uunfold.cx

essay · 2013

Do Things That Don't Scale

by Paul Graham

In a nutshell

Early on, recruit users by hand and over-serve them. Scalable systems come later.

Best for: Getting your first 10–100 users.

Quotes & ideas we use

Key idea (paraphrased)
Make something people want.
— Paul Graham, Do Things That Don't Scale
Quote
“One of the most common types of advice we give at Y Combinator is to do things that don't scale.”
— Paul Graham, Do Things That Don't Scale

Concepts from this essay