SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 39
The least likely founder
Wasn’t the prodigy kid programmer....
... no Intel Science Fair, robotics club, programming
classes, research labs, aced SATs, ivy league, etc.
“MIT? That’s in Michigan right?”
MITERS
tEp
The Media Lab
Alex Hornstein
what about a startup!
...what is a startup?
[crickets]
how about a conference?
+1000 people
$15k from sponsors (VCs, law firm)
12 speakers from Boston & SF ... 3 full-time students.
... where am I going?
The important thing is to strive towards
a goal which is not immediately visible.
That goal is not the concern of the mind,
but of the spirit.
– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
ie: stop worrying, keep working
( Most of them will be crap.That’s ok. )
1. Have (lots of) ideas
• Business
• Product design
• Founder blogs
• Hacker News
• Design magazines
• HBS Case Studies
• Take classes in
other departments
• NYT & NPR
• Technical papers from
industry companies
2. Read everything
MIT does not teach you how to build (enough) stuff.
I shipped +20 projects before graduating. Almost all of
them were well-paid contracts with flexible hours.
... and I wrote my first line of code during freshman year.
You don’t run a marathon without training first!
3. Develop skills
1. Have lots of ideas
2. Read everything
3. Learn to build stuff
1.01365 = 38.8
0.99365 = 0.03
Inspiration exists,
but it has to find you working.
― Picasso
Raw truth: no substitute for hours
Today
Something new...
Would I rather lose all of my email
or all the files in my Dropbox?
everyone uses this
everyone hates it
technical challenges
meta-problem
gmail sucks
☑ large market
☑ hard tech
☑ pain point
☑ crufty foe
Ingredients for a startup:
New web-based app
Works with existing accounts
The “Tesla” of email
For power users
• sales
• biz dev
• project management
• knowledge workers
1.01365 = 38.8
0.99365 = 0.03
1. Have lots of ideas
2. Read everything
3. Learn to build stuff
Learn to code
...and work your ass off
PS: We’re hiring!
mg @ mit.edu
Follow @InboxApp

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Startup Bootcamp 2013 — Michael Grinich

  • 1.
  • 2.
  • 4.
  • 5.
  • 6.
  • 7.
  • 8.
  • 9.
  • 10.
  • 11.
  • 12. Wasn’t the prodigy kid programmer.... ... no Intel Science Fair, robotics club, programming classes, research labs, aced SATs, ivy league, etc. “MIT? That’s in Michigan right?”
  • 14.
  • 15. what about a startup! ...what is a startup? [crickets] how about a conference?
  • 16. +1000 people $15k from sponsors (VCs, law firm) 12 speakers from Boston & SF ... 3 full-time students.
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 19.
  • 20. ... where am I going?
  • 21. The important thing is to strive towards a goal which is not immediately visible. That goal is not the concern of the mind, but of the spirit. – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ie: stop worrying, keep working
  • 22. ( Most of them will be crap.That’s ok. ) 1. Have (lots of) ideas
  • 23. • Business • Product design • Founder blogs • Hacker News • Design magazines • HBS Case Studies • Take classes in other departments • NYT & NPR • Technical papers from industry companies 2. Read everything
  • 24. MIT does not teach you how to build (enough) stuff. I shipped +20 projects before graduating. Almost all of them were well-paid contracts with flexible hours. ... and I wrote my first line of code during freshman year. You don’t run a marathon without training first! 3. Develop skills
  • 25. 1. Have lots of ideas 2. Read everything 3. Learn to build stuff
  • 26. 1.01365 = 38.8 0.99365 = 0.03 Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. ― Picasso Raw truth: no substitute for hours
  • 28. Would I rather lose all of my email or all the files in my Dropbox?
  • 29. everyone uses this everyone hates it technical challenges meta-problem gmail sucks
  • 30. ☑ large market ☑ hard tech ☑ pain point ☑ crufty foe Ingredients for a startup:
  • 31.
  • 32. New web-based app Works with existing accounts The “Tesla” of email For power users • sales • biz dev • project management • knowledge workers
  • 33.
  • 34.
  • 35. 1.01365 = 38.8 0.99365 = 0.03 1. Have lots of ideas 2. Read everything 3. Learn to build stuff Learn to code ...and work your ass off
  • 36.
  • 37.
  • 38.
  • 39. PS: We’re hiring! mg @ mit.edu Follow @InboxApp