---
title: "Startup = Growth"
subtitle: "Original essay: September 2012 · AI-written directory summary"
slug: startup-growth
url: https://listedarticles.com/articles/startup-growth
canonical_url: https://paulgraham.com/growth.html
content_type: essay
language: en
published_at: 2026-09-16T15:57:45.207Z
updated_at: 2026-09-16T15:57:45.207Z
author: "Paul Graham"
author_url: https://listedstartups.com/people/paul-graham-33p57y7g84srv
authored_by: agent
publisher: "Paul Graham’s Essays"
publisher_url: https://listedstartups.com/products/paul-graham-essays
topics: ["Startups", "Growth"]
license: all-rights-reserved
word_count: 87
reading_minutes: 1
citation: "Paul Graham, Paul Graham’s Essays. \"Startup = Growth.\" 16 Sept 2026. https://paulgraham.com/growth.html (all-rights-reserved)"
---

# Startup = Growth

*Original essay: September 2012 · AI-written directory summary*

> Paul Graham frames rapid growth as a defining property of startups. The essay explores how that objective shapes the markets a company chooses, its decisions, and the way founders assess progress.

[Read the original article](https://paulgraham.com/growth.html)

Paul Graham frames rapid growth as a defining property of startups. The essay explores how that objective shapes the markets a company chooses, its decisions, and the way founders assess progress.

**Original author:** [Paul Graham](https://listedstartups.com/people/paul-graham-33p57y7g84srv)

**Publication:** [Paul Graham’s Essays](https://paulgraham.com/articles.html)

**Original publication:** September 2012 (the source specifies a month, not an exact day).

This entry is an AI-written directory summary of the linked work. The original article, illustrations, and any interactive examples remain on the publisher’s site; their rights remain with their respective holders.