How To Pick A Startup Idea

Many founders get stuck trying to find the perfect startup idea before they commit. But the perfect idea doesn't exist in the abstract. The only way to find what works is to pick one, go deep, and get feedback from real customers. In this episode of Startup School, YC General Partner Jon Xu breaks down how to choose what to build, "burn the other boats," and go deep enough to practically run your customer's business— and why that depth is what surfaces the better idea underneath. Apply to Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply Work at a startup: https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs Chapters: 00:00 — Intro 00:59 — The "Perfect Idea" trap 02:42 — Why working on multiple ideas fails 03:21 — How to actually go deep 04:51 — Could you run your customer's business? 06:18 — Build at the edge of what AI can do 08:37 — Aim at the most ambitious version 09:33 — What happens when the idea fails 10:27 — Walk fast in one direction