Do Things That Don't Scale — A directory of startups that did things that don't scale

Hello, PH community! 👋 I'm excited to introduce https://dothingsthatdontscale.org - a directory of startups that did things that don't scale. As a startup enthusiast, I've always been fascinated by the scrappy, unconventional tactics founders use to get their businesses off the ground. I found myself collecting these stories, and before I knew it, I had a goldmine of inspiration. So, I thought: why not share this with the world? Here's what you'll find: - 100+ examples of founders getting their hands dirty - Stories from YC-backed companies, unicorns, and more - Searchable by industry & tactic - New stories added weekly Some of my favorite examples: - Airbnb founders photographing listings themselves - Stripe doing on-site installations - DoorDash founders delivering food - Zappos buying shoes from retail stores to fulfill orders The site is still in its early stages, and I'm constantly working to improve it. Coming soon: - More detailed case studies - Improved search and filtering - User-submitted stories - Integration with other startup resources I built this in just a couple of days, inspired by the very principle it celebrates - doing things that don't scale! I'd love to hear your feedback: - What other features would you like to see? - Are there any amazing startup stories I've missed? - How could this resource be even more useful for founders? Check it out and let me know what you think. And if you have a scrappy startup story of your own, I'd love to add it to the collection! Happy hunting! Your sleep-deprived creator, Rajat

Just checked it out and I gotta say, it's a pretty cool idea! Love the stories from big startups like Airbnb and Stripe. I can see this being super useful for early-stage founders. Congrats on putting this together!

This is super valuable! Learning from actual practices is how we actually learn things. We should have more of this. Thank you!

I hope more makers know about this, because this will help them a lot

I’d love to see more real-life case studies from founders who successfully implemented this strtegy. It could add even more value to the book!

😂 I never thought I'd say this, but it seems like manually fulfilling orders and hand-delivering champagne might actually be the secret to startup success!