Pieter Levels
👤 PersonAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
I think my philosophy is very different than most people in startups, because most people in startups, they build a company and they raise money, right? And they hire people and then they build a product and they find something that makes money. And I don't really raise money. I don't use VC funding. I do everything myself. I'm a designer. I'm the developer. I make everything. I make the logo.
I think my philosophy is very different than most people in startups, because most people in startups, they build a company and they raise money, right? And they hire people and then they build a product and they find something that makes money. And I don't really raise money. I don't use VC funding. I do everything myself. I'm a designer. I'm the developer. I make everything. I make the logo.
I think my philosophy is very different than most people in startups, because most people in startups, they build a company and they raise money, right? And they hire people and then they build a product and they find something that makes money. And I don't really raise money. I don't use VC funding. I do everything myself. I'm a designer. I'm the developer. I make everything. I make the logo.
So for me, I'm much more scrappy. And because I don't have funding, like I need to go fast. I need to make things fast to see if an idea works, right? I have an idea in my mind and I build it, build like a micro mini startup. And I launch it very quickly, like within two weeks or something of building it.
So for me, I'm much more scrappy. And because I don't have funding, like I need to go fast. I need to make things fast to see if an idea works, right? I have an idea in my mind and I build it, build like a micro mini startup. And I launch it very quickly, like within two weeks or something of building it.
So for me, I'm much more scrappy. And because I don't have funding, like I need to go fast. I need to make things fast to see if an idea works, right? I have an idea in my mind and I build it, build like a micro mini startup. And I launch it very quickly, like within two weeks or something of building it.
And I check if there's demand and if people actually sign up and not just sign up, but if people actually pay money, right? Like they need to take out their credit cards. pay me money, and then I can see if the idea is validated. And most ideas don't work, like as you say, most fail.
And I check if there's demand and if people actually sign up and not just sign up, but if people actually pay money, right? Like they need to take out their credit cards. pay me money, and then I can see if the idea is validated. And most ideas don't work, like as you say, most fail.
And I check if there's demand and if people actually sign up and not just sign up, but if people actually pay money, right? Like they need to take out their credit cards. pay me money, and then I can see if the idea is validated. And most ideas don't work, like as you say, most fail.
I think it's very rapid. And it's like, if I compare it to, for example, Google, you know, like our big tech companies, especially Google right now is kind of struggling. Like they made like transformers. They invented all the AI stuff years ago and they never really shipped. Like they could have shipped JetGPT, for example, I think I heard in 2019.
I think it's very rapid. And it's like, if I compare it to, for example, Google, you know, like our big tech companies, especially Google right now is kind of struggling. Like they made like transformers. They invented all the AI stuff years ago and they never really shipped. Like they could have shipped JetGPT, for example, I think I heard in 2019.
I think it's very rapid. And it's like, if I compare it to, for example, Google, you know, like our big tech companies, especially Google right now is kind of struggling. Like they made like transformers. They invented all the AI stuff years ago and they never really shipped. Like they could have shipped JetGPT, for example, I think I heard in 2019.
And they never shipped it because they were so stuck in bureaucracy. But they had everything. They had the data. They had the tech. They had the engineers. And they didn't do it. And it's because these big organizations, it can make you very slow. So being alone by myself on my laptop, like, you know, in my underwear in a hotel room or something, I can ship very fast.
And they never shipped it because they were so stuck in bureaucracy. But they had everything. They had the data. They had the tech. They had the engineers. And they didn't do it. And it's because these big organizations, it can make you very slow. So being alone by myself on my laptop, like, you know, in my underwear in a hotel room or something, I can ship very fast.
And they never shipped it because they were so stuck in bureaucracy. But they had everything. They had the data. They had the tech. They had the engineers. And they didn't do it. And it's because these big organizations, it can make you very slow. So being alone by myself on my laptop, like, you know, in my underwear in a hotel room or something, I can ship very fast.
And I don't need to like, I don't need to ask that legal for like, oh, can you vouch for this? You know, I can just go and ship.
And I don't need to like, I don't need to ask that legal for like, oh, can you vouch for this? You know, I can just go and ship.
And I don't need to like, I don't need to ask that legal for like, oh, can you vouch for this? You know, I can just go and ship.
No, but I do wear like shorts a lot. And I usually just wear shorts and no t-shirt because I'm always too hot. Like I'm always overheating.
No, but I do wear like shorts a lot. And I usually just wear shorts and no t-shirt because I'm always too hot. Like I'm always overheating.