Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:22 If you were 22 today, what would the five problems that you would think about working on? 💡 00:01:01 - AI 🤖 00:01:50 - Genetics 🧬 00:02:16 - High bandwidth interface to the brain 🧠 00:02:55 Common questions - I want to be the next Elon Musk, how do I do that? 00:03:08 What did you do when you were younger that set you up to have a big impact? 00:05:00 Do you think people that want to be useful today should get PhDs? 🎓 00:05:10 How should someone figure out how they can be most useful? 00:05:49 SpaceX decision 🚀 - Estimating the probability of success of this very crazy idea at the time 00:08:16 Making a decision when everyone tells you this is a crazy idea? Where do you get the internal strength? 💪 00:08:57 - Just feel it and let the importance of it drive you to do it anyway 00:09:43 What are the odds of the Mars colony are at this point? When can we go to Mars? ♂⚓ 00:11:13 What does the positive future for AI looks like and how can we get there? 🤖🔮 00:13:23 - Humans are so slow 😂 00:15:02 How do you think OpenAI is going as a six-month-old company? ⚛️ 00:16:03 How do you spend your days now? What do you allocate most of your time to? 🕒 00:16:30 What do you do when you are at SpaceX or Tesla? 🤔 00:16:56 Elon spends most of his time with engineering team 😲 00:18:18 About Tesla Gigafactory and speed of the production line 🏭
Elon Musk : How to Build the FutureY Combinator2016-09-15 | Elon is the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors. Originally a cofounder of Paypal, Elon Musk founded SpaceX to enable the colonization of Mars.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:22 If you were 22 today, what would the five problems that you would think about working on? 💡 00:01:01 - AI 🤖 00:01:50 - Genetics 🧬 00:02:16 - High bandwidth interface to the brain 🧠 00:02:55 Common questions - I want to be the next Elon Musk, how do I do that? 00:03:08 What did you do when you were younger that set you up to have a big impact? 00:05:00 Do you think people that want to be useful today should get PhDs? 🎓 00:05:10 How should someone figure out how they can be most useful? 00:05:49 SpaceX decision 🚀 - Estimating the probability of success of this very crazy idea at the time 00:08:16 Making a decision when everyone tells you this is a crazy idea? Where do you get the internal strength? 💪 00:08:57 - Just feel it and let the importance of it drive you to do it anyway 00:09:43 What are the odds of the Mars colony are at this point? When can we go to Mars? ♂⚓ 00:11:13 What does the positive future for AI looks like and how can we get there? 🤖🔮 00:13:23 - Humans are so slow 😂 00:15:02 How do you think OpenAI is going as a six-month-old company? ⚛️ 00:16:03 How do you spend your days now? What do you allocate most of your time to? 🕒 00:16:30 What do you do when you are at SpaceX or Tesla? 🤔 00:16:56 Elon spends most of his time with engineering team 😲 00:18:18 About Tesla Gigafactory and speed of the production line 🏭What they forget to mention about overnight success is the years of work it took to get there.Y Combinator2023-07-11 | ...The Tempting Belief Killing StartupsY Combinator2023-06-30 | 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 blindly - otherwise known as Cargo Culting. In this episode Dalton and Michael break down the problem with Cargo Culting and offer advice on the right way to draw inspiration from other successful companies.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Coming Up 00:19 - Cargo Culting 00:35 - What Is It? 01:47 - Classic Variety 02:18 - Google Obsession 04:24 - Facebook Playbook 05:33 - Spend Like Uber 06:41 - Why It Worked? 10:27 - A New Problem 12:11 - A Superficial Facade 13:15 - The Three Levels 13:41 - Focus On The User 14:48 - Copy And PasteIts all about talking to your users.Y Combinator2023-06-29 | ...How do you balance optimism and pessimism while building your company?Y Combinator2023-06-26 | ...Critiquing AI Startup Websites with YC President Garry TanY Combinator2023-06-15 | In the crowded field of AI related startups, it's important to get your website just right. You probably have a lot to say, but not a lot of time to say it. For this episode of Design Review, Group Partner Aaron Epstein invited YC President and CEO Garry Tan to break down what’s working (and what’s not) on the websites of five different AI startups. Watch along as they provide concrete advice that will help you improve your own site designs, regardless of what type of company you’re building.
And if you'd like to have your startup's website reviewed, please submit your info here: https://shorturl.at/wIJS0. We’re especially interested in checking out mobile site designs for an upcoming episode.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 01:01 - Rosebud 05:51 - Magicflow 10:41 - Reality Defender 15:44 - Pump 20:09 - Voiceflow 23:35 - OutroTracy Young on the importance of representation and recognizing unconscious bias.Y Combinator2023-06-14 | ...Making money and making impact arent one and the same.Y Combinator2023-06-14 | ...For founders, its critical to be honest with yourself.Y Combinator2023-06-09 | ...Setting KPIs and Goals | Startup SchoolY Combinator2023-06-08 | YC Visiting 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.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - KPIs and Prioritization for an Early-Stage Startup 04:48 - How to Prioritize Your Time in the Startup 05:29 - Setting the Right KPI Goals for Prioritization 08:33 - Simple Framework to Optimize KPI Goal 10:04 - 5 Things That Should & Should Not End Up on Your Task List 15:55 - Choosing the Right KPIs for your Startup 18:58 - How to Set Targets 22:14 - Setting Targets - Top Down & Bottom Up 26:15 - Exceptions To Revenue KPIs: Hard TechHow To Go From Startup Dream To RealityY Combinator2023-06-07 | 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 to build a community of friends and collaborators who are willing to challenge groupthink. In the first episode of our new series “The Main Function,” YC President and CEO Garry Tan explains how founders must face hard truths in order to take their company from dream to reality.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 00:14 - Encanto Movie 00:53 - Don't Live a Lie 02:06 - The Truman Show Scene 03:10 - Dreamland 03:53 - Reality 05:26 - Surround Yourself With People Who Tell The Truth 06:43 - OutroDont get caught up in the current fads and doing whats cool.Y Combinator2023-06-05 | ...Building a startup shouldnt be a zero sum game.Y Combinator2023-06-01 | ...How Generosity Built Tech GiantsY Combinator2023-05-30 | The core secret to startup success isn't fundraising or growth hacking - it's solving your customer's biggest problems. But most founders are afraid to really understand those problems. What if that fear is holding your startup back? In this video, Group Partners Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel share how companies like Google, Twitch, and Microsoft succeeded by first giving more value than they captured - and how you can too. Learn why your MVP might suck on purpose, how to change your customer outreach, and why you should understand exactly how your customers make money. Because when you solve the right problems, fundraising and scaling become the easy parts.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 00:19 - Business 101 00:46 - Success Stories 01:34 - Minimal Value 02:31 - Fear of Consulting 03:42 - Early vs Late 04:58 - Forget Your Fear 06:01 - Customer Outreach 07:32 - Historical Context 09:51 - TakeawayBeware of startup tarpit ideas.Y Combinator2023-05-30 | ...3 common YC interview mistakesY Combinator2023-05-23 | It's interview season for Y Combinator. Diana shares three common mistakes founders should avoid! Apply to Y Combinator: ycombinator.com/apply Work at a Startup: ycombinator.com/jobsThe Immigrant Journey Behind A Silicon Valley Success StoryY Combinator2023-05-16 | 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 AAPI heritage month, we’re talking about a different kind of origin story. The daughter of Vietnamese refugees, Tracy Young's story will change how you think about what's possible. Despite facing immense hardships, Tracy persevered to build PlanGrid into one of Silicon Valley's biggest success stories. Her raw, honest advice is for anyone trying to overcome obstacles and achieve bold dreams.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Immigrants - We get the job done 00:43 - Coming to America 02:48 - Strangers in a strange land 06:03 - Starting up 11:12 - OutroHow to Apply And Succeed at Y Combinator | Startup SchoolY Combinator2023-05-12 | YC Group Partner Dalton Caldwell shares his strategies for how to think about applying to YC. This talk goes beyond the information on YC's website, and reflects Dalton's latest advice on the topic. (Fun Fact: An earlier version of this talk is frequently mentioned by YC founders as instrumental in their decision to apply to YC and to getting in!)
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 00:17 - Why It's Worth Applying to YC 01:11 - Creating Luck 02:16 - Weird Reasons Not to Apply to YC 02:27 - I Am Too Early 03:36 - Being a YC founder is different than watching YC YouTube videos 04:42 - How to Stop Being Discouraged From Applying to YC 06:21 - Other Reasons Why People Don't Apply to YC 07:16 - Don't Overthink 09:05 - YC's Application Tips 10:37 - YC Application Reviewing: The Basics 15:59 - What Are Your Odds of Getting an Interview at YC? 18:12 - How to Prepare for Your YC Interview 22:22 - What Makes a Successful Interview at YC? 23:38 - Post Interview Feedback 24:38 - OutroDont make the investor your customer.Y Combinator2023-05-10 | ...The secret to better product demosY Combinator2023-05-07 | Your stale product demos may be hurting rather than helping. Pete Koomen shares how storytelling can help your customers connect with your product.Learning is so much easier when you care about your customers.Y Combinator2023-05-01 | ...Secrets You Can Learn From Your CustomersY Combinator2023-04-28 | YC partners Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell discuss how spending real time with your users can unlock insights and growth. Hear the stories of how Airbnb and Brex built billion-dollar companies by forging genuine connections with customers. Learn why having too much money and too many people can actually slow down learning. And discover how to accelerate insight into your product by making your users feel special. Successful startups don’t just build technology – they solve human problems. The key is listening to the people who really matter: your customers.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 00:30 - Having a Plan 01:15 - How to Learn 01:39 - Empathy for Users 03:01 - The Gold Mine 04:29 - You Can't Fake It 05:18 - Brex Pivot 06:47 - The Edge Cases 07:33 - Caring More Than 0 08:18 - It's Complicated 09:17 - Turing It Around 09:55 - Starcraft 10:23 - Asking What They What 12:49 - It's Easy to Not Care 13:20 - Caring = Learning 14:17 - TakeawaysReasons to do YC.Y Combinator2023-04-28 | ...Being accessible is one of the major advantages startups have over big companies.Y Combinator2023-04-26 | ...The Most Money Raised gameY Combinator2023-04-24 | ...Tips For Technical Startup Founders | Startup SchoolY Combinator2023-04-21 | 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 how to ship an MVP fast, how to deal with technology choices and technical debt, and how and when to hire an engineering team.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 00:09 - How to Build and Perpetuate as a Technical Founder 01:56 - What Does a Technical Founder Do? 04:38 - How To Build 08:30 - Build an MVP: The Startup Process 11:29 - Principles for Building Your MVP 15:04 - Choose the Tech Stack That Makes Sense for Your Startup 19:43 - What Happens In The Launch Stage? 22:43 - When You Launch: The Right Way to Build Tech 25:36 - How the role evolved from ideating to hiring 26:51 - Summary 27:59 - OutroLearn to truly care about your customers.Y Combinator2023-04-21 | ...Change the way you think about launching.Y Combinator2023-04-19 | ...Your outreach emails should probably pass this test before you hit send.Y Combinator2023-04-17 | ...The Students Guide To Becoming A Successful Startup FounderY Combinator2023-04-14 | 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, sit down to share the hard-won advice they wish they had known back in high school. Whether you're already running your own startup or just have an idea you can't stop thinking about, Caldwell and Seibel will discuss the skills you need to learn now and how to set yourself up for success after graduating school. Their stories will give you a glimpse of what's truly possible at the intersection of ambition and opportunity in in today's world. This is a masterclass in entrepreneurship for the next generation.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme) - 00:00 - Intro 01:12 - Delayed Gratification 02:23 - Learn to Code 04:17 - Learn Design 04:52 - Launch Products 06:49 - Make Friends 08:04 - School Sandbox 09:13 - Learn To Care 11:20 - Credential Game 13:35 - Fads That Stick 15:42 - Be Excited 17:50 - Be Honest 20:08 - Love The Long Games 23:46 - Live Your DreamCare about your customers. It’s your startup’s superpower.Y Combinator2023-04-13 | ...Doing these things might feel good, but they won’t derisk your startup.Y Combinator2023-04-11 | ...How do you prioritize your tasks?Y Combinator2023-04-06 | ...Inside The Most Powerful Startup Community In The WorldY Combinator2023-04-04 | 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. Why YC? ycombinator.com/why Apply to Y Combinator: ycombinator.com/apply Work at a Startup: ycombinator.com/jobs
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 00:57 - What's It Like to Be at YC? 01:09 - Chapter 1 - Speeding Up 02:08 - Product Market Fit 02:44 - Chapter 2 - Exclusive Community Knowledge 04:31 - Chapter 3 - The CapitalInvestors don’t validate your startup — users do.Y Combinator2023-04-03 | ...What are some things you’ve had to unlearn?Y Combinator2023-03-30 | ...How Startup Fundraising Works | Startup SchoolY Combinator2023-03-29 | 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 fundraising. In this talk, he shares stories and advice on how modern startup fundraising works.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 00:27 - Fundraising resources 02:13 - 7 fundraising myths 04:06 - Raising money is glamorous 06:51 - The need to raise money before starting a startup 10:10 - My startup need to be impressive to raise money 13:56 - Raising money is complicated, slow, and expensive. 18:04 - I am going to lose control of my company 21:58 - I need a fancy network to raise money 23:43 - If investors reject my startup its a bad startup 26:35 - Wrap up - This isn't for youHow do you structure your schedule to be most productive?Y Combinator2023-03-27 | ...Hedging your bets while starting a startup?Y Combinator2023-03-22 | ...Launch quickly, and iterate.Y Combinator2023-03-16 | ...How to Build An MVP | Startup SchoolY Combinator2023-03-15 | Y Combinator 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 testing, and present your MVP to early customers or investors.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - How to Build an Minimum Viable Product (MVP)? 01:50 - Pre-launch Startup Goals 04:26 - Founders Biggest Fear 07:17 - Examples - Software MVP 07:48 - Airbnb 08:36 - Twitch 09:15 - Stripe 10:36 - Solving Hair On Fire Problem 14:12 - Build an MVP Quickly 15:51 - OutroIs your startup default alive, or default dead?Y Combinator2023-03-09 | ...YC Fireside: Surbhi Sarna + Adam Elsesser - CEO of PenumbraY Combinator2023-03-06 | Few founders have managed to stay the CEO of their company, especially when it is publicly traded at a market cap of $10B. Adam tends to shy away from the spotlight, so we’re happy that he’s joining us to talk about how he got the company going, what drove him to stay in the CEO seat, and how to maintain a startup-like culture even when you have thousands of employees.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 04:33 - Exploring the Uncertainty of Starting a Business 13:34 - Investment and Funding experience 15:12 - Without VC funds - Did it held you back? 17:59 - Did you Think of Taking the Company Public 21:41 - The Culture of Penumbra 29:35 - Family vs Sports Team 31:45 - Have You Had to Fire Someone? 35:48 - Apple's Fight for Women in Engineering 40:21 - Ringing the Bell Moment 44:16 - Q&A - How to Train Yourself to Love Uncertainty 46:19 - How Did You Get Through the Regulatory Clearances and Capital Needed 50:37 - Building Sales Teams 52:21 - Describing the Traits of a Leader 54:55 - Parting AdviceYC Fireside: Surbhi Sarna + Reshma Shetty and Jason Kelly - Founders of Ginkgo BioworksY Combinator2023-03-03 | Reshma and Jason went through YC in the Summer of 2014 with Ginkgo Bioworks. Since then, they’ve become luminaries in the field of synthetic biology, and in 2021, they became the first YC bio company to take their company public. Reshma and Jason still run the company today. Join us to hear more about their founder journey and where Ginkgo Bioworks is headed.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 00:26 - Ginkgo Labs 02:08 - Bootstrapping to Success 03:30 - Finding Co-Founder 05:25 - Tips to Pull People Out of Academia 09:12 - Founder-Led - Biotech vs Tech 13:15 - Why Did you Join YC? 17:53 - What Changed At Scale 22:10 - Building Culture 24:17 - Customers 29:29 - Going Public 31:54 - What is Synthetic Biology? 37:24 - Parting Advice 39:14 - Q&A - Let's Talk Dragons 39:55 - Long Term Goal 41:24 - Women Founder in Bio? 43:30 - Boston vs Silicon Valley? 45:14 - AI and ML in Synthetic Bio 48:01 - Science vs Venture Capital 51:21 - Current Partnerships 52:46 - OutroHow To Earn Customers For LifeY Combinator2023-03-03 | 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 with users. In contrast, they discuss the traps early-stage founders make by trying to emulate big tech. If you want to build a business that customers love and that thrives in the long run, this advice on why caring deeply about your customers is key.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 00:42 - Flailing 01:43 - Horrible Emails 02:33 - Customers as an End 03:06 - Liking Your Users 05:09 - The Takeaway 06:19 - Being Accessible 09:01 - Your Superpower 10:03 - Learning to Care 12:01 - ConclusionYC Fireside: Surbhi Sarna and Tracy Young - Founder of TigerEye and PlanGridY Combinator2023-03-02 | Tracy first went through YC in Winter 2012 with her company PlanGrid, a construction software company that was sold to Autodesk for $875M. She joined YC as a Visiting Partner before launching her second company TigerEye. Tracy and Surbhi will talk about some of the themes that come up in Without a Doubt – from overcoming imposter syndrome, to building a team and company culture, and how to redefine “work-life balance”.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 03:01 - What's It Feels to Be a Female Founder 06:53 - Male vs Female Leader Reaction to a Situation 10:56 - How to Stop Being a Woman 12:41 - High and Lows 15:01 - Cultural values 19:22 - Underlying emotion - Feeling fear 22:30 - Starting a Family 26:03 - Being a Founder While Breastfeeding 29:48 - Discussing Personal Matters with Investors 31:41 - What Are You Doing Different For Your Next Company? 34:44 - Q&A - Manage Time With Kids 37:07 - Fundraising Advice 40:16 - Start a Company With Partner 42:45 - What Do I Look For In Female Execs? 45:50 - Books 47:19 - Last ThoughtsThe REAL potential of generative AIY Combinator2023-02-28 | 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 the future may hold. They discuss how large language models like Open AI's GPT-3 work, why fine-tuning is important for customizing models to specific use cases, and the challenges involved with building apps using these models. If you're curious about the ethical implications of AI, Raza shares his predictions about the impact of this quickly developing technology on the industry and the world at large.
Thanks to Raza and Humanloop for joining: humanloop.com
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 01:30 - Large Language Models (LLM) 04:32 - What is fine-tuning a model? 07:38 - Build Apps using LLM 09:46 - Future of the Developer Job 11:32 - Breakthroughs 15:17 - OpenAI Mission 17:30 - LLM for Startups 18:51 - Hiring at HumanLoopThe Hard Conversations Founders Dont Want to HaveY Combinator2023-02-23 | In this video, Y Combinator 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, Seibel and Caldwell argue that this transparency is essential for founders to grow and ultimately, these experiences help founders have their own hard conversations that they've been avoiding with the people around them.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 00:39 - Definition 02:35 - Being likable 03:52 - Validating decisions 06:54 - Fundraising 08:31 - Deep dives 11:37 - Co-founders 15:42 - Employees 18:37 - Nobody's perfect 19:50 - OutroHiring a FAANG engineer won’t miraculously save your startupY Combinator2023-02-16 | ...Real vs. Fake progressY Combinator2023-02-14 | ...The Best Way To Launch Your Startup | Startup SchoolY Combinator2023-02-09 | Kat Mañalac is the head of YC's Outreach team and advises early stage founders on their launches during the YC batch. She shares the multitude of ways to launch a product and how to get attention for them. Her talk provides tangible strategies and examples of startup launches and will change the way you think about launching.
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Launching Your Startup 01:28 - When Should I Launch My Startup? 03:42 - One Sentence Pitch 05:19 - How to Create a Short Memorable Description 09:17 - When is the X for Y Construction Not Too Cliche? 12:05 - Types of Launches 20:43 - Summary