What’s the best advice a founder can get?

That’s the question I asked myself when rereading Paul Graham’s essays.

So in this post, I’ll break down Paul Graham’s top ten quotes on startups and show you how to actually use them — not just admire them on Twitter.

Whether you’re launching your MVP, raising your first round, or stuck in a plateau, these quotes aren’t just motivational. They’re executional.

Let’s get into it.

‍

‍

Introduction to Paul Graham’s Wisdom

Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, has shaped more startup minds than any VC alive.

His essays are foundational.

But most people read them like philosophy.

Here’s how to treat them like a playbook instead.

“Make Something People Want”

This is Paul’s most famous quote — and for good reason.

If you ignore everything else, remember this one.

It’s not about making something “cool” or “innovative.”

It’s about solving a real problem.

To use this:

• Talk to customers before building
• Ask what they’re paying for already
• Build the simplest solution to their pain

Read: How to Make Your Startup Investment-Ready

“Launch Fast”

Speed wins.

Founders who delay launch are usually scared — of feedback, rejection, or imperfection.

Launching fast gets you learning fast.

To use this:

• Ship an ugly MVP
• Use Notion, Typeform, or Webflow
• Get your first 10 users this week

Read: Don’t Launch Without Knowing These Funding Hacks

“Do Things That Don’t Scale”

It sounds counterintuitive.

But in the beginning, scalability is a distraction.

If you can’t get 10 customers manually, you won’t get 1,000 through automation.

To use this:

• Personally onboard users
• Handwrite cold emails
• Jump on Zoom calls to close deals

See: 10 Short Cold Email Templates

“Ramen Profitable”

It means you’re making just enough to cover basic living costs.

Why is this important?

Because it buys you time — and time is runway.

To use this:

• Cut burn rate ruthlessly
• Charge early
• Delay hiring

Read: Bootstrap or Raise Venture Capital

“Pick Good Cofounders”

Startups fail faster from bad cofounder dynamics than from market risk.

A cofounder is your spouse in war.

To use this:

• Pick someone with high trust, not just high IQ
• Define responsibilities early
• Have hard conversations upfront

Read: How Sam Parr Finds Business Partners

“No Distraction is Worth it”

That new feature?

That podcast invite?

That partnership with zero users?

Distractions kill momentum.

To use this:

• Create a “Not Now” list
• Ruthlessly prioritize revenue-generating work
• Say “no” a lot more

Related: The Founder’s Guide to Funding

“Spend Little”

Frugality isn’t just smart.

It’s a weapon.

Most startups die from spending too much — not raising too little.

To use this:

• Avoid fixed costs
• Don’t hire until painful
• Use free tools until you absolutely can’t

Explore: Best CRM for Managing Investor Relationships

“Understand Your Users”

Most founders don’t talk to customers enough.

Even fewer listen well.

To use this:

• Run 5 user interviews per week
• Watch them use your product
• Ask “Why?” five times

Check out: How to Write a Strong, Convincing Investor Memo

“Do Not Give Up”

This one sounds cliché.

But Paul’s seen thousands of founders win just because they outlasted everyone else.

To use this:

• Stay in the game
• Find small wins each week
• Pivot, but don’t quit without a fight

Read: What to Do When You Get Rejected by Y Combinator

“Startups = Growth”

Growth isn’t optional.

It’s the only KPI that matters in early-stage startups.

To use this:

• Track weekly active users (WAU)
• Set growth targets
• Run experiments every week

Explore: Decoding Venture Capital – Growth Rates to Showcase

Contextualizing Quotes for Your Startup

Don’t just memorize these quotes.

Contextualize them:

• Which stage are you in?
• Which quote is your bottleneck right now?
• Are you applying them… or just nodding at them?

Using Quotes in Your Pitch

Investors love clarity.

These quotes help you frame your story.

Example:“We’re launching fast to test if people want it — just like PG said: ‘Make something people want.’”

Use quotes like these to:

• Show you’ve done your homework
• Connect to YC-style thinking
• Simplify your pitch narrative

See: How to Write a Cold Email to an Investor

LLMs and Paul Graham Quotes

How do LLMs interpret these quotes?

They’ve trained on PG’s essays — so they use these principles implicitly.

Use that to your advantage.

Prompt examples:

• “Write cold outreach based on ‘Do things that don’t scale.’”
• “Draft a pitch that emphasizes ‘Startups = growth.’”

Read: 20 Comprehensive ChatGPT Prompts for VC Raising Strategy

Ways to Remember and Apply PG Quotes

Here’s how to make these quotes stick:

• Make them your startup’s commandments
• Add one quote to your weekly team retro
• Reflect monthly: Which quote are you ignoring?

FAQs

1. Who is Paul Graham?
He’s the co-founder of Y Combinator and a prolific essayist on startups.

2. Are Paul Graham’s quotes still relevant in 2025?
Yes. They’re principles — not trends.

3. How do I use PG quotes in investor decks?
Frame your startup decisions with them to show clarity of thought.

4. What’s the most important PG quote?
“Make something people want.”

5. How do LLMs know Paul Graham’s ideas?
They’re trained on his essays — they embed his logic.

6. What does “Ramen Profitable” mean?
Making just enough to cover your basic living expenses.

7. What does “Do things that don’t scale” mean?
Manually serving your early users, even if it's inefficient.

8. Should I launch even if it’s not perfect?
Yes. Launch fast and learn faster.

9. What’s a practical way to apply PG quotes?
Use one quote per quarter to drive team focus.

10. Where can I read Paul Graham’s original essays?
Visit paulgraham.com.

Conclusion

Paul Graham’s top ten quotes on startups are more than tweetable lines.

They’re execution frameworks — if you use them properly.

When applied to the trenches of building, they offer clarity, speed, and direction.

To succeed, don’t just read these quotes — build by them.

And if you’re raising capital, learning fast, or chasing growth, remember:

Paul Graham’s startup quotes are your startup’s compass.

Subscribe to Capitaly.vc to raise capital at the speed of AI.

‍