AI will probably most likely lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there'll be great companies.
All throughout my life I have been deeply immersed in startups, either because I was running one or investing in them or helping them.
Anonymity breeds meanness.
I wouldn't call Loopt a failure. It didn't turn out like I wanted, for sure, but it was fun, I learned a lot, and I made enough money to start investing, which led me to my current job. I don't regret it at all.
Never put your family, friends, or significant other low on your priority list. Prefer a handful of truly close friends to a hundred acquaintances.
Sometimes people think Y Combinator has big ideas about themes. But really, we just fund the best startups.
Move fast. Speed is one of your main advantages over large competitors.
Whether or not money can buy happiness, it can buy freedom, and that's a big deal. Also, lack of money is very stressful.
Startups on the inside are always badly broken.
Everyone is looking for the hack, the secret to success without hard work.
Making money is often more fun than spending it, though I personally have never regretted money I've spent on friends, new experiences, saving time, travel, and causes I believe in.
The point of an accelerator is to teach you about companies and business, not about technology.
Many of the companies in the mobile location space are trying to figure out different ways to tie what they're doing to commerce.
Do I think every culture will embrace location technology? Yes.
I think you can say a lot of evil behavior by companies is short-term optimization.
Tech companies tend to do tech best.
There is a lot of stuff I like. I love backpacking. I love going to an island where I can just sit on the beach and read or scuba dive and sail. I do a lot of that. I still go backpacking around Europe in the summers and staying in hostels. I love that.
If you wanted to build an Internet startup in 2005, you had to buy your own servers and hire someone to manage it. Now, that's unheard of.
Generally, you want to raise capital either when you have to or when it's really easy. If the company desperately needs money, and they can't figure out any other way, then they need to raise money. Or if someone's offering you easy money on good terms, you should take it because you can use it for good things.
People appreciate when you make an effort to speak their language.
