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9 Y Combinator Secrets To Grow Your Business
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- Опубліковано 14 сер 2024
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ABOUT JOHN COOGAN:
I am the co-founder of soylent.com and lucy.co, both of which were funded by Y Combinator (Summer 2012 and Winter 2018).
I've been an entrepreneur for the last decade across multiple companies. I've done a lot of work in Silicon Valley, so that's mostly what I talk about. I've raised over 10 rounds of venture capital totaling over $100m in funding.
I work mostly in tech-enabled consumer packaged goods, meaning I use software to make the best products possible and then deliver them to the widest possible audience. I'm a big fan of machine learning, python programming, and motion graphics.
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CONTACT:
You can get in touch with me via Twitter: / johncoogan
Disclaimer: This video is purely my opinion and should not be regarded as a primary source. I am not a financial advisor and this is not a recommendation to buy or sell securities. Always do your own due diligence.
That feeling when you know the video is so good that you hit the like button before watching it
I clicked on the video, watched the intro, I liked, I subbed, I saw your comment, I liked, I commented.
I like that😂😂
"as soon a specific growth strategy becomes widely know, it's usually stops working".
can't agree more with this. I see it everyday.
For sure, you always have to stay ahead of the curve.
@@JohnCooganPlus he who learns everything wins everything - buffet
Talk about compounding growth. Only 5,000 subscribers when this video was posted, and now you've crossed 350,000. I feel like a proud dad watching his only son that made it.
last point is so so important "dont start a company in an industry you dont like"
money can be a great motivator in the start but its hard to keep going when the day-to-day gets boring. and eventually results in burnout, which often takes months or years to recover.
another banger. never disappointed to be in your first 100 views lmao!
Well said! Lot of people make the mistake of thinking they will automatically be in the "tech industry" but if you're trying to sell software to deep sea fisherman, you better like spending time on boats! Events like TechCrunch disrupt are only for very early stage companies, or B2B API tech like Twilio or Stripe. Most companies are going to be spending 90% of their time deeply immersed in whatever industry they are trying to disrupt.
That's why I am stepping back from my first company now. As time went on, I was less and less motivated with the problem space.
Better to find folks that are engaged with the work, and hire them to do great things.
Book recommendations for entrepreneurship
Mom Test and Never Split the Difference
What @DuBz said, but I'd suggest read books on the side so you don't make same mistakes others already made. I'd recommend reading Shoe Dog to get inspired, Traction to learn distribution often matters more than product, Building a Storybrand to learn how to tell a story.
There are many amazing books out there but nothing beats doing when it comes to startups.
@@dubz772 its not an everything book. most of them stick to the topic as that's what makes books sell. those i've mentioned stick to the topics. plus i think it depends on the human to think if they want to choose profit over people.
spoiler: 90%+ will choose profit. it ain't us if it doesn't affect us.
for that, you probably need to read scott adams "how to fail at almost everything & still win big".
he talks about 5 circles. first u wanna help yourself. then help your family. then your community. then your country. then the world.
but there's still a lot more positive in the world than negative. its just news doesnt work on positive things. ever heard them saying bezos/musk have provided 10k+ jobs? i dont think so
/rantover
I think reading is a worthwhile habit at any phase of life. I personally listen to audiobooks while walking, working out, or driving. It's good to take breaks from work and read.
I would start by recommending books that are specific to the problem you are trying to solve. So if you want to build a new AI system. _Deep Learning_ by Ian Goodfellow is going to be a good book for you. These are textbooks though.
If you are looking for something more general, I would recommend anything in the Great Books series. These are timeless masterpieces which are the source of much of the knowledge we think of as common today. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Books_of_the_Western_World
Lastly, if you just want something entertaining, I would try and lean toward books written by entrepreneurs themselves. Like Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, or Principles by Ray Dalio.
@@dubz772 true that 💯
I like how your drew the chat spikes multiplicatively, not just a series of same size steps. That looked fun.
Man you just dropped a bomb of knowledge! Loved that you also added your own experience in there!
Thanks, John.
Every video is so impactful.
Also, lots of great B roll from different movies and shows.
Haha love the American Psycho B-roll when you're talking about business cards and the vapid trappings of office life.
He will hit the million before 2022 ends
9 Y Combinator Secrets To Grow Your Business:
1. Start small
2. Get into build mode
3. Avoid distraction
4. Focus on building relationships with your co-founders
5. Be ready to iterate
6. Set clear deadlines
7. Resist the urge to professionalize
8. Learn to synthesize advice
9. Enjoy yourself
holy moly man this is one of the most helpful and underrated videos I have ever come across on the entire internet. Seriously, this is nuts!!!!
Another great video!
Thanks! Good hang on Sunday!
@@JohnCooganPlus yeah man! To think, we might have never met if it weren't for your UA-cam channel. :)
Another great video, I genuinely get excited when I see a new video from you!
Any chance of a video about YC interview tips? I've applied and am waiting for a response and would love to hear your view to help me best prepare. Once again love your videos!
I've done a few other videos about YC. Here's the most recent one before this: ua-cam.com/video/ZA_WqDO47-E/v-deo.html - it covers some interview tips, but in more general. Glad you're enjoying the channel, definitely going to make more YC content from time to time.
Loved the format! Good job with this list, a lot of good stuff here
Thanks, John! This is one of the best videos I've ever watched about how to grow a startup.
Great and valuable content, as usual. The scenes from Halt and Catch Fire are the perfect fit for the topic of the video.
Thank you for sharing these information. I knew nothing about startups until I watched your content.
It’s a super fun topic! Hope to show a lot more in the next videos!
liked the progress bar in the circles, made me keep watching
You are such an amazing teacher/communicator love your videos
This content is amazing! Thank you for sharing your experience in this well produced video, John.
Jeez this channel has blown up in the past week
Nice video, u really bring value man
Love your channel!
Great advice, John. Love your content
Well nearly all these tips are solid gold.
good content, your approach is quite different, keep on going!
Thanks a lot! Going to keep posting one video per week! Will be interesting to see where it goes.
Myman finally smilied :)👍
Hahahah 😂
Yeah😂
Nicely made video, let’s get you to 50k
In subs? Cause this man already hit 64k lol
Yoo I see Ryan Junee & Justin Kan on the thumbnail, you should collab with them!
Garry Tan is in there too! I have a bunch of collabs in the works! Lots of fun videos coming soon.
Love your content!
I appreciate that!
Wait, no way! I just watched the video on Metaverse and now find out you've started not one, but two YC companies! Teach me your ways! I've just applied to YC winter 2022!
Happy to help out if you want to send me your application. Either email me or twitter DM! It’s been five years since I last went through the process, but I’ll give you honest feedback.
@@JohnCooganPlus Hey John! Gosh really?! Thank you. I'll be sure to send you an email. I've also joined your subscribe list on your site and will be joining the discord soon :)
great knowledge
Great Video!!, As a young person with dreams of building a startup oneday, your videos really motivate me:)
Hi John, I'm also working on a edtech startup and knowing that you have also tried in this field it would be really helpful to get some advice from you. I'm commenting here because the context of the video is very relevant. I've applied to yc 2 time before for the idea but now after watching this I'm motivated to start applying again since my idea have evolved lot than earlier.
Dm me on Twitter
I love this video
On your 5th point you said your first and subsequent products flopped after launch. What metrics did you use to determine whether to kill an idea? How did you know it was the product's fault and not that your team needs more time to figure out the marketing?
Yeah, that's a good question! Basically, we would put up a landing page, post the idea on hacker news, tell our friends, and then see zero usage. Interestingly, some of the early ideas we failed to launch successfully are now really solid ideas. We built a remote gaming system that was basically Google Stadia and we also built a bunch of AI/ML stuff that became real several years later. We were in a position where our runway was so short, we didn't have any option but to swing for the fences, so unless we had immediate success, we basically moved on (within a month or two). It's possible we could have stayed the course with any of those other ideas and build a successful company, but it would have been really hard to raise money with no immediate traction (since we didn't have strong startup experience at the time).
@@JohnCooganPlus The swinging for the fences really paid off with PR! Once you got your initial waves from the Vice article, HN, and crowdfunding, what did your team do to keep up the momentum? Marketing is a tough beast especially as you start moving away from early adopters on HN towards the general population.
@@danielgetman520 What do you mean by NH? As a digital marketing pro I can confirm it is difficult. The more you do before starting the ads the better thhe results are in my experience.
@@user-mc2gm6fz9i HN is Hacker News as John had mentioned. It’s a forum run by Ycombinator for startups and tech/science enthusiasts. Lots of startups launch there in their earliest days.
Could you go more into detail of what you would suggest doing before running ads from your experience?
@@danielgetman520 Thank you.
nice video. thank you
Absolutely love this video! Would love to hear more about your past businesses and what you found really worked for you. (Just a polite heads up, 90% of your B-roll is of white men. I think it could make things a bit more welcoming with some variety :)
For sure! Do you have any suggestions? The only movie about a female entrepreneur I have found is “Joy” but there have to be other good sources out there. Could be about business generally.
@@JohnCooganPlus To be honest I can't think of any off the top of my head. I will be on the lookout and let you know when I see them. We need a movie about Sara Blakely!
@@kalebdavenport definitely DM me on Twitter if you find anything good! I’ve googled around a bunch and there aren’t many results. I think the trick might be foreign language films since I don’t use the dialogue, just the facial expressions.
@@JohnCooganPlus Maybe there are some documentaries/videos you could use? Ideas: Sheryl Sandberg, Arianna Huffington, Cher Wang, Zhou Qunfei, Melanie Perkins... I looked for women but people of color/minority founders would also be great!
...can u talk about hiring in these times..
From the perspective of a manager trying to hire people? Or from the perspective of a person trying to get a job at a startup or tech company?
@@JohnCooganPlus .... from the perspective of some one entering the work market place after a long hiatus...how wud one get hired in startups without much work experience.
No wonder you’re so good... you seem like the Adam Back of UA-camrs 😂😂😂 if you know what that means
what a guy!
Buliding something no one asked for/marked creation: The Ipad
Hey love your videos(especially on the metaverse), I’ve been learning coding to work on an idea that I have. How exactly did you get into YC and how fast did you get your product to market? I’m new to the startup world and I want to know how you got funded.
I have another video on YC that might help here, and I have a few others planned. Getting into YC is pretty straight forward, you just fill out an application, get asked to interview, do the interview, then get asked to join. I'm always aggressive about getting to market as early as possible. Sometimes things take time, but the faster you move the better is a good general rule in startups.
@@JohnCooganPlus thanks! Do you have an editor for your UA-cam videos or are you editing them yourself?
5 k subscribers and now you have of 255 k
He's that one dude you saw on BART looking hella pensive.
11:34 yeah, it's possible to build something people don't want, like universities (for some people) or these companies that helps cheating in exams, but these companies aren't scalable nor they do good to customers or even society
I am not agains universities, is just that some people don't like to study and they go to the university for the grade. Finally the university is something they don't want but they pay anyways. At the end if the customers of universities were only people without vocation, they would make a bad business
Individual differences are psychological and physiological (I disagree) with you about the "Burnout" statement and argument!
I know where you are coming from I also have a few Startups co-founded myself and the argument is not accurate and shouldn't be generalized.
Hi, great video. If you don't mind, what's your net worth?
I don’t share personal info like that. But you can look up the funding announcements from my two companies to get an idea of the scale.
@@JohnCooganPlus Ok no problem. I have already checked the numbers. Thanks
Great lecture. But I'm not sure that your ideas are applicable everywhere. The combination of venture capital, visionaries entrepreneurs and legal framework makes Silicon Valley what it is. Take away one of the "turtles" and it will disappear forever. That is the reason why here in the EU we will never have a company of the magnitude of Facebook or Google. The "spirit" is different, the money is missing and bureaucracy is a nightmare. And what to say for other countries that have talented people like India, Russia, Ukraine, or the South African Republic? That is a model that works in the USA and maybe in Canada or UK.
Only one question left
Y Combinator?