YC's Pocket Guide

• Launch now

• Build something people want

• Do things that don't scale

• Find the 90 / 10 solution

• Find 10-100 customers who love your product

• All startups are badly broken at some point

• Write code - talk to users

• "It’s not your money"

• Growth is the result of a great product not the precursor

• Don’t scale your team/product until you have built something people want

• Valuation is not equal to success or even probability of success

• Avoid long negotiated deals with big customers if you can

• Avoid big company corporate development queries - they will only waste time

• Avoid conferences unless they are the best way to get customers

• Pre-product market fit - do things that don’t scale: remain small/nimble

• Startups can only solve one problem well at any given time

• Founder relationships matter more than you think

• Sometimes you need to fire your customers (they might be killing you)

• Ignore your competitors, you will more likely die of suicide than murder

• Most companies don't die because they run out of money

• Be nice! Or at least don’t be a jerk

• Get sleep and exercise - take care of yourself

Source: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/4D-yc-s-essential-startup-advice