Paul Graham

I've added a new question to the list I consider during office hours with YC startups. As well as "Can we induce network effects?" and "Would it make sense to go full-stack?" I now ask "Can we make this AI-proof?" Can we ensure this company still exists if AIs do most work?

Usually the solution involves making the product useful to agents. It's especially good if you can enable agents to interact with one another. Then you're safe the way marketplaces are. Unless a single model company wins. Then all bets are off.

At YC tonight Garry interviewed Jessica and me about the early history of YC. I'd forgotten how hard it used to be for startups to raise money after YC. Now they have the opposite problem: now there's so much money out there that they have to be careful not to raise too much.

It's encouraging how the tech world has rallied round Ron Conway since he disclosed that he'd been diagnosed with cancer. So many people are helping him in so many different ways. It's really making a difference.