Before Growth
Perhaps I&#x27;m the only one that sees this, but this essay appears to be a <i>significant</i> departure from the YC rhetoric I&#x27;ve observed in the past few years. Every time I&#x27;ve heard retention discussed (at YC) in the context of growth, it&#x27;s cast as something you address when your growth has stalled. Not, as this essay would lead you to believe, a <i>prerequisite</i> of growth itself.<p>This essay, while it discusses a really important idea, comes across as saying: &quot;Foolish, fashion-focused founders! Clearly retention comes first! We would never imply that you should focus on growth before your product had adequate retention!&quot;<p>But that&#x27;s exactly what I&#x27;ve seen YC partners do. Recommend that companies focus on growth, because that&#x27;s what YC&#x27;s definition of a startup is: a company that grows very quickly. Having seen both sides of the curtain, the essay leaves me with a greasy, queasy feeling.<p>Am I missing something here?<p>Sam, are you changing your standing advice from &quot;focus on growth&quot; to something else? If that&#x27;s what this post signals, please take ownership of the change and spell it out.<p>It&#x27;s poor form to imply that misguided founders (and their devotion to a fad) are driving the growth zealot craze when you&#x27;ve had a hand on the wheel for years.