I watched all 19 classes from Stanford and YCombinator's How to Startup class and curated the classes that have been most useful to me in helping companies that we have invested in. You should really watch all of the classes, but if you only have time to watch some of them, I've created a list for you. You can read an excerpt here or read the entire post, The Best Lectures From How to Start Up – Stanford and Y Combinator on my personal blog.
If you’re thinking about starting a company, have already started a company or just want to see what starting a startup is really like, please watch all of the classes. I’ve been prescribing certain classes for founders we’ve funded in Magma and I’ve seen good results. If you want to save time, you can read the transcripts below each video, but I strongly suggest spending the time to watch the videos.But if you don’t have time to watch all 15 hours and still don’t have time to read ~150 pages of text, I’m here to help. I’ve selected my favorite classes so that you can get 80% of the learning in 35% of the time. Before you get started, I reiterate, don’t get lazy. Watch or read all of them. But if you’re lazy, here’s my list.Lecture 1: Intro: Ideas, Products, Team, ExecutionWatch the first half with Sam Altman if you’re an experienced entrepreneur. If you’re just getting started or haven’t started yet, watch the entire class with Dustin Moskovitz, one of Facebook’s cofounders. Altman gives his overview of the class and his view on what’s important in a startup and Moskovitz walks you through evaluation your options when you start a startup.
