PG clocks a founder's brain buffering, and it's oddly impressive
Paul Graham says he sat across from a founder who, mid conversation, just... stopped talking. No stammering, no filler words, just pure silent thinking before answering a question. Graham estimates the pause hit a full minute and fifteen seconds (he didn't start his mental stopwatch until 30 seconds in, so it could've been longer). His verdict: one of the smartest founders he's ever met. Turns out awkward silence might be a founder superpower, not a red flag.
Somewhere a VC is now coaching founders to pause dramatically before saying literally anything.