pg warns chasing startup trends

Prompt

ClaudeAnthropic

pg warns chasing startup trends

You're referring to Paul Graham's advice about not chasing startup trends. This is a recurring theme in his essays and Y Combinator guidance. Here are the key points he typically makes:

Why Trend-Chasing is Problematic

Timing Issues

By the time something is obviously trendy, you're likely too late

The best opportunities often look boring or unsexy initially

Markets get oversaturated quickly once trends become apparent

Wrong Motivation

Building something because it's "hot" rather than because you understand the problem deeply

Leads to shallow understanding of the actual market needs

Results in solutions looking for problems

Competition Density

Everyone else is chasing the same trend

Harder to differentiate when you're in a crowded space

VCs get trend-fatigue and become more selective

What PG Recommends Instead

Focus on Problems You Understand

Build things you personally need or have experienced

Deep domain knowledge beats trend-following

Authentic problems lead to better solutions

Look for "Schlep" Opportunities

Unsexy, difficult problems others avoid

Often have less competition but real market need

Can be more defensible once solved

Think Contrarian

What's everyone ignoring that might be important?

Counter-positioning against popular trends

Finding value where others see none

The core insight: the best startups often don't look like startups to most people when they begin.

21:12

DeepSeekDeepSeek

pg warns chasing startup trends

Of course. This is a classic and crucial piece of advice for any aspiring founder. The warning against "chasing startup trends" is not about ignoring the market; it's about understanding the difference between a genuine opportunity and a fleeting hype cycle.

Here’s a breakdown of why PG (Paul Graham) and other seasoned investors warn against this, and what you should do instead.

Why Chasing Trends is Dangerous

You're Already Late: By the time a trend is obvious enough for you to notice and decide to build something, the first-movers have already secured funding, top talent, and media attention. You're starting the race miles behind.

The "Me-Too" Trap: It's incredibly difficult to differentiate yourself in a crowded, trendy space. You end up in a feature war with well-funded competitors, rather than solving a unique problem. Your pitch becomes "We're like [Trendy Company X], but better/faster/cheaper," which is a weak position.

Superficial Understanding: When you chase a trend, you're often solving a problem you don't deeply understand or care about. This leads to building a solution in search of a problem, rather than the other way around. Founders who live and breathe a problem (the "scratch your own itch" model) have a massive advantage.

The Hype Cycle Cools: Trends are, by nature, cyclical. The hype around AI, Web3, or the Metaverse eventually settles. If you built your company on the peak of inflated expectations, you'll be left with no real customers when the trough of disillusionment hits. Your investors will get spooked, and talent will leave.

It Attracts the Wrong Kind of Founder: Trend-chasing often attracts people who are in it for the "startup" glamour or a quick flip, not the long, hard work of building a lasting company. These founders are more likely to give up when things get tough.

What PG and Y Combinator Actually Advise: "It's Better to Be a Trend-Spotter Than a Trend-Chaser"

The alternative isn't to ignore the market. It's to be smarter about how you find your idea.

Live in the Future and Build What's Missing (The PG Classic):

This is the core of the advice. Become an expert in a domain before it becomes a mainstream trend. Work in an industry, have a unique hobby, or be part of a community that is underserved by current technology.

Example: The founders of Airbnb were living the problem of not being able to pay their rent. They weren't chasing a "sharing economy" trend; they were solving their own immediate, painful problem. They built what was missing from their world.

Solve a "Painful" Problem, Not a "Cool" One:

Look for problems that people are actively complaining about, trying to hack together solutions for, or are willing to pay money to solve today.

A "trendy" problem might be "How can we put our company on the blockchain?" A painful problem is "I waste 10 hours a week manually moving data between these two software tools."

Talk to Users, Not the Tech Press:

Instead of reading TechCrunch to find your idea, go talk to 100 potential users. Understand their workflows, their frustrations, and their unmet needs. The best ideas come from deep empathy with a specific group of people.

Leverage Your Own Expertise (Founder-Market Fit):

What do you know that most people don't? What unique skills, experiences, or connections do you have? Building a company in a domain you understand deeply is a huge competitive advantage, even if it's not "sexy."

Example: A founder who spent 10 years in the logistics industry building a supply chain optimization tool has a far better chance than a recent CS grad chasing the same trend.

How to Responsibly Engage with Trends

This doesn't mean you should ignore major technological shifts. The key is to use the trend as a tool, not the foundation.

Use the New Technology to Solve an Old Problem: Don't build "an AI company." Instead, ask: "How can we use AI to radically improve customer support for e-commerce stores?" The trend (AI) is the how, but the problem (inefficient customer support) is the why.

Look for the Adjacent Possible: Often, a big trend (like the iPhone) creates a whole new ecosystem of adjacent problems and opportunities (mobile payments, better note-taking apps, new social networks). These are often better opportunities than the trend itself.

In a Nutshell:

If You Chase a Trend, You...	If You Find a Problem, You...
Are in a crowded, red ocean.	Can create a new, blue ocean.
Have to convince people they need your solution.	Find people already desperate for a solution.
Compete on features and marketing spend.	Compete on deep understanding and fit.
Are building for the tech press and investors.	Are building for your users.
Are vulnerable when the hype dies.	Are resilient because you solve a fundamental need.

Final Thought: The most successful startups often look like bad ideas at the beginning. They are working on problems that seem small, niche, or uninteresting to the mainstream. By the time the trend-spotters notice them, they are already years ahead. Don't chase the wave; learn to see where the next one is forming.

21:12

GeminiGoogle

pg warns chasing startup trends

Paul Graham (pg), the co-founder of Y Combinator, has frequently cautioned against chasing startup trends. His reasoning, as inferred from his various essays and talks, boils down to a few key points:

Trends are, by definition, already crowded: By the time a trend is widely recognized, numerous startups are already pursuing it. This creates intense competition, making it much harder to stand out and succeed.

Trends are often superficial: They might be based on hype or fleeting interest rather than genuine, long-term value. Startups built on such trends are vulnerable when the hype dies down.

Trends can distract from fundamental problems: Founders might focus on fitting into a trendy narrative instead of identifying and solving real-world problems that people genuinely care about.

True innovation often happens outside of trends: The most groundbreaking startups often create new markets or redefine existing ones, rather than simply following what's popular. They tend to come from a first principle of solving a real problem.

You're not learning valuable lessons: By jumping on a trend, you might not be gaining expertise or unique insights that can differentiate you in the long run.

Investors may be less critical: During a trend, investors are often caught up in the excitement and may not conduct as thorough due diligence, leading to inflated valuations and unsustainable business models.

Instead of chasing trends, pg advises founders to:

Solve real problems: Focus on identifying and solving problems that people actually have, even if those problems aren't currently trendy.

Build something users love: Create a product or service that users find genuinely valuable and enjoyable.

Be original: Strive to create something unique and differentiated, rather than simply copying what others are doing.

Focus on long-term value: Build a sustainable business model that can generate value over the long term, rather than relying on short-term hype.

In essence, pg's warning is a call for founders to be thoughtful and strategic, rather than simply chasing the latest shiny object. He believes that the most successful startups are those that are built on solid foundations, driven by a genuine passion for solving problems, and focused on creating long-term value.

21:12

Analysis

This comparison demonstrates the different approaches each AI model takes when responding to the same prompt. Here are the key differences observed:

Response Characteristics

Claude: Provides a detailed response with 4 sentences.

DeepSeek: Provides a direct response with 72 sentences.

Gemini: Provides a detailed response with 16 sentences.

Key Takeaways

Each model brings unique strengths to this type of query
Response styles vary significantly between models
Consider your specific use case when choosing between these models

Try This Comparison Yourself

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This comparison was generated using the SNEOS AI Comparison ToolPublished: October 03, 2025 | Models: Claude, DeepSeek, Gemini