Paul Graham: “What did Altair BASIC mean to Microsoft?”

A careful study of the experience of the most successful companies and the disclosure of the reasons for their initial success is perhaps the most valuable exercise that you could try for the concept (philosophy) of startups. Practically each of these companies, at first glance, seemed flawed. Not just small, but flawed. The very beginning of their activity is more like, by no means, not the first step to the summit, but rather a timid probing of the first swampy tussock of an impassable swamp.

Interpreter programming language BASIC for Altair? How can this be imagined as the beginning of a multi-billion dollar company? Renting three beds in someone else's rented apartment? Student site to spy on each other? Single board computer for fans who use the TV as a monitor? Another new search engine with a dozen of similar and the overall undervalued idea of ​​the search? These ideas did not just seem insignificant, they did not cause any confidence. They could not just be neglected, they seemed ridiculous.

Often the founders themselves do not know why their ideas become so promising. Such ideas come involuntarily, because their creators live in the future and feel when something is missing in this world. True, the pioneers themselves cannot even express in words how such ugly ducklings turn into beautiful swans.
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Having heard such nonsense, most people have an overwhelming desire to laugh. Everyone considers himself "with a mustache."

When I encounter a startup based on some crazy, at first glance, idea, I ask myself: “Is it unlikely, by chance, the very same Microsoft interpreter for Altair?” The burden of solving this puzzle lies on me. It is amazing how often a solution is found, although sometimes I don’t see it, especially when the idea is unique. It often happens that one of the founders still does not understand his luck.

It is interesting that sometimes the decision is multivalued. A few days ago, I talked with the founders of a startup that can grow into three different companies like Microsoft. They probably vary in size by several orders of magnitude. You can never accurately predict how big the new Microsoft will be; in such cases, I urge the founders to follow their own, interesting only for them, path. After all, their inspirational vision of the world can lead them very far. Why stop now?