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Paul Graham on Founder · ViralLoop

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Paul Graham@paulg

I talked recently to the founder of an AI startup, and he was as effusive about Nvidia as a retail investor. Their moat is not only large but was also very cleverly constructed over a long period of time.

1.3K likes36 repliesPosted Mar 19, 2024

View the original on X Written by Paul Graham. Captured Sep 4, 2026.

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

From likes, comments.

Why it worked

Written from experience rather than as advice, which is harder to argue with.
Short enough to read in full without expanding, which removes a step before the point lands.

The mechanics

Hook: Plain observation
Structure: Hook
Style: Conversational paragraphs at a steady pace.
Tone: personal
Written for: Founders and early-stage teams

Analysis by ViralLoop — not written by the original author.

Topics

Founder AI Retail

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More from Paul Graham

A recent YC startup spent 250k on a domain. I was slightly shocked. But when I asked how much they raised after YC, the answer was 6.5m. So 1/26 of their round. This is the time we live in; one shocking number counterbalances the other.

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