“If you leave a bunch of eleven-year-olds to their own devices, what you get is Lord of the Flies. Like a lot of American kids, I read this book in school. Presumably it was not a coincidence. Presumably someone wanted… — Paul Graham Copy Share Image
“I'm not saying there's no such thing as genius. But if you're trying to choose between two theories and one gives you an excuse… — Paul Graham Copy Share
“This is a good plan for life in general. If you have two choices, choose the harder. If you're trying to decide whether to… — Paul Graham Copy Share
“When I was a kid I was constantly being told to look at things from someone else’s point of view. What this always meant… — Paul Graham Copy Share
“Hackers are unruly. That is the essence of hacking. And it is also the essence of Americanness. It is no accident that Silicon Valley… — Paul Graham Copy Share
“We often like to think of World War II as a triumph of freedom over totalitarianism. We conveniently forget that the Soviet Union was… — Paul Graham Copy Share
It's hard to say exactly what it is about face-to-face contact that makes deals happen, but whatever it is, it hasn't yet been duplicated… — Paul Graham Copy Share
“It’s easier to get people to fight for an idea. And whichever side wins, their ideas will also be considered to have triumphed, as… — Paul Graham Copy Share
“Could civil liberties really be a cause, rather than just an effect? I think so. I think a society in which people can do… — Paul Graham Copy Share
“A great programmer, on a roll, could create a million dollars worth of wealth in a couple weeks. A mediocre programmer over the same… — Paul Graham Copy Share
We don't have to go that far to sell our beer because our immediate accounts sell so much. Places that sold 10 cases before,… — Paul Graham Copy Share
I get a lot of criticism for telling founders to focus first on making something great, instead of worrying about how to make money.… — Paul Graham Copy Share
“So the optimal plan, if you can manage it, is to have a few trusted friends you can speak openly to. This is not… — Paul Graham Copy Share
