Garry Tan isn't just the CEO of Y Combinator. He's also a passionate writer, has a UA-cam channel with 251,000 subscribers, and once turned a $300k investment into $2 billion. Here are 10 of his best ideas: 1. How to write a good YC application: Teach the reader something new as fast as you can. 2. The world’s most successful people tend to be extremely curious, and if you can tell them something interesting and true they didn’t know, you have their attention. 3. Short words have long legs. The worst thing you can do is alienate people using jargon. All good communication incites action, which means you have to use words people are familiar with. 4. What good design is and isn’t: “Good design is not picking colors and making it pretty. Good design is removing steps, understanding motivations, making it clearer, more navigable, faster, easier... it is how it works, not how it looks.” 5. Better believers than skeptics: “Being a believer is more profitable than being a skeptic because if you're a skeptic and right, you make no new thing happen. If you're a believer and you're right, something awesome happens. Nice incentive to be positive sum.” 6. The internet is the greatest friend writers have ever had. No editors, no centralized media houses, no gatekeepers. You, your unique idea, and your readers. That’s it. You don’t need anyone’s permission or approval. Just the courage to publish. 7. Schools taught us to conform because that’s where safety is. But the internet rewards people who have the courage to be their true selves, no matter how weird they may be. 8. If you refuse to solve smaller problems, the chance of you solving big problems goes to zero. 9. To sell a piano, don’t tell them to buy one. Show them people enjoying a music parlor in their homes and make them want that. That’s what Edward Bernays did in 1928 when he was inventing modern PR. Sell the emotion, not the thing. 10. You can tell a startup idea is good when the first thing you ask is “How did this not exist already?”
I recently visited China for the first time and the majority of people had no-show socks which was a pleasant surprise to me, in the states it seems almost taboo at times lol. I've always loved that style though
have watched 5+ conversations now, love the show. one critique i have for this episode is around 22:05 when Garry is finishing his story about the comparison of 10% of the world's energy vs 10% of the body's energy. he seemed like he had more to say but David jumps into another unrelated question. based on the editing, not sure if that's how the actual conversation played out but it was very jarring listening to that break. could have been edited better to cut off at the laugh instead of including the filler words that indicated Garry had more to say.
I love this podcast, but those might be the shortest pants I’ve ever seen. We either need some longer pants or some socks, that’s a lot of leg bro haha
Garry Tan isn't just the CEO of Y Combinator.
He's also a passionate writer, has a UA-cam channel with 251,000 subscribers, and once turned a $300k investment into $2 billion.
Here are 10 of his best ideas:
1. How to write a good YC application: Teach the reader something new as fast as you can.
2. The world’s most successful people tend to be extremely curious, and if you can tell them something interesting and true they didn’t know, you have their attention.
3. Short words have long legs. The worst thing you can do is alienate people using jargon. All good communication incites action, which means you have to use words people are familiar with.
4. What good design is and isn’t: “Good design is not picking colors and making it pretty. Good design is removing steps, understanding motivations, making it clearer, more navigable, faster, easier... it is how it works, not how it looks.”
5. Better believers than skeptics: “Being a believer is more profitable than being a skeptic because if you're a skeptic and right, you make no new thing happen. If you're a believer and you're right, something awesome happens. Nice incentive to be positive sum.”
6. The internet is the greatest friend writers have ever had. No editors, no centralized media houses, no gatekeepers. You, your unique idea, and your readers. That’s it. You don’t need anyone’s permission or approval. Just the courage to publish.
7. Schools taught us to conform because that’s where safety is. But the internet rewards people who have the courage to be their true selves, no matter how weird they may be.
8. If you refuse to solve smaller problems, the chance of you solving big problems goes to zero.
9. To sell a piano, don’t tell them to buy one. Show them people enjoying a music parlor in their homes and make them want that. That’s what Edward Bernays did in 1928 when he was inventing modern PR. Sell the emotion, not the thing.
10. You can tell a startup idea is good when the first thing you ask is “How did this not exist already?”
I have this feeling that Garry Tan is just getting started and will do (more) amazing things that will greatly benefit the world. Super excited!
I'm just following the latest fashion trend: the no-socks look.
I recently visited China for the first time and the majority of people had no-show socks which was a pleasant surprise to me, in the states it seems almost taboo at times lol. I've always loved that style though
amazing talk. thank you so much for this david & garry.
have watched 5+ conversations now, love the show.
one critique i have for this episode is around 22:05 when Garry is finishing his story about the comparison of 10% of the world's energy vs 10% of the body's energy.
he seemed like he had more to say but David jumps into another unrelated question. based on the editing, not sure if that's how the actual conversation played out but it was very jarring listening to that break.
could have been edited better to cut off at the laugh instead of including the filler words that indicated Garry had more to say.
Good point, will look into it. Thanks for sharing
"Vulnerability is almost a necessity"
I love this podcast, but those might be the shortest pants I’ve ever seen. We either need some longer pants or some socks, that’s a lot of leg bro haha