Paul Graham on Founder

Paul Graham@paulg

A lot of ambitious people spend the early part of their lives in credential-seeking mode. But you'll hit a wall if you're still in this mode when you start a startup. Making what users want is a completely different m.o. from charming authorities and doing well on tests.

5K likes62 repliesPosted Sep 2, 2020

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Viral score

Based on absolute engagement — the platform doesn’t expose follower counts here, so large accounts score higher.

From likes, comments.

Why it worked

Opens with a short, self-contained line that is easy to take in at a glance.
Follows a clear Hook → Context → Landing shape, so the reader always knows where they are.
Short enough to read in full without expanding, which removes a step before the point lands.
Short sentences keep the pace up, so the reader never has to re-read a line.

The mechanics

Hook: Plain observation
Structure: Hook → Context → Landing
Style: Conversational paragraphs at a steady pace.
Tone: plain, matter-of-fact
Written for: Founders and early-stage teams

Analysis by ViralLoop — not written by the original author.

Topics

Founder

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