But I had to try a completely different approach if

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What is the most viable idea I have for a startup? Be honest. Does your idea lean on the prospect of being a “game-changer” too much? Or does the idea solve a practical, real-world problem? If you look at the list of Y Combinator success stories, you’ll see platforms that didn’t look like they would change the world. But because they offered practical consumer solutions at scale, they did. Your idea needs to work on a practical level first.
These lessons took me a long time to learn. I had been treating YC like a lottery: If I kept buying a ticket, maybe I’d win.


The Proximity Rule: Keep Meeting New People Until You Find the Right People
No one likes to hear the advice, “It’s all about who you know.” But there’s some truth to it.

I learned that in order to level up my progress, I needed to spend less time with other daydreamers. I needed to find out what really created startup success. Call it the “proximity rule.” If you put yourself near people with successful habits, eventually, you’re going to cultivate success for yourself.

In my early applications for Y Combinator, I spent a lot of taiwan telegram data time cultivating relationships with people who were well-intentioned and enthusiastic…but ultimately, many of these people were just as clueless as I was.

If you’re already an outsider like I was, you have to expand your circle of influence.

Success tends to leave breadcrumbs. Rather than focusing on networking with other “wantrepreneurs” who are in the same boat, you should get outside your comfort zone. Eventually, you’ll find people with genuinely helpful experience.

While you shouldn’t exclude anyone simply because they’re not as successful as you’d like, you should be proactive about meeting people with different backgrounds and perspectives. Every new person you meet is an opportunity to find the right people for you.

It’s the same approach Jeff Bezos took early in his career when he wanted to start dating. He started attending ballroom dance classes. He wasn’t particularly interested in ballroom dancing—he just wanted to increase the chances he’d meet someone.

After a few years immersed in Silicon Valley, I gained traction by meeting more tech people, attending more events, and building a network of talented people who could teach me things I didn’t know.