# Paul Graham

> Paul Graham is a programmer, essayist, and co-founder of Y Combinator, the seed accelerator that launched Airbnb, Stripe, Dropbox, Reddit, and OpenAI. He sold his first startup Viaweb to Yahoo for $49.6 million in 1998, then used that platform to build one of the most influential idea-factories in tech history. His essays at paulgraham.com have become the de facto canon of startup culture, read by millions of founders seeking clarity on how to build, think, and live.

- **Role:** Co-founder of Y Combinator (emeritus)
- **Organizations:** Y Combinator, Viaweb, Hacker News
- **From:** Weymouth, England
- **Nationality:** British-American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, Cornell University, Master of Science, Computer Science, Harvard University, PhD, Computer Science, Harvard University, Fine Arts / Painting, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Painting, Accademia di Belle Arti, Florence
- **Known for:** Co-founded Y Combinator, which has funded over 1,300 startups including Airbnb, Stripe, Dropbox, Reddit, Twitch, and OpenAI, Built and sold Viaweb to Yahoo for $49.6 million in 1998 - one of the first web applications, Created Hacker News, the premier tech news community with millions of monthly visitors

## Career timeline

- **1986** — Graduated Cornell with BA in Philosophy
- **1990** — Completed PhD in Computer Science at Harvard
- **1993** — Published 'On Lisp' - pioneering work on Lisp macros
- **1995** — Co-founded Viaweb with Robert Morris and Trevor Blackwell - one of the first web-based app platforms
- **1995** — Published 'ANSI Common Lisp' - comprehensive reference book
- **1998** — Sold Viaweb to Yahoo! for $49.6 million (455,000 Yahoo shares); rebranded as Yahoo! Store
- **2004** — Published 'Hackers & Painters: Big Ideas from the Computer Age'
- **2005** — Co-founded Y Combinator with Jessica Livingston, Trevor Blackwell, and Robert Morris; first batch funded Reddit and others
- **2007** — Launched Hacker News (originally 'Startup News') built in Arc programming language
- **2008** — Released Arc programming language publicly (January 29)
- **2009** — Published 'Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule' - essay that changed how knowledge workers think about time
- **2014** — Stepped down from day-to-day role at Y Combinator; Sam Altman took over as president
- **2016** — Moved to United Kingdom with family
- **2024** — Published 'Founder Mode' essay sparking major industry debate about founder vs. manager leadership
- **2024** — Published 'Writes and Write-Nots' on AI's impact on writing
- **2026** — Continued active angel investing; recent investment in Orange Slice (February 2026)

## Achievements

- Co-founded Y Combinator, which has funded over 1,300 startups including Airbnb, Stripe, Dropbox, Reddit, Twitch, and OpenAI
- Built and sold Viaweb to Yahoo for $49.6 million in 1998 - one of the first web applications
- Created Hacker News, the premier tech news community with millions of monthly visitors
- Developed the Arc programming language, a minimalist Lisp dialect
- Wrote 'Hackers & Painters' - a seminal book on the intersection of programming and creative thinking
- Published 'On Lisp' - considered a foundational text in functional programming
- His essay 'Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule' fundamentally changed how tech companies structure work time
- Pioneered the concept of seed accelerators, transforming how early-stage startups are funded globally
- Y Combinator alumni companies have a combined valuation exceeding $600 billion
- 'Founder Mode' essay (2024) sparked a major debate reshaping how startup CEOs think about management

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Made seed investment in Orange Slice through Y Combinator Seed VC-II fund
- **2025-12** — Active on X discussing AI policy, startup strategy, and content moderation issues
- **2024-09** — Published 'Founder Mode' essay - sparked widespread industry debate about how founders should lead growing companies
- **2024-10** — Published 'Writes and Write-Nots' arguing AI will split society into those who write and those who don't
- **2024-06** — Published 'How to Do Great Work' follow-up insights on deep work and creative output

## Links

- Website: https://paulgraham.com
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/paulg

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/paul-graham
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-21