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Paul Graham: Forget the 'Deals Guy' Era. Isaac Newton Was an Earnest Hacker.

By Paul Graham · Founder Mindset · 1 min read

Is the earnest hacker era over? Is the 'deals guy' who marshals capital and does deals winning now? Graham: I would still bet on earnest hackers. Isaac Newton was an earnest hacker. It's way older than startups.

Key Points

There's a trend of entrepreneurs winning through dealmaking instead of building — Graham doesn't buy it
In enterprise, salesmanship has always mattered more — 'sell crap to CTOs instead of good stuff to programmers'
Isaac Newton was an earnest hacker — the hacker spirit is way older than startups

Isaac Newton was an earnest hacker. It's way older than startups.

The Deals Guy Era

Interviewer: There's this idea banded about in the startup ecosystem — the deals guy era. You can build a business by being the business person, the deals guy. Marshall the capital. Do something that's been forgotten, not necessarily discover something new. Entrepreneurs seem to get really big on the back of raw dealmaking talent instead of engineering leadership.

Graham: Maybe in enterprise. Salesmanship has always mattered more in enterprise. Sell crap to CTOs instead of selling good stuff to programmers.

Enterprise: sell crap to CTOs instead of selling good stuff to programmers.

I Would Still Bet on Earnest Hackers

Graham: Honestly, I would still bet on earnest hackers.

If you think — okay, was the earnest hacker thing something that just worked for a while and maybe it's over? Here's something that will reassure you. Isaac Newton was an earnest hacker. It's way older than startups.

Isaac Newton was an earnest hacker. It's way older than startups.