Lessons from 1,000+ YC startups: Resilience, tar pit ideas, pivoting, more | Dalton Caldwell (YC)
141,112
Published 2024-04-18
• Why founders need to adopt the mindset “Just don’t die”
• The most common reason startups fail
• When to pivot, and characteristics of a good pivot
• The concept of “tar pit ideas” and examples of bad startup ideas
• Why investors say no to startups
• The importance of market size in investment decisions
• The pitfalls of founders over-delegating
• Effective ways to talk to customers
• 20 ideas Dalton is looking to fund
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Find the transcript at: www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-1000-yc-st…
Where to find Dalton Caldwell:
• X: twitter.com/daltonc
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/daltoncaldwell/
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: www.lennysnewsletter.com/
• X: twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Dalton’s background
(04:41) The value of simple advice
(07:04) Dalton’s advice: “Just don’t die”
(08:39) Knowing when to stop
(11:45) Deciding to pivot
(14:26) Characteristics of a good pivot
(17:53) Knowing when to pivot
(19:03) Zip’s journey and finding a market
(21:22) Why Dalton says to “Move towards the mountains and the desert”
(23:45) Tar pit ideas
(26:49) Understanding why investors say no
(29:14) The importance of market size
(32:16) Avoiding over-delegation and hiring senior people too early
(36:43) Why startups fail
(40:30) Effectively talking to customers
(45:17) Examples of startups hustling to talk to customers
(48:01) Patterns of successful startups
(52:05) YC’s Request for Startups
(55:37) Early days of Silicon Valley
(01:05:33) Contrarian corner: growth hacking for early startups
(01:09:28) Failure corner
(01:11:15) Closing thoughts
(01:12:22) Lightning round
Production and marketing by penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
All Comments (21)
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That's a familiar face! Great interview Lenny. We love to see it.
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I'm a simple guy, I see Dalton - I click
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Dalton Caldwell's focus on the essentials and his "just don't die" mantra are crucial reminders for startups navigating the complex landscape. It's a testament to the power of perseverance and adaptability in the face of challenges. 👍
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As a bootstrapped founder who has not lost hope, I found this interview insightful. Thank you Lenny and Dalton.
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one of the best podcasts I have heard in a long time. Real person, real experience, real advice. Thx
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man your show is improving significantly every episode, i can't thank you enough
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This episode was one of my favourite episodes so far! As an early stage founder this is priceless information which I very much find useful!
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Watched till the end, something I rarely do. Many thanks for this authentic, down to earth advice episode. :)
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"Inspiring and informative, I loved it! Caldwell's reflection on his collective personal experience brings out a lot of gold nuggets for aspiring founders and product fanatics out there. Thank you, Lenny, for your deep insightful questions exploring both breadth and depth (Like always)."
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Thanks Lenny and Dalton, much appreciated.
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The columbo show was a great answer by Dalton, I’ve been studying Columbo and the way he disarms people, it’s very helpful in sales situations
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One of the best podcasts I ever listened to. Nailed every reason why I failed with my startup. Incredible - Thank you from Sweden
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Like many others, this video is a real inspiration, thank you.🎄
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Great interview! Thanks for sharing. Always great to hear from Dalton. Lots of simple but great advice in there. The pitch for Siphox sounds a lot like the pitch for Theranos, they must be fuming that those frauds caused so much reputational damage.
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I always recommend your channel to my trading friends. You really know what you're talking about!
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Always great to hear from Dalton
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9 mins in and I’m sooooo glad I clicked on this today. Love this! ❤❤
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Thanks for the insights Dalton and Lenny
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Brilliant, love to hear from Dalton and co. Great content
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if you enjoy the process and love your customers, just keep going -- yes