> Because another of the characteristic mistakes of young founders is to go through the motions of starting a startup. They make up some plausible-sounding idea

> Because another of the characteristic mistakes of young founders is to go through the motions of starting a startup. They make up some plausible-sounding idea, raise money at a good valuation, rent a cool office, hire a bunch of people. From the outside that seems like what startups do. But the next step after rent a cool office and hire a bunch of people is: gradually realize how completely fucked they are, because while imitating all the outward forms of a startup they have neglected the one thing that's actually essential: making something people want. http://www.paulgraham.com/before.html http://www.paulgraham.com/before.html