Those bits of advice don't necessarily contradict. Also startup advice is a bit like proverbs. There's wisdom there, but you have to apply it correctly. It's no

Those bits of advice don't necessarily contradict. Also startup advice is a bit like proverbs. There's wisdom there, but you have to apply it correctly. It's not algebra. The founder of Angel List, Naval Ravikant, specifically called that kind of reasoning out as faulty logic in his famous tweet storm (which you can also find recorded on YouTube.) You do have to make sure you're solving a problem that other people share. If you're the only one who has the problem you won't be able to make a business out of it. However, if you're solving a problem you yourself have, Jessica is right that you'll have special insight into what your customers want that you wouldn't with another kind of problem you don't know about. I think it's great as initial guidance in building the MVP if you have a solution in mind to aim for. Once you've launched (and before then, if you can) you should be talking to users. Also every time one of PG's essays shows up here, I see this criticism that he's out of touch. Which is possible. It's also possible he's still an expert at evaluating and advising startups and it's your own bias talking - because now you see him as an out of touch rich guy. Careful with that kind of criticism, because very often the problem is just you and your own perceptions.