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The phone app can’t import yet. Open this link on a Mac to put it in put·here.The three steps solo founders get stuck on (finding the idea, talking to users, landing the first people who pay), covered by 2 Paul Graham essays and 3 books.
- Published: November 2012, paulgraham.com
- Key points:
1. Good ideas are noticed, not invented. Look at problems you have yourself.
2. Better a small group who need it badly than a big group who find it "fine", ideally with a path to expand.
3. "Live in the future" at the edge of a fast-changing field and you'll see what's missing. Competition isn't scary; it's proof of demand.
- Source (official) https://paulgraham.com/startupideas.html
- Published: 2013, revised 2014 (year from a third-party source; the author's site doesn't state it)
- Why read it: How to talk to potential customers so you hear facts, not compliments. The name means: ask questions so well that even your mom can't just be nice to you.
- 3 key points:
1. Talk about their life, not your idea.
2. Ask about specific things that happened in the past, not "would you use…?"
3. Talk less, listen more. A good conversation ends with them giving something: time for a next meeting, an introduction, or money.
- Good for: anyone about to build who hasn't talked to 10 real users yet.
- Small print: key points summarized from the author's public descriptions and third-party summaries
- Sources: author's site (official) https://www.momtestbook.com/ · rules summarized by Unusual Ventures, Oct 2024 (third party) https://www.unusual.vc/rob-fitzpatricks-mom-test/
- Published: July 2013, paulgraham.com
- Key points:
1. Startups don't take off on their own; founders have to push at first. "Do things that don't scale."
2. Recruit early users one by one and delight them personally, something big companies can't do.
3. Don't count on a big launch or partnership. Narrow the market and do things manually if you must.
- Source (official) https://paulgraham.com/ds.html
Why read it: Drawing on building Gumroad, the author makes the case for profitable companies built without venture money or big teams.
Published: self-published by the author and continuously updated; quoted posts on the page go back to 2018
Don't brainstorm. Write down real problems and see which one a small group needs badly. (From: Paul Graham — How to Get Startup Ideas)
"When did this last happen? What did you do? What did it cost you?" Don't mention your product. (From: The Mom Test — Rob Fitzpatrick)
Find one person willing to try it, walk them through it, and write down every place they get stuck. (From: Paul Graham — Do Things That Don't Scale)
Even before it's built: what it solves and what it costs. See if anyone pays first. (From: The Minimalist Entrepreneur — Sahil Lavingia)
| # | Source | Type | Date | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | paulgraham.com/startupideas | Official (author) | 2012-11 | 2026-10-28 |
| 2 | momtestbook.com | Official (author) | undated | 2026-10-28 |
| 3 | Unusual Ventures blog | Third party | 2024-10-31 | 2026-10-28 |
| 4 | paulgraham.com/ds | Official (author) | 2013-07 | 2026-10-28 |
| 5 | Penguin Random House — The Minimalist Entrepreneur | Official (publisher) | 2021-10-26 | 2026-10-28 |
| 6 | minimalistentrepreneur.com | Official (author) | undated | 2026-10-28 |
| 7 | readmake.com | Official (author) | continuously updated | 2026-10-28 |
Note: the book key points are summarized from publisher pages, chapter lists and reputable summaries; we did not read every page of each book. peter can replace them with his own takeaways.