smart people who are ambitions.
Determination is one big factor of successful founders.
Take funding when someone is giving you or when you absolutely need it, in general when you are growing, and you will know where you're growing.
The why is the most crucial thing (for me) on why i want to build a startup
If by any chance you have not already watch Simon Sinek TED talks about WHY. It's fascinating
Yes! thank you for the reference :)
I really like how big these people think.
🦁🚀🌙
big ambition leads to actual success
Short and valuable talk.👍👍
Thanks for the lecture Sam and Dustin! Solid gold lecture.
I didn't get in. Is there an unofficial online hangout for connecting with others who are participating in these lectures?
Dustin seems like a really cool dude 😊
Dint get accepted, but would be great if guys who got accepted can share a way to stay updated with them!
Great start to the course.
Thanks for sharing information about startup
Great video... For everyone in the comments..I'd love to hear your reason on "Why you want to start a startup?"
I've passed on many ideas in the past due to their being inferior, but my current idea has legs, and I'm intent upon running beside it and keeping it going for as long as I can.
(I admit that I've already watched the video, so my answer may be unconsciously edited to fit Dustin's recommendation.)
Because to me, what I'm working on should be made, and more, it can be made. And it's fun working on it. I'm creating educational VR experiences btw.
Gr8 insights.Is there a forum for asking questions?
20:15 sam altman begins
Love these, even after watching them a few times!
“100th engineer at Facebook has a vastly better outcome than most founders”...
^^^ This will make anyone think twice.
well, not me. :)
John Saddington the incredible luck and difficulty required to enter as an early engineer at FB is no easier to start a company ,
Zos Fuj lol... you've never started a company then... have you.
John Saddington lol you've never worked at Facebook or Google have you ? The interviews aren't easy
Better earn a little by yourself than earn it bc of others
Trust me The cofounders have way less skills than workers, employees and managers. But something that they excel in is taking risks, believing in their ideas and determination to find investors.
Interesting and informative video...thank you...
Very informative. Thanks 👍
Useful and informative.Thank you.
it is almost similar to the previous series of how to start a start up of 2012
The contents and lecturing are the same from Sam's startup blog videos.
Great perspective
When was the last time that somebody that did it for the money actually succeeded? Most of the biggest tech companies started as personal hobbies or side projects.
very cool video .... we wan´t more
i'm failing school in highschool instead of studying I'm watching this tell me i'm stupid😭
what does APTITUDE means at 27:50?
it means basically how proficient/good you are at something.
The outcome of joining facebook "example" is better but then you'll realize you need a bigger dream when it is too late to do it.
if I want to do the start-up course should I do this version or "the original" (startupclass.samaltman.com/) one?
Sound compression quality is extremely poor, compressor needs tuning and maximizer after it.
Yasssss another sound pedant 🙆♂️
Lol Dustin was spot on people not being devoted. B y the third lecture the number of viewers had dropped ten times .
Not all the viewers are here for the full ride. I came here from this specific video being linked as an extra resource in a different course. Considering the number of people studying alongside myself, that's no surprise to me
Nice and informative
Good stuff
Great stuff!
I'm super interested to know what apps Sam has in his MacBook dock.. on 20m17s.. anyone know what these three icons are?
- the blue and white clock icon infront of Keynote
- the blue and white S in-between Wunderlist and Spotify
- the red one after Spotify
Cheers!
Even with screenshot did not find them.
"- the blue and white S in-between Wunderlist and Spotify" is Sublime Text www.sublimetext.com/
the others I also would like to know.
In order (left to right):
- Mattermost
- KeyNote
- Slack
- AppStore
- Wunderlist
- Sublime Text (I prefer Atom.io)
- Spotify
"- the blue and white clock icon [after messages and to the left] of Keynote" is Mattermost github.com/mattermost/desktop
And for the one on the right to Spotify, it's most probably Front frontapp.com
30:00 continue
Is there a transcript of this?
Tom Goldenberg there was first for a first one
And this was awesome.
You are talking about service companies in the latter half.
Hmmm... maybe he's trying to get us to join an existing company instead of starting a startup to prevent an increase in current competition and instead increase the size of the employee pool...
Just kidding, I have faith that his intentions are pure. I'm grateful to have received an insider's perspective on the reality of entrepreneurship and will pursue something else. Many thanks.
Even beeing successful, most times I'm asking myself, why I still doing all that?
Drone industry is the next wave!
how to be good at getting good ideas?
So this is all about building a tech startup in Silicon Valley -- what if I just wanted to open an artisanal ice cream franchise in the Northeast?
Eric Sidewater lol
I enjoyed all 45 minutes of this video.
It is difficult tracking down users if your product is a one off sale. Also sending targeted emails and asking people to try a new product sounds like a give away. Startups yet to receive external funding can't do this. Especially hardware startups in developing countries.
Thank you.
Hello, are Dustin's slides available for download?
Sama 20:24
Thanks
I reached out to Sam with a landing page after I met him in person. Why does he say “people support each other” when he didn’t even acknowledge a founder he just met that reached out..?
Is anyone here who got accepted?
giorgi kakhiani yeah, group 68
can you shoot me an e-mail please gio@sculp.me
Yep, Group 57!
Maybe you could contact me gio@sculp.me?
Group 82!
Anybody from Spain watching this?
just wow!
group 46 here
34:20
shared editing notes: goo.gl/M8XGfm
Thank you good sir
Very nice
i wasn't accepted but oh well.
Didn't get in as well but I'm still watching and continue to work on my company.
Friends, Knowledge is important.. Some like me are lucky. I m in group 88.
is there slack for you group, i'd like to join in just to stay updated
nice speach!
Very cool
If only i invested in tesla 6 years ago
Group 19
❤
not that i know
I think the speakers here will be bringing in their biased and opinions and we should be somewhat selectively pick the takeaways. Just my thought.
Anyone watching this in dubai ?
:)
I like these series but damn this guy is such a downer. How many different ways can he say "this is going to be next to impossible for you"!! Dude I F'ing know!! You're draining my optimism!! I didn't like this one because it was way too much cynicism. I don't need a reality check on how hard it is. I get it!! I don't need it repeated 100 times.
The stress will take 10 years off your life. There is no but.
Phrases like "make an impact in the world" make me cringe.
Okay.
I can't believe that such great content can be found in YT for free
it is almost similar to the previous series of how to start a start up of 2012
Thanks