Founders at Work

Thirty-odd interviews with founders — Wozniak, Kapor, Hurst, Blake Ross, Craig Newmark and others — about the first year specifically, conducted by one of Y Combinator’s founders.

Why it’s on the list: Named in the replies to @WillManidis asking for the single best book that explains an entire industry — a crowd-sourced list Kyle recovered by hand and saved. The industry being explained is start-ups themselves.

Where I saw it: In the replies to @WillManidis asking “what is the single best book you can read that will explain an entire industry?” (June 2, 2025). Kyle recovered the reply list by hand and saved it to his “Books To Read” Apple Note; the full transcribed list lives on what is the single best book… (tweet).

Connections

• what is the single best book… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
• Y Combinator — Livingston is a co-founder; the book is effectively YC’s founding source material.
• Startups — the industry the book explains.
• Company Building — the portfolio idea this sits closest to.