This is my talk from 2012 Startup School, pretty much exactly as delivered. It's been more than 7 years since we started YC. In that time, we've funded 467 startups so I've seen a lot of patterns. There's a talk I've always want to give at the beginning of each batch, warning everyone about things that I know are probably going to happen to them. MORE >>

Many startups fail before reaching that magic “cash-flow positive” position they have been striving for, despite seemingly reasonable financial projections. closer analysis often indicates the cause to be a lack of diligence in handling common business finances. Thinking you are profitable once money begins to flow in. In startups, cash is king. MORE >>

A tech friend gives me s**t about being a Jeff Bezos fanboy. I’m unabashedly a fan. His 1997 letter to Amazon shareholders is a blueprint for building a durable franchise in technology. recently compiled and read all of these letters from 1997-2011. Here are some random nuggets: Free cash flow was their focus since 1997. 1998). 1999). 2001). MORE >>

Yesterday I chatted with an entrepreneur that was looking for advice on raising capital. I’ve written quite a bit about fundraising in the past, but it’s a hard topic and a challenging thing for people to get through. ” There’s no easy answer. Here they are: Past success. First timers, of course, can’t play this card. MORE >>

Forget what you learned in those management books. There's really only one way to ensure that everyone on your team excels. Management books have it all wrong. They all try to tell you how to manage "people." It's impossible to manage "people"; it's only possible to manage individuals. The only way to do this is to ASK. Like this post? MORE >>