Startup Experts Reveal Their Top Productivity Advice

Рет қаралды 110,239

Күн бұрын

There's only so many hours in a day and running a startup will require most of them. So how do you use that time wisely and be more productive?
In this episode of Office Hours, the Group Partners at Y Combinator share their favorite strategies to be more effective and reduce distractions at work. They'll discuss the benefits of maker/manager schedules in addition to the fake work and productivity fads that can do more harm than good. If you're going to build a big business, you'll learn it requires working smarter AND harder to win.
Apply to Y Combinator: yc.link/OfficeHours-apply
Work at a startup: yc.link/OfficeHours-jobs
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) -
00:00 - Coming Up
00:48 - Tip 1: Focus on your customers
01:19 - Tip 2: Avoid shiny objects and focus on the core mission
02:26 - Tip 3: Write down and track your KPIs
04:48 - Tip 4: Avoid productivity fads
06:07 - Tip 5: Real work vs. fake work
08:23 - Tip 6: Divide your day up into two parts: Meetings and creative work
09:03 - Tip 7: Be intentional about time spend on social media
09:56 - Tip 8: Use social media to build relationships with customers
11:06 - Tip 9: Stack rank your priorities
12:59 - Tip 10: Identify what is NOT a priority
14:39 - Tip 11: Avoid multitasking
15:13 - Tip 12: Productivity tools doesn't substitute work
15:47 - Outro

Пікірлер: 78

@ycombinator 8 ай бұрын

What's one trick you use to stay productive?

@akshaynarayankar1675 8 ай бұрын

Using the dnd feature for maker schedules

@paddydub 8 ай бұрын

Blocking social media sites during work hours.

@3nityC 8 ай бұрын

• Make it frictionless with the same target results. • Let backend mess but frontend as powerful.

@adrianrodgon3485 8 ай бұрын

Scheduling each week with one or two goals and time boxing in 2 hours slots

@solomonbush331 8 ай бұрын

Stimulants

@Flexibot-AI_Shopify_Chatbots 8 ай бұрын

I appreciate the emphasis on avoiding "fake work" and being intentional with time management. It's a good reminder that being busy doesn't always equate to being productive.

@shoaibux 5 ай бұрын

My top picks: 1. Focus on one things 2. My first work can be messy; I don't need to spend too much time organizing when I'm just starting. It's like cleaning your room because you don't want to do your homework. 3. I will not do fake work. Doing too much work doesn't necessarily mean I'm making progress. I need to pick my top priority and then move toward it. 4. Social media is a real danger; sometimes, I get drawn into it for nothing. Instead, I should pick another priority and work on that.

@jaiyeshrao 8 ай бұрын

Thank you for talking about productivity. Much needed!

@fabioramos7261 6 ай бұрын

Guys the work that you are doing is really fantastic!! Thank you so much ❤

@zb2747 8 ай бұрын

#4 is Gold. It's so simple but you must be mindful what you listen to and read especially in this day in age where everyone is accesible and everyone has an opinion. Know what you must do and DO IT. ACT on your ideas and get things done. DO, maybe you might fail. If so, iterate and improve your mistakes AND DO AGAIN...AGAIN....AGAIN...AND AGAIN. Keep 'launching', keep moving forward, and keep SERVING AND ADDING VALUE TO THE HUMANS WHO LOVE YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE :)

@chapterme 8 ай бұрын

Chapters (Powered by ChapterMe) - 00:00 - Coming Up 00:48 - Focus on your customers 01:19 - Avoid shiny objects and focus on the core mission 02:26 - Being explicit: Write down and track your KPIs 03:07 - About productivity tools 04:12 - Productivity = Priority 04:48 - Productivity Porn 06:07 - Real vs. Fake Work 06:54 - Productivity Concept: Maker Schedule vs Manager Schedule 07:46 - Most common mistake founder's make 08:23 - Divide your day up into two parts one for meetings and one for coding time 09:03 - Danger with Social Media 09:56 - Use social media if your customers are on it 11:06 - Stack ranking forces you to prioritize 12:09 - Start with why? 12:59 - What is not a priority 14:09 - Finding what you are good at 14:39 - Best productivity tip: Not multitask 15:13 - Most productive founders don't talk about productivity apps 15:47 - Outro

@george_davituri 8 ай бұрын

yep

@gambaweb 7 ай бұрын

I tried to summarize the video using TalkBud, here is the result 📝 Key points: 📌 The best founders prioritize their time and focus on tasks that will truly move the needle for their business. 🧐 Founders should be accessible and close to the customer, rather than getting caught up in complex processes. 🚀 Prioritizing tasks and aligning actions with goals is crucial for productivity. 📌 Distinguishing between productive time and fake work is important for effective time management. 🧐 Social media can be a distraction, but it can also be useful if it aligns with the goal of reaching customers. 🚀 Effective time management involves focusing on one thing and saying no to everything else. 📌 Founders should have self-awareness, focus on their strengths, and delegate tasks they are not skilled in. 🧐 Multitasking is not an effective productivity strategy, and hyperfocusing on specific tasks is more beneficial. 🚀 Productivity tools are not as important as putting in the hours and being willing to work hard. 💡 Additional Insights: 💬 "Productivity is not about doing more, it's about doing the right things." 📊 No statistics or data were presented in the video. 🌐 No important references or sources were shared in the video. 📣 Conclusion: The best founders prioritize their time, focus on the customers and their problems, and avoid getting caught up in unproductive activities. They distinguish between productive time and fake work, and they have self-awareness to focus on their strengths and delegate tasks they are not skilled in. Effective time management involves saying no to everything else and hyperfocusing on specific tasks. Ultimately, productivity tools are not as important as putting in the hours and working hard.

@nelinotakam2621 8 ай бұрын

Great video. I've been struggling with how to code and manage. Plus, moving from productivity app to productivity app deep down means I was the problem, not the app.. I think I know what I need to work on.. For those reading this and think it's obvious, sometimes it's not that obvious until you're hinted at it. I think great founders will also need to build that self-hinting mindset. I'm not yet there, but it's definitely possible. Thanks !

@Geovea-Travel 7 ай бұрын

Great video and reminder! I just try to focus on 3 important things to work on before I get going every morning so I don't get distracted! Kirk H.

@procrastinateXrok 8 ай бұрын

What good timing. I’m competing in my school’s competition with a productivity app. Thanks for insights

@amina___6443 7 ай бұрын

Thank you for including a caption "stack rank", since the subtitles did not manage to catch it.

@n8style 8 ай бұрын

My best productivity tip is to scour social media for productivity tips

@SouravBhar12 8 ай бұрын

Yes, you're doing it right 👍

@poulticegeist 8 ай бұрын

😂

@stableandhappy 8 ай бұрын

Thanks YC Team 🙏❤

@dqnamo 8 ай бұрын

Hmm am I procrastinating by watching this? 🤔

@ycombinator 8 ай бұрын

👀

@sir.richardpound 8 ай бұрын

What a great image Y Combinator is building around itself 😃

@mariusgerome 8 ай бұрын

@YC do you have a docs page on all of that? I feel like the topics are coming up again and again, and an evergreen founder's document would be great for that

@formfakd 7 ай бұрын

I apologize I am not going to comment on the content here which is of course super smart and useful. Disclaimer, there is nothing personal here, just an observation. I am writing this because I need to say about this thing that is lingering in my mind since the first time I have heard Garry Tan speaking, in some much older videos than this. I think he has an incredible gift for acting and narrating. I enjoy listening to his voice and looking in how his voice is beautifully getting along his gestures, facial expressions etc. I am just wondering is it only me, or this is real. All the people speak very smart things, clearly and nicely, but this is something else at the top of the content 😊.

@armiles8469 7 ай бұрын

Thanks😊😊

@KiteTurbine 8 ай бұрын

I love the guilt trip this video is giving me Started watching it in the kitchen and finished watching it in the garage

@japhethachimba174 8 ай бұрын

😂😂 situation on ground too.

@yongkangchia1993 6 ай бұрын

Deep ideas - fake work - maker schedule vs managerial schedule (Paul graham) > do not mix the 2 > carve out time for maker schedule. - avoid multitasking > focus on one thing, saying no

@yongkangchia1993 6 ай бұрын

Being judacious to say no

@yongkangchia1993 6 ай бұрын

Say no fomo

@apj5949 8 ай бұрын

Second half size hours for coding with unitrupted. The best founder don't use social media and they never take validation from social media they take validation from customer/classmates

@yongkangchia1993 6 ай бұрын

80-20 of productivity is asking these questions: What's my goal What's the number 1 thing Are the things I am doing aligned with that?

@hadithitv7517 8 ай бұрын

How do you do an mvp for generative ai

@nathanbanks2354 8 ай бұрын

Nice to watch a video that makes me feel somewhat guilty for watching it. At least you're letting me see the inconsistency...plus I did watch it at 3x so it only took 5 minutes.

@bhupendrasinhthakre5267 8 ай бұрын

What kind of setup Garry has. It’s dope. Am I wasting time by asking this.

@GarryTan 8 ай бұрын

Sony FX3 and a led softbox high above

@anguruso 8 ай бұрын

No time for the like/subscribe/bell. Got an app to code.

@Calm_passion 8 ай бұрын

fake work is the devil ! Run !

@NajaHall 2 ай бұрын

Just realized all of my work is fake work

@natarajanshanker5103 6 ай бұрын

Its ironic. I'm watching this when I should be writing code but I don't feel like writing code right now.

@louis3195 7 ай бұрын

Doing my daily Fake Work ... Watching YC videos

@h_imanshu 8 ай бұрын

❤❤

@CuchBe 6 ай бұрын

❤

@elijahcannon2863 8 ай бұрын

Winter 2024 batch here I come!

@TalkingDonkeyz 8 ай бұрын

Does Gary’s “script voice” annoy anyone else? Good info as always.

@MariiaSapiens 17 күн бұрын

Please guys don't add background music when someone is talking, it's very distracting

@georgew1857 8 ай бұрын

This video is ironic.

@user-dw5qw3hy1o 8 ай бұрын

Ironic or Iconic

@Leoninhk 8 ай бұрын

I’m guessing he meant ironic cos some of the advises are avoid productivity fads, fake work, and social media - which is what this is

@carloslfu 8 ай бұрын

Iconic

@bmejia220 8 ай бұрын

It’s only ironic if you already know these things and you already know what you have to do to build your business

@justinwyatt8 8 ай бұрын

@@Leoninhkbut no one is going to hand you money for free so you have to make fake content so that you can get ad revenue. The fluff and BS that is on the internet could all go away but we all need an income.

@leo88oel 7 ай бұрын

Stopped watching at #4. When they described productivity porn, I realized I was watching it.

@FinancialFaiz 2 ай бұрын

Just watch these things when you are "off the clock", not something you have to "graduate from"

@Nashadelicable 8 ай бұрын

Ah, productivity porn video, *this one* will make or break it for me!

@AsapPapi 8 ай бұрын

Wait so this video is also productivity porn 😂

@Johndoe64065 8 ай бұрын

Too much advice, can you prove causation of these advices to success or just your luck correlation, with that success rate of startups, we need more engineers in the meet grinder for VCs to roost, remember everyone is selling you something take your time before you jump behind people words.