Viaweb
An early web store-building software company co-founded by Paul Graham.
Where Viaweb comes up1 episode or test
- 1Co-found ViawebHands-on work building a startup
- 2Sell it to YahooThe company exits
- 3Run Y CombinatorOffice hours with founders
- 4Talk with thousands of foundersHunches he couldn't yet put into words
- 5Write essaysHunches sent him to the keyboard
From David Perell on Paul Graham
What was said about Viaweb
Building and selling Viaweb gave Paul Graham the material for his essays. David Perell argues Graham's startup writing grew out of hands-on work: co-founding Viaweb, selling it to Yahoo, then running Y Combinator and talking with thousands of founders.
Graham says he became an expert on startups by writing so much about them, but the raw ideas came from doing hard things first. Founder conversations and office hours gave him hunches he couldn't yet put into words, which sent him to the keyboard. Perell's line: "to write a great book you must first become the book."
The King of Internet Writing | Paul Graham | How I Write Podcast
Building Viaweb and selling it to Yahoo gave Graham the hands-on startup experience that his essays draw on. Doing hard things first gave him real ideas to write about.
Building and selling Viaweb gave Paul Graham the material for his essays. David Perell argues Graham's startup writing grew out of hands-on work: co-founding Viaweb, selling it to Yahoo, then running Y Combinator and talking with thousands of founders.
Graham says he became an expert on startups by writing so much about them, but the raw ideas came from doing hard things first. Founder conversations and office hours gave him hunches he couldn't yet put into words, which sent him to the keyboard. Perell's line: "to write a great book you must first become the book."
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