Smash Notes
Startup Lessons from Serial Entrepreneur Justin Kan

a16z

Startup Lessons from Serial Entrepreneur Justin Kan

Want actionable advice from a founder who has built multiple tech companies and has invested the time to be open, introspective, and transparent about lessons learned? In this episode (which originally aired as a YouTube video), a16z General Partner Andrew Chen (@@andrewchen) talks with Justin Kan (@justinkan). Justin is a repeat entrepreneur who…

People

Notes

  1. How Did Justin Kan Rise to Fame at 1:04

    Justin has been an Internet entrepreneur since 2005. Full answer

  2. Why Would You Leave a Cushy Job as a Partner at Y Combinator and Start Another Company at 6:01

    After a few years as an investor and advisor to Y Combinator companies, Justin realized he was not learning and growing anymore, and the best vehicle for… Full answer

  3. What Is the Difference Between Market Risk vs Execution Risk at 8:42

    When you are a young founder, fresh out of college, chances are you don't know a lot and you are not actually very good at many things. Full answer

  4. Should I Start a Consumer Startup or a Business-to-business Startup at 11:05

    Consumer startups are a lottery ticket. Take Twitch.tv vs Atrium for example. Full answer

  5. Should You Raise a Lot of Money or Bootstrap to Profitability at 13:56

    When you have a ton of money, you spend a ton of money, so that's not always the right choice for your company. Full answer

  6. How Do You Deal With Stress as a Startup Founder at 19:29

    Young Justin though of stress was something that you couldn't change, but a manure Justin learned that you can manage and improve stress, much like you learn… Full answer

  7. What Influences Justin Kan's Social Media Stream at 24:22

    Justin believes that if you want something to be part of your identity, you should talk about it, and if you want to learn something, you should teach it. Full answer

  8. Why Is Justin Kan Removing Attachments Form His Life at 24:45

    Founders tend to intertwine their identity and the success of their company. Full answer

  9. What Is the Best Way to Find a Mentor for My Startup at 27:16

    Best part about Silicon Valley is all the people who have done it before and are willing to help you. Full answer

  10. What Is the Meaning of Culture Eat Strategy at 31:06

    Very often companies in Silicon Valley tend to focus on the next milestone, and sometimes it's the only way because otherwise your company would go out of… Full answer

  11. What Is the Central Ethos to How Justin Kan Builds Companies at 36:33

    (1) Iterate quickly. Justin has been doing this since Y Combinator and never stopped. Speed of iteration is very important. Full answer

  12. How Do You Manage Expectations Once You've Succeeded as Entrepreneur at 38:58

    Every entrepreneur has high expectations and it's always a battle against yourself. You win that battle by realizing that whatever happens you will be fine. Full answer

  13. What Is Justin Kan Reading Right Now at 43:13

    The Untethered Soul - Very important book that helped Justin recognize why detaching happiness from the company success was so important. Full answer

  14. What Would Justin Kan Tell a Founder Who Is Just Starting? at 46:40

    On the a16z podcast, Justin Kan is asked what he would tell himself at 22 or 23. The joke is that he should have joined Facebook. The real list is personal. Full answer

Related notes

Related episodes

Plays from this note through the rest of the episode.

Note

Weekly highlights

One letter a week.

The notes worth hearing, with the minute they were said.