What I Worked On
Original excerpt
February 2021 Before college the two main things I worked on, outside of school, were writing and programming. I didn't write essays. I wrote what beginning writers were supposed to write then, and probably still are: short stories. My stories were awful. They had hardly any plot, just characters with strong feelings, which I imagined made them deep. The first programs I tried writing were on the IBM 1401 that our school district used for what was then called "data processing." This was in 9th grade, so I was 13 or 14. The school district's 1401 happened to be in the basement of our junior high school, and my friend Rich Draves and I got permission to use it. It was like a mini Bond…
Frequently asked questions
What is "What I Worked On" about?
This article by Paul Graham is part of the Paul Graham reading list on Burn 451, covering startups & essays.
Who wrote "What I Worked On"?
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 "What I Worked On" 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.