Jaron M

Recommend watching @vkhosla’s latest talk on company building. Some very useful constructs • Hardest founder job is deciding whose judgment to trust on which topic. • There’s a difference between a $0M company and a $0B company. It’s reflected in the mindset, first 10 hires, how you talk about yourself, whether you actually think big. • The way to think about burn is like driving a race car. When you see a curve, you want to brake as late as possible and as quick as you can. Ability to reduce burn quickly (e.g., marketing spend, contractors vs FTE) gives flexibility in experimenting • Obstinate on vision, flexible on tactics. Zigzag to Everest. Don’t take the fast-revenue side trail if it isn’t the mountain. • Waste some money on purpose. Test assumptions you don’t know are assumptions. Square Cash was “waste” and became huge. * Organized chaos > perfect management early. • Hire for the risks in the business, not just open roles. Experts often know the previous version of the world; large innovations rarely come from people who “knew the industry.” First 10 hires hire the next 500. • Survive long enough to give luck a chance. 3 things you control, 3 your competitors control, 4 are luck.