The Library of Minds Gamma's Grant Lee: “The Worst Idea Ever” to a $2B Startup
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Feb 19, 2026 
Grant Lee, co-founder and CEO of Gamma, built an AI-powered presentation startup from prototype to breakout success. He recounts investor skepticism turned conviction. He digs into why the first 30 seconds of onboarding matter, how micro-influencers drove authentic growth, and why hiring slowly and tight rituals preserved focus and resilience.
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Choose Projects That Give You Energy
- Energy is a stronger signal than early metrics for deciding what to work on.
- Sustained excitement revealed which product had unlimited feature ideas and long-term potential.
Investor Called It The Worst Idea
- An investor told Grant Lee, "this has got to be the worst idea I've ever heard," then dropped the Zoom call.
- That rejection became a reality check that hardened their conviction and fundraising resolve.
Validate With Usage, Not Praise
- Test product-market fit through real usage, not just compliments from friends.
- Launch publicly (e.g., Product Hunt) and measure repeat usage and organic signups to validate demand.