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How a Last-Minute YC App Became a Global Payroll Wedge
They applied to YC with 90 minutes on the clock—and got in. Then they pivoted into the most operationally gnarly corner of fintech: global payroll. Avi Konduru (Shor) breaks down how AI agents + stablecoins can vertically rebuild EOR, cut costs by an order of magnitude, and expand the market beyond today’s incumbents.
In this episode, we go deep on YC as an ambition amplifier, pivot mechanics under real pressure, price vs. TAM strategy, and why launch videos (done right) are still YC’s most underrated distribution hack.
You’ll learn:
- How a 90-minute YC application (and one-take demo) still cleared the bar
- The precise wedge: vertically owning entities + automating back office with AI
- Why “someone else’s margin is your opportunity” actually maps to EOR
- Pricing strategy: undercut to expand TAM vs. match to maximize margin
- How YC Launch video distribution compresses customer discovery into days
- The pitfalls: agent reliability, compliance debt, and scaling beyond the batch
Chapters
00:00 The Last-Minute Application Rush
00:42 Welcome to Lobster Talks
01:07 Introducing Shor: Reinventing Global Payroll
02:38 The YC Experience: A Rollercoaster Journey
05:02 The Pivot: From Stablecoin Infra to EOR
10:29 Bootstrapping Challenges and Lessons Learned
18:00 The Unexpected Turn: Applying to YC Again
23:27 Competing with Deel and Rippling
27:07 Understanding Reseller Margins and Fees
27:27 Deel's Automation and Disruption in Entity Management
27:46 Setting Up Entities in High-Traffic Countries
28:49 Challenges and Regulatory Issues in Global Payroll
30:06 AI Agents Revolutionizing EOR Operations
32:33 Pricing Strategy and Market Expansion
40:11 The Power of Launch Videos in YC
44:07 The Role of Influencers in Marketing
48:07 Future Challenges and Customer Acquisition
51:31 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.
🎧 Listen on the go:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP
Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm
My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson
View all episodes
By Gabriel JarrossonThey applied to YC with 90 minutes on the clock—and got in. Then they pivoted into the most operationally gnarly corner of fintech: global payroll. Avi Konduru (Shor) breaks down how AI agents + stablecoins can vertically rebuild EOR, cut costs by an order of magnitude, and expand the market beyond today’s incumbents.
In this episode, we go deep on YC as an ambition amplifier, pivot mechanics under real pressure, price vs. TAM strategy, and why launch videos (done right) are still YC’s most underrated distribution hack.
You’ll learn:
- How a 90-minute YC application (and one-take demo) still cleared the bar
- The precise wedge: vertically owning entities + automating back office with AI
- Why “someone else’s margin is your opportunity” actually maps to EOR
- Pricing strategy: undercut to expand TAM vs. match to maximize margin
- How YC Launch video distribution compresses customer discovery into days
- The pitfalls: agent reliability, compliance debt, and scaling beyond the batch
Chapters
00:00 The Last-Minute Application Rush
00:42 Welcome to Lobster Talks
01:07 Introducing Shor: Reinventing Global Payroll
02:38 The YC Experience: A Rollercoaster Journey
05:02 The Pivot: From Stablecoin Infra to EOR
10:29 Bootstrapping Challenges and Lessons Learned
18:00 The Unexpected Turn: Applying to YC Again
23:27 Competing with Deel and Rippling
27:07 Understanding Reseller Margins and Fees
27:27 Deel's Automation and Disruption in Entity Management
27:46 Setting Up Entities in High-Traffic Countries
28:49 Challenges and Regulatory Issues in Global Payroll
30:06 AI Agents Revolutionizing EOR Operations
32:33 Pricing Strategy and Market Expansion
40:11 The Power of Launch Videos in YC
44:07 The Role of Influencers in Marketing
48:07 Future Challenges and Customer Acquisition
51:31 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.
🎧 Listen on the go:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP
Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm
My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson