Study 06 · Co-founder of Y Combinator
Paul Grahampaulgraham.com
More than 229 essays on a deliberately bare HTML site that has barely changed in decades.
Visit paulgraham.com(opens in a new tab)paulgraham.comNot RURO work
Homepage as captured on 8 October 2026. RURO did not build this site and has no connection with Paul Graham. The site and image belong to their owner.
01 · The concept
The idea in one line.
Permanence is its own kind of luxury.
- Signature
- The essays
- Address
- paulgraham.com
02 · Design
How it looks.
- White #ffffff
- Lavender grey #9999cc
- Layout
- A narrow column of small grey-lavender buttons on the left, a single photograph, and a strip announcing the newest essays.
- Type
- His name in faint, widely spaced capitals as a header image; everything else is plain default text.
- Imagery
- One photograph on the homepage, and nothing decorative anywhere else.
- Colour
- White, black and the lavender of the buttons, with a bright strip for what is new.
03 · Functionality
What it does.
- 01Navigation to Essays, books, Y Combinator, his programming languages, FAQs and a bio
- 02A strip linking straight to the newest essays
- 03A full essay index, newest first, plus an RSS feed
- 04Pages that load almost instantly, on any connection
04 · The luxury, decoded
Why it feels premium.
01
Unchanged on purpose
Not chasing trends signals that the writing will outlast them.
02
Substance over surface
The plainness forces attention onto the essays, which is exactly where he wants it.
03
Recognisable anywhere
The look is so particular that it has become part of his identity.
05 · For your estate
What we would borrow.
- Build for permanence: a structure you will still be happy with in ten years.
- Make your best thinking the easiest thing to find.
- Speed is a courtesy. Respect your visitor’s time.
