2 Startups
Startups aren't a single thing; they're a two-parter:
- Before Product-Market Fit (PMF)
- After Product-Market Fit (PMF)
What's PMF?
It's when you know people need your thing, a small crew loves loves it, retention's high, and you've figured out scaling. You just need cash to scale.
The thing is, these two phases aren't just a bit different; they're totally different, a full 180. The rules and physics for both are completely different.
Post-PMF startups need a totally different name. The damage from this lack of distinction is insane; calling both by the same name should be criminal.
So many times you're watching a founder interview, they're giving post-PMF advice, and you try to apply it to pre-PMF. And obviously, the advice just doesn't work there.
All Y Combinator advice is generally pre-PMF advice.
Me and my friends almost never even discuss the post-PMF startup stuff. There's zero point talking or planning or prepping for that bit until you actually hit PMF. So our focus is super narrowed on finding pre-PMF advice and actually doing it.