Paul Graham

Paul Graham is an English-American computer scientist, entrepreneur, and writer known for founding multiple influential technology companies and publishing widely-read essays on programming and startups. He received his PhD in Computer Science from Harvard University and BA from Cornell University. Graham co-founded Viaweb in 1995, which developed one of the first web-based application platforms, later acquired by Yahoo and renamed Yahoo! Store. In 2005, he co-founded Y Combinator, the first and most prominent startup accelerator, which has funded over 3,000 companies including Airbnb, Dropbox, and Reddit. As a writer, Graham has published several programming books including "On Lisp", "ANSI Common Lisp", and "Hackers & Painters". His essays on technology, business, and society have become highly influential in startup and programming communities, and he created the programming language Arc as well as the technology news aggregator Hacker News.

Readers consistently praise Graham's clear, direct writing style and ability to challenge conventional thinking. His essays receive particular attention for practical startup advice and programming insights. Many readers note his skill at explaining complex concepts through analogies and examples. Liked: - Raw honesty about startup challenges - Independent thinking that questions status quo - Programming explanations that make difficult concepts accessible - Essays that blend technical and philosophical ideas Disliked: - Some readers find his views elitist or Silicon Valley-centric - Essays sometimes seen as oversimplified or lacking nuance - Writing can come across as dismissive of traditional education/careers Ratings: - Hackers & Painters: 4.1/5 on Goodreads (12,000+ ratings) - ANSI Common Lisp: 4.2/5 on Amazon (80+ reviews) - On Lisp: 4.4/5 on Goodreads (500+ ratings) Common reader comment: "Changes how you think about problems, whether in programming or business" - seen in various forms across platforms

On Lisp (1993) A technical guide covering advanced programming techniques for Common Lisp, focusing on macro techniques and bottom-up programming.

ANSI Common Lisp (1995) A comprehensive introduction to Common Lisp programming, covering the language's core concepts and ANSI standards.

Hackers & Painters (2004) A collection of essays exploring the parallels between creating software and creating art, along with insights about programming, business, and wealth creation.

Programming Bottom-Up (2004) A short technical book discussing the approach of building programs by starting with a language core and gradually extending it.

Peter Thiel - Co-founder of PayPal and Palantir who writes about entrepreneurship, technology, and societal progress. His book Zero to One covers similar themes to Graham's work around startups and innovation.

Eric Raymond - Programmer and open source advocate who wrote influential texts about hacker culture and software development methodology. His essays on programming culture and technical topics parallel Graham's perspectives on coding and hacker mentality.

Joel Spolsky - Software developer and Stack Overflow co-founder who writes about programming, software design, and running tech companies. His blog Joel on Software covers practical development topics and startup management similar to Graham's essays.

Sam Altman - Former Y Combinator president who writes about startups, technology, and artificial intelligence. His writing focuses on practical startup advice and technology trends, building on many concepts Graham developed.

Jessica Livingston - Y Combinator co-founder and author of Founders at Work, which contains interviews with technology startup founders. Her work provides direct insights into startup creation and founder experiences that complement Graham's essays on entrepreneurship.