Schlep Blindness

BlogApr 19, 2026

Original excerpt

Want to start a startup? Get funded by Y Combinator. January 2012 There are great startup ideas lying around unexploited right under our noses. One reason we don't see them is a phenomenon I call _schlep blindness_. Schlep was originally a Yiddish word but has passed into general use in the US. It means a tedious, unpleasant task. No one likes schleps, but hackers especially dislike them. Most hackers who start startups wish they could do it by just writing some clever software, putting it on a server somewhere, and watching the money roll in—without ever having to talk to users, or negotiate with other companies, or deal with other people's broken code. Maybe that's possible, but I haven't…

Frequently asked questions

What is "Schlep Blindness" about?

This article by Paul Graham is part of the Paul Graham reading list on Burn 451, covering startups & essays.

Who wrote "Schlep Blindness"?

This piece is part of the Paul Graham vault on Burn 451, covering startups & essays. The original author is attributed at the source link.

How can I read more content from Paul Graham?

The complete Paul Graham reading list is available at burn451.cloud/vault/paul-graham. Each article includes an AI-generated summary so you can decide what to read in seconds. Connect the Burn 451 MCP server to Claude or Cursor to query all Paul Graham articles as live AI context.

Can I use "Schlep Blindness" with Claude or Cursor?

Yes. Install the burn-mcp-server npm package and connect it to Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or Cursor. Once connected, your AI can search and reference this article and the full Paul Graham vault in real time — no manual copy-paste required.

30 more articles in this vault.

Import the full Paul Graham vault to Burn 451 and build your own knowledge base.

Content attributed to the original author. Burn 451 curates publicly available writing as a reading index. For removal requests, contact @hawking520.