how not to die

excellent essay of Paul Graham from Y-combinator

few quotes:

.......If you can just avoid dying, you get rich. That sounds like a joke, but it's actually a pretty good description of what happens in a typical startup......

........If so many startups get demoralized and fail when merely by hanging on they could get rich, you have to assume that running a startup can be demoralizing. .......I bet even Google had moments where things seemed hopeless.....

......... Another feeling that seems alarming but is in fact normal in a startup is the feeling that what you're doing isn't working. ......
Startups almost never get it right the first time......

.......As long as you've made something that a few users are ecstatic about, you're on the right track...... So when you release something and it seems like no one cares, look more closely. ......

......The number one thing not to do is other things.........

......founders are more motivated by the fear of looking bad than by the hope of getting millions of dollars. So if you want to get millions of dollars, put yourself in a position where failure will be public and humiliating.......


enjoy reading the full essay here. A VERY good one.