Y Combinator

Y Combinator episodes:

• 04.22.2024

  When Should You Trust Your Gut? | Dalton & Michael Podcast

  When you’re making important decisions as a founder — like what to build or how it should work — should you spend lots of time gathering input from others or just trust your gut? In this episode of Dalton & Michael,...

  
• 04.17.2024

  Inside The Hard Tech Startups Turning Sci-Fi Into Reality | Lightcone Podcast

  YC has become a surprising force in the hard tech world, funding startups building physical products from satellites to rockets to electric planes. In this episode of Lightcone, we go behind the scenes to explore how YC advises founders on...

  
• 03.28.2024

  Building AI Models Faster And Cheaper Than You Think | Lightcone Podcast

  If you read articles about companies like OpenAI and Anthropic training foundation models, it would be natural to assume that if you don’t have a billion dollars or the resources of a large company, you can’t train your own foundational...

  
• 03.20.2024

  Building Confidence In Yourself and Your Ideas | Dalton & Michael Podcast

  One trait that many great founders share is conviction. In this episode of Dalton & Michael, we’ll talk about finding confidence in what you're building, the dangers of inaccurate assumptions, and a question founders need to ask themselves before they...

  
• 03.18.2024

  Where Is The REAL Cerebral Valley? | Lightcone Podcast

  In this episode of the Lightcone Podcast, YC Group Partners chart the evolution of San Francisco as the center of the startup world and how AI has brought everyone back to the city. They also talk about why YC chose...

  
• 03.15.2024

  Stop Innovating (On The Wrong Things) | Dalton & Michael Podcast

  Startups need to innovate to succeed. But not all innovation is made equal and reinventing some common best practices could actually hinder your company. In this episode, Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the common innovation pitfalls founders should avoid...

  
• 02.28.2024

  Apple Vision Pro: Startup Platform Of The Future? | Lightcone Podcast

  In this episode of the Lightcone Podcast, YC Group Partners discuss the launch of the Apple Vision Pro and the potential of this new platform for new startups. This is a deep dive into the technical innovations Apple has made...

  
• 02.13.2024

  Should Your Startup Bootstrap or Raise Venture Capital? | Dalton & Michael Podcast

  Within the world of startups, you'll find lots of discourse online about the experiences of founders bootstrapping their startups versus the founders who have raised venture capital to fund their companies. Is one better than the other? Truth is, it...

  
• 02.09.2024

  The Truth About Building AI Startups Today | Lightcone Podcast

  In the first episode of the Lightcone Podcast, YC Group Partners dig into everything they have learned working with the top founders building AI startups today. They share the ideas that are working particularly well, mistakes to avoid, and take...

  
• 01.15.2024

  How To Build A Tech Startup With No Technical Skills | Dalton & Michael Podcast

  Based on the thousands of companies YC has funded over the years, the biggest common element between all successful startups is having technical talent on the founding team. But what do you do if you don't know how to code?...

  
• 01.08.2024

  Key Startup Metrics with Tom Blomfield | Startup School

  In this episode of Startup School, YC Group Partner Tom Blomfield discusses one of the most important elements of running any startup: metrics! Tom shares what key metrics to track and how to use them to make the best decisions...

  
• 01.01.2024

  Should You Be Optimistic About The Future of Technology? | Dalton & Michael Podcast

  Social media often promotes a doom and gloom outlook about our future society. But is that worldview accurate? In this episode, Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the best ways for founders and aspiring founders to think about weighing optimism...

  
• 12.28.2023

  AI and the Future of Law: The 10 Year "Overnight" Success Story | Main Function

  Casetext started out in 2013 as a crowdsourced law library — a sort of “Wikipedia meets Reddit” for the law. Ten years later, Casetext is one of the biggest wins to date in AI, capable of turning weeks of arduous...

  
• 12.21.2023

  How To NOT Get Screwed As A Software Engineer | Dalton & Michael Podcast

  The stories are true: technical founders (and early technical employees!) often end up with the short end of the stick when starting a company. In this episode of Dalton & Michael, we’ll discuss the questions and best practices that an aspiring...

  
• 11.06.2023

  Should You Quit Your Job At A Unicorn? | Dalton & Michael Podcast

  If you’re an employee of a late stage company right now, how would you know when it’s time to move on vs. time to double down? The fact is there isn't an easy answer — it can really vary from person...

  
• 11.01.2023

  Group Partners Share Their Top Productivity Advice | Office Hours

  There's only so many hours in a day and running a startup will require most of them. So how do you use that time wisely and be more productive? In this episode of Office Hours, the Group Partners at Y...

  
• 10.09.2023

  How Surbhi Sarna built a $275 million biotech company from nothing

  In our new documentary series Backstory, we’re profiling the extraordinary Group Partners at the heart of YC. We’re kicking it off with Surbhi Sarna, YC’s first healthcare and biotech-focused Group Partner. In 2018 Surbhi Sarna sold her company nVision for...

  
• 09.01.2023

  Office Hours: Group Partners Share Their Investor Horror Stories

  For this latest episode of Office Hours, the Group Partners are sharing stories from their worst investor meetings. We’ll outline some of the weird plays we’ve seen investors try to pull — but we’ll also confess times that we, as...

  
• 08.29.2023

  Does Your Startup Need To Be In San Francisco?

  Should you and your startup live in San Francisco? Y Combinator Partners, Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell, debate their different opinions on whether startups are more likely to succeed in the Golden City or elsewhere. Where do they find common...

  
• 08.25.2023

  Office Hours: Group Partners Reveal Their Favorite Pivot Stories

  You might think that pivoting is something done only by the startups that don’t make it. In reality, a huge number of the best startups pivoted. In this first episode of our new series, Office Hours, Y Combinator Group Partners...

  
• 07.24.2023

  Will OpenAI Kill All Startups?

  How will the rise of AI impact startups and entrepreneurs? Join Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell for a discussion on the opportunities and challenges AI brings for founders. Apply to Y Combinator: https://yc.link/DandM-apply Work at a Startup: https://yc.link/DandM-jobs

  
• 07.13.2023

  Silicon Valley's Cargo Culting Problem

  When it comes to building a startup you’re never doing it entirely from scratch. Inspiration and ideas can come from a variety of places, including other successful startups. But there’s a thin line between borrowing smart ideas and copying them...

  
• 07.05.2023

  Setting KPIs and Goals with Divya Bhat | Startup School

  YC Visiting Group Partner Divya Bhat talks about how to set your KPIs (key metrics) and how to prioritize your time. This talk helps founders launch faster and set goals in order to make real progress. Apply to Y Combinator: https://yc.link/SUS-apply Work...

  
• 06.15.2023

  How To Go From Startup Dream To Reality

  It can be very easy for founders to fall into a trap of denial in the early stages of a startup’s life. But in order for your company to really take off, it’s critical to be honest with yourself and...

  
• 06.09.2023

  The Immigrant Journey Behind A Silicon Valley Success Story

  Today Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan sits down with one of the best founders of a generation, Tracy Young. She cofounded Plangrid which sold to Autodesk for $875M, and is back with her new startup called Tigereye. But since it’s...

  
• 06.08.2023

  Tips For Technical Startup Founders | Startup School

  YC Group Partner Diana Hu was the CTO of her YC startup Escher Reality, which was acquired by Niantic (makers of Pokemon Go). She shares her advice for being a technical founder at the earliest stages - including topics like...

  
• 06.05.2023

  Secrets You Can Learn From Your Customers

  Successful startups don’t just build technology – they solve human problems. The key is listening to the people who really matter: your customers. In this episode, Michael and Dalton discuss how spending real time with your users can unlock insights and...

  
• 04.25.2023

  The Student's Guide To Becoming A Successful Startup Founder

  If you're a high school or college student with big dreams of starting your own company, this video is for you. Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel, two startup founders who started in the early 20s and are now top investors,...

  
• 04.21.2023

  Inside The Most Powerful Startup Community In The World

  Y Combinator is well-known for producing companies like Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase and more. But what's the real story behind the success of YC and the companies they fund? This is everything you need to know about the program. Apply to Y...

  
• 04.18.2023

  How Startup Fundraising Works with Brad Flora | Startup School

  YC Group Partner Brad Flora has seen startup fundraising from every angle: as a founder, as one of the most prolific angel investors in Silicon Valley, and now as a YC Group Partner. Brad has coached hundreds of companies on...

  
• 04.14.2023

  How to Build An MVP with Michael Seibel | Startup School

  YC Group Partner, Michael Seibel, explains how to build a minimum viable product (MVP) for your startup idea. Using examples from real YC companies, Michael walks through how to determine your MVP feature set, build prototypes and demos for user...

  
• 03.14.2023

  How To Earn Customers For Life

  In this first in-person episode, Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell reveal how startups can gain a competitive advantage by doing something deceptively simple. They share compelling stories of companies that built loyal relationships and achieved success by making personal connections...

  
• 03.06.2023

  The REAL Potential of Generative AI

  What is a large language model? How can it be used to enhance your business? In this conversation, Ali Rowghani, Managing Director of YC Continuity, talks with Raza Habib, CEO of Humanloop, about the cutting-edge AI powering innovations today—and what...

  
• 03.01.2023

  The Hard Conversations Founders Don't Want to Have

  Y Combinator group partners Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell discuss the importance of having honest and difficult conversations with startup founders. While having hard conversations can be uncomfortable, Michael and Dalton argue that this transparency is essential for founders to...

  
• 02.24.2023

  The Best Way To Launch Your Startup with Kat Mañalac | Startup School

  YC's Kat Mañalac wants to change the way you think about launching. In her talk, she shares the multitude of ways to launch and get attention for your product, with tangible strategies and examples from companies like Airbnb. Apply to Y...

  
• 02.17.2023

  Advantages Of A First-Time Founder

  Step inside the Group Partner Lounge to hear Y Combinator Group Partners Harj Taggar, Michael Seibel and Brad Flora discuss the advantages of being a first-time founder and the instances when it pays to have experience founding a startup in...

  
• 02.10.2023

  The Cult of Conformity in Silicon Valley

  What happens when the unconventional becomes conventional? Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell discuss how the startup world has changed from being dominated by outsiders and nonconformists to now attracting more mainstream conformists looking for status and money. They share stories...

  
• 01.26.2023

  Don't Make These Hiring Mistakes

  Step inside the Group Partner Lounge to hear Y Combinator Group Partners Harj Taggar, Michael Seibel and Brad Flora discuss the many different mistakes founders make when they approach hiring for their startup and how to grow your team the...

  
• 01.24.2023

  Keys To Successful Co-Founder Relationships with Cat Li & Divya Bhat | Startup School

  How do you find a co-founder and build a great partnership? YC's Catheryn Li (who also built our Co-Founder Matching tool) and Visiting Partner Divya Bhat cover the importance of having co-founders, how to get & vet one, and the...

  
• 01.18.2023

  How To Compete With Amazon and Google

  Step inside the Group Partner Lounge to hear Y Combinator Group Partners Harj Taggar, Michael Seibel and Brad Flora discuss the traps founders often fall into when looking at the competition. They identify the particular types of companies you should...

  
• 01.16.2023

  The Secrets To Setting Smarter Goals

  If you're looking to maximize your startup's potential, start by setting the right goals. Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell provide tips and strategies for setting goals that will help keep you and your new business focused on success—plus provide examples...

  
• 01.12.2023

  Investors Said No, Now What?

  Step inside the Group Partner Lounge to hear Y Combinator Group Partners Harj Taggar, Michael Seibel and Brad Flora discuss how you should handle rejection from investors and why you should "believe the no, not the why."   Apply to Y...

  
• 01.11.2023

  When to Launch Your Startup and When to Wait

  Step inside the group partners' lounge to hear Y Combinator Partners Harj Taggar, Michael Seibel and Brad Flora discuss how startups should approach launching and the exceptions to the rules.   Apply to Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/

  
• 01.03.2023

  How to Get Your First Customers with Gustaf Alströmer | Startup School

  How do you get your first customers? YC Group Partner & former Head of Growth at Airbnb, Gustaf Alströmer, gives tactical advice to answer this question for all kinds of companies — whether you're B2B or B2C — and discusses why...

  
• 12.27.2022

  Startup Business Models and Pricing with Aaron Epstein | Startup School

  One of the most common topics that founders ask us about is pricing and monetization.  In this talk, YC Group Partner Aaron Epstein outlines 9 different business models, and highlights lessons from top YC companies on how to best monetize...

  
• 12.20.2022

  How to Talk to Users with Gustaf Alströmer | Startup School

  YC often says "talk to your users", but actually doing that is surprisingly tricky. YC Group Partner Gustaf Alströmer gives non-obvious advice on how to talk to both current and potential users, how to run a great user interview, and...

  
• 12.15.2022

  How to Get and Evaluate Startup Ideas with Jared Friedman | Startup School

  YC's Jared Friedman shares a framework for how to get and evaluate startup ideas. He delves into examples of YC companies and the inside stories of how they came up with the ideas that turned into billion-dollar companies. Even if...

  
• 12.13.2022

  Should You Start a Startup? with Harj Taggar | Startup School

  In this episode of Startup School, YC Group Partner Harj Taggar shares his advice on the types of people best suited to be startup founders and how to prepare to start a company in the future. Apply to Y Combinator: ⁠⁠https://yc.link/SUS-apply⁠⁠ Work...

  
• 12.01.2022

  Avoid These Tempting Startup Ideas

  Thinking of a new startup idea? Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the types of ideas to stay away from—what we commonly refer to as "tarpit ideas."    Apply to Y Combinator: https://yc.link/DandM-apply Work at a Startup: https://yc.link/DandM-jobs

  
• 11.29.2022

  The Truth About Y Combinator

  With the YC S22 batch coming to a close, Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel reflect on the recent batch and their experience fundraising. The two group partners also clear up some misconceptions about Y Combinator based on feedback from founders. Apply...