Data as of Aug 25, 2026 · Based on 295 AI responses from ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode · See how Parse measures this
Brands AI recommends here
Named in 81% of answers
Named in 35% of answers
Named in 25% of answers
Named in 22% of answers
Source | Citation share |
|---|---|
 YC Interview Guide | Y Combinatorhttps://www.ycombinator.com/interviews | 13.2% |
The Application Video | Y Combinatorhttps://www.ycombinator.com/video | 4.5% |
 Tutorial: How to Film your Y Combinator Application Video | Startup Grindhttps://www.startupgrind.com/blog/y-combinator-application-video-tutorial/ | 4.4% |
 31 Y Combinator Application Tips to Successfully Snag a YC Spothttps://arc.dev/employer-blog/y-combinator-application-tips/ | 4.1% |
 YC Application and Interview Tips & Advice | Pilot Bloghttps://pilot.com/blog/yc-application-interview-tips | 3.9% |
How to Apply to Y Combinator | Y Combinatorhttps://www.ycombinator.com/howtoapply.html | 3.5% |
 Tips for successful YC application : r/ycombinatorhttps://www.reddit.com/r/ycombinator/comments/1eqly8j/tips_for_successful_yc_application/ | 2.8% |
 How to Nail Y Combinator's Written Application | How to get ...https://www.youtube.com/watch | 2.7% |
How to Ace Your YC Interview | Pilot Bloghttps://pilot.com/blog/tips-y-combinator-interview | 2.5% |
 How to Apply and Succeed at Y Combinator | Guide | Hacklabhttps://hacklab.so/learn/guides/how-to-apply-and-succeed-at-y-co-6nz | 1.9% |
Applying to Y Combinator (YC) starts with submitting an online application via the official Y Combinator Apply Page . The process evaluates your team, your idea, what you have built, and your market…
Applying to Y Combinator (YC) starts with submitting an online application via the official Y Combinator Apply Page . The process evaluates your team, your idea, what you have built, and your market potential.
The Written Application Tips
The Application Video Tips
The Interview Tips
If you'd like, tell me:
I can help you refine your one-liner and application phrasing to be as clear and punchy as possible.
Absolutely. The most important thing to understand about Y Combinator is that **the application is not a business-plan competition**. YC is trying to figure out, very quickly, whether you are an unusually capable founder/team pursuing something that could become very large. As of **August 26, 2026**, YC is accepting…
Absolutely. The most important thing to understand about Y Combinator is that the application is not a business-plan competition. YC is trying to figure out, very quickly, whether you are an unusually capable founder/team pursuing something that could become very large.
As of August 26, 2026, YC is accepting late applications for the Fall 2026 batch, although the regular deadline has passed. YC says late applications are still considered, and you can also apply for future batches.
The process is straightforward:
Don't wait until you feel "ready." YC explicitly says that around 40% of companies it funds are just an idea and that most have no revenue.
Think about the application as answering four questions:
Your first sentence should make the company immediately understandable.
Bad:
"We're revolutionizing the future of human-AI collaboration." Better:
"We're building software that automatically reconciles invoices for small businesses." Best:
"We automatically reconcile a company's bank transactions against its invoices, so accountants don't have to do it manually." YC's own guidance strongly emphasizes matter-of-fact, specific language rather than marketing language.
This is extremely important.
YC says the founders matter more than the idea because startups frequently change direction. They specifically look for evidence of exceptional ability and concrete accomplishments.
Don't say:
"John is an incredibly hard worker and talented engineer." Say:
"John built X from scratch and got 50,000 users." Or:
"Sarah was the first engineer at X and built the entire payments infrastructure." Specific evidence beats adjectives.
This is where strong applications often separate themselves.
Suppose you say:
"We sell AI software to dentists." That's not particularly interesting.
But:
"We interviewed 47 dentists and discovered that the biggest problem isn't generating patient notes—it is getting those notes into the practice-management system. Three practices are now paying us specifically for automated integration." Now I have evidence that you've actually been in the trenches.
YC likes unusual, concrete insights that demonstrate you've learned something most outsiders don't know.
Traction is useful, but velocity can be even more compelling.
For example:
January: idea February: prototype March: 10 users April: 50 users May: $3k MRR June: 200 users / $12k MRR That tells a much more compelling story than:
"We have strong early traction."
The video is surprisingly important. YC's own application guidance says applicants who submit a video are statistically more likely to receive interviews.
And the good news is that you do not need a fancy video.
YC has explicitly said that founders can splice together a video if they're not physically together.
Keep it short, direct and human.
Have the founders introduce themselves and explain:
Something like:
"Hi, I'm Alex, and this is Jamie. We're building X. Before this, I did Y and Jamie did Z. We started working on X because ____. We've launched and now have 300 customers, growing 20% week over week. We're particularly excited because we've discovered ____. Thanks." That's enough.
Don't make it a commercial.
No dramatic music, cinematic shots, animated logos, stock footage, or "changing the world" montage.
Don't read a script robotically.
You want YC to feel like they're meeting the founders.
Don't spend 60 seconds introducing yourselves and then rush the company.
The viewer should understand what you're building almost immediately.
Don't overproduce it.
YC wants signal, not production value.
Don't memorize a complicated speech.
Practice until you can explain the company naturally.
The underlying YC philosophy is essentially: make it incredibly easy for the reviewer to understand why you're interesting.
This is where people often prepare incorrectly.
Do not prepare a 10-minute pitch.
YC's own interview advice says to have a conversation rather than deliver a prewritten pitch. They also explicitly recommend plain language and warn against buzzwords.
The interview may feel more like rapid-fire questioning:
What does your company do? Who uses it? How many users? How much revenue? How did you get them? Why don't they use X? Who are your competitors? Why can't Google/OpenAI/etc. do this? Why now? What did you learn from your users? What happens if you can't raise money? How big could this be? What are you going to do next? And potentially:
Why are you the right founders? You should be able to answer these without thinking for 30 seconds.
I'd make a document containing roughly 30–50 questions about your company and have the founders interrogate each other.
The important part is not memorizing answers.
It's developing extremely high-resolution knowledge of your business.
For example, if you say:
"We have 1,000 users." You should immediately know:
If YC asks a question and you don't know, don't bullshit.
Say:
"I don't know that yet." Then explain what you do know.
That is much better than inventing an answer.
YC explicitly says they value learning and interesting details, including details that might seem obscure to someone outside your field.
You should have a very crisp answer to:
Why does this company make sense today but not five years ago?
For AI startups, for example, maybe:
"The underlying models only became good enough to reliably extract this information in the last 18 months." For fintech:
"The regulatory change in 2025 made this workflow possible." For a marketplace:
"There are now enough suppliers in this particular niche to make the marketplace liquid." Don't force a "why now" if there isn't one. But if there is a genuine structural change, make it obvious.
Don't say:
"We don't really have competitors." That almost always sounds bad.
You should know:
A great answer isn't:
"We're better designed." YC specifically calls out "well-designed and easy to use" as generally not an insight by itself.
Instead:
"Competitor X requires customers to manually configure 12 integrations. We discovered that 80% of our target customers use the same three systems, so we built those integrations first and can onboard them in 15 minutes." Now there's an actual insight.
If you're applying as a team, YC will care about whether the team actually works.
Be prepared for questions like:
How did you meet? Who came up with the idea? Who writes the code? Who sells? Who makes product decisions? Have you worked together before? What happens when you disagree? What would each of you do if the company failed? You don't need artificially polished answers.
Authenticity is better than founder theater.
YC's classic advice is essentially:
Don't make the reviewer work to discover why you're impressive.
If you have:
Put it directly in the application.
Don't assume they'll infer it.
YC receives a huge number of applications, and its admissions team has described processing tens of thousands of applications.
Paul Graham's advice is particularly blunt: every unnecessary word makes it harder for the necessary words to have an impact.
Before submitting, give your application to someone who knows nothing about your startup.
Then ask them:
"What does this company do?" "Who is the customer?" "What is impressive about the founders?" "What traction do they have?" "What is the unique insight?" "Why could this become huge?" If they can't answer those questions after reading it, the application isn't clear enough yet.
YC itself says there isn't a perfect stage at which to apply, and explicitly encourages very early companies to apply.
Don't ask:
"How do I convince YC to accept us?" Ask:
"What would make an extremely skeptical but intelligent person look at our company and say, 'Holy shit, these founders are onto something'?" Then make those facts impossible to miss.
If you tell me what your startup does, who the founders are, current traction/revenue/users, and what you've built so far, I can give you a YC-style assessment of the application, including what I'd emphasize, what I'd cut, likely interview questions, and how I'd structure the 1-minute video.
Who sells? Who makes product decisions? Have you worked together before? What happens when you disagree? What would each of you do if the company failed? You don't need artificially polished answers.
Authenticity is better than founder theater.
YC's classic advice is essentially:
Don't make the reviewer work to discover why you're impressive.
If you have:
Put it directly in the application.
Don't assume they'll infer it.
YC receives a huge number of applications, and its admissions team has described processing tens of thousands of applications.
Why can't Google/OpenAI/etc. do this? Why now? What did you learn from your users? What happens if you can't raise money? How big could this be? What are you going to do next? And potentially:
Why are you the right founders? You should be able to answer these without thinking for 30 seconds.
I'd make a document containing roughly 30–50 questions about your company and have the founders interrogate each other.
The important part is not memorizing answers.
It's developing extremely high-resolution knowledge of your business.
For example, if you say:
"We have 1,000 users." You should immediately know:
If YC asks a question and you don't know, don't bullshit.
Say:
"I don't know that yet." Then explain what you do know.
That is much better than inventing an answer.
YC explicitly says they value learning and interesting details, including details that might seem obscure to someone outside your field.
Applying to **Y Combinator (YC)** starts with a straightforward online application, but the execution needs to be razor-sharp. YC partners read thousands of applications and look for clarity, speed of execution, and exceptional founders.[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5tU2447OK8)…
Applying to Y Combinator (YC) starts with a straightforward online application, but the execution needs to be razor-sharp. YC partners read thousands of applications and look for clarity, speed of execution, and exceptional founders.
How to Apply
Top Tips for the Written Application
Tips for the Application Video
Tips for the Interview (If Invited)
Founder Perspectives
“Don't use the application video as marketing, but rather genuinely talking about the problem and how you are addressing it.”
“Speak from the heart not a script”
Are you currently pre-product or already launched , and what batch are you planning to apply for?
Absolutely. I’d approach YC as **“make it extremely easy for a YC partner to believe you’re an unusually strong founder solving a real problem.”** As of today, **YC is accepting late applications for the Fall 2026 batch**, although the on-time deadline was July 27. YC says late applications are still considered, but…
Absolutely. I’d approach YC as “make it extremely easy for a YC partner to believe you’re an unusually strong founder solving a real problem.”
As of today, YC is accepting late applications for the Fall 2026 batch, although the on-time deadline was July 27. YC says late applications are still considered, but they don’t promise a specific response time.
YC explicitly says you do not need traction to apply. About 40% of companies YC funds are just an idea, and most don't have revenue. They recommend applying once you have a founding team and an idea you're excited about.
The strongest applications tend to make four things obvious:
The key is specificity. YC's own advice is essentially: don't make the reviewer work to understand you. State things plainly and cut unnecessary words.
For example, this:
“We're revolutionizing the future of collaborative commerce through an AI-powered platform.” is much weaker than:
“We're building software that lets independent auto shops automatically follow up with customers who haven't approved a repair estimate. Three shops are using it and collectively recovered $18k in otherwise-lost repairs.” The second gives YC something concrete to investigate.
I'd spend disproportionate time on these sections:
Your first sentence should answer:
“What exactly are you making?”
Then explain the customer/problem.
Avoid:
Unless those words are genuinely necessary.
YC specifically warns against marketing language and recommends matter-of-fact answers.
This is extremely important.
YC's own application advice says one of the most important questions is what impressive things each founder has built or accomplished.
Don't just write:
“John is a software engineer with 8 years of experience.” Instead:
“John built X from 0 to 100k users while working at Y.” Or:
“Sarah spent three years working as a nurse and built an internal scheduling tool that her hospital now uses.” Evidence beats credentials.
Give numbers whenever possible:
And give the trend, not merely the snapshot.
“$8k revenue” is okay.
“$8k MRR, up from $2k three months ago” is much more informative.
This is where you can demonstrate founder insight.
Explain the thing you've learned that isn't obvious to outsiders.
YC likes details that demonstrate you've actually been in the weeds.
YC's current instructions are unusually specific:
This is important: the video is not a commercial.
YC says the purpose is to hear how the founders communicate.
I'd roughly do:
0–15 sec: Who you are + what you're building.
15–35 sec: What problem you've discovered and for whom.
35–50 sec: Why you are uniquely positioned to build it + strongest evidence.
50–60 sec: Where you are now / what you're excited about.
For example:
“Hi, we're Alex and Maya. We're building X for Y. We started working on it after [specific experience]. We've now got 37 customers using it, and they're doing [specific thing]. Maya previously built [relevant thing], and I spent five years [relevant experience]. We're currently at [metric], and we're excited because [specific insight].” That's enough.
Be conversational.
Imagine you're explaining your startup to a very smart friend who knows nothing about it.
Don't:
“Our mission is to empower the next generation of…” Do:
“Right now, dentists lose thousands of dollars every month because…” Don't memorize every word. YC explicitly tells applicants not to recite a written script.
I'd actually record 5–10 takes using the same 5–7 bullet points and submit the one where you sound the most natural.
And don't obsess over production quality. A phone/laptop camera, good lighting, clear audio, and founders who sound like themselves is plenty.
YC even provides successful historical application videos you can watch for calibration.
YC interviews are fast.
The current application page says most interviews are conducted by video conference, and YC typically makes decisions the same day.
The biggest mistake is preparing a pitch instead of preparing to answer questions extremely well.
YC itself says:
You should be able to answer immediately:
And know your numbers exactly.
If they ask:
“How many weekly active users?” you don't want:
“I think around 2,000?” You want:
“2,147 last week, versus 1,620 four weeks ago.” That communicates operational command.
Don't try to sound impressive. Try to be interesting.
YC's interview advice specifically says they like learning new things and prefer interesting details to boring generalizations.
Suppose they ask:
“Why do customers want this?” Weak:
“Because there's a huge market and customers are frustrated.” Strong:
“We originally thought the problem was X. After talking to 40 customers, we discovered that's actually not the problem. The real issue is Y. Three customers independently described it almost identically, which changed what we built.” That's founder thinking.
You want the interviewer thinking:
“These people are learning unusually quickly.”
Don't practice a 10-minute presentation.
Have someone bombard you with questions for 20–30 minutes.
Tell them to interrupt you.
Especially practice:
The goal isn't polished answers.
It's rapid, precise thinking under pressure.
YC's classic application has asked founders about a time they “hacked” a non-computer system to their advantage. Paul Graham describes this as a wildcard that can cause him to take a second look at an otherwise unpromising application.
Don't manufacture a clever story.
But if you've done something genuinely resourceful—got around a bureaucracy, found an unconventional way to acquire customers, built something despite having no resources, negotiated an unusual deal, etc.—tell the real story.
It can reveal much more about you than a resume.
If I were applying, I'd optimize in this order:
1. Make the company description crystal clear.
2. Make the founders' exceptional qualities impossible to miss.
3. Give concrete evidence that you've learned something from users.
4. Remove every piece of startup/VC jargon.
5. Make the one-minute video feel like two unusually smart founders explaining something they're obsessed with.
6. Practice answering questions, not delivering a pitch.
7. Be extremely specific with numbers and customer evidence.
8. Don't wait until everything is perfect. YC explicitly says not to hold off simply because you're early; it also says roughly half of companies in a typical batch have applied multiple times.
The overarching YC principle is basically: don't try to convince them you're a great startup. Give them enough concrete information that they can discover it themselves.
If you tell me what you're building, who the founders are, current traction/revenue, and how long you've been working on it, I can also tell you how I'd position your specific YC application, what I'd emphasize in the 60-second video, and the 10 questions I'd expect YC to attack you with in the interview.
Have someone bombard you with questions for 20–30 minutes.
Tell them to interrupt you.
Especially practice:
The goal isn't polished answers.
It's rapid, precise thinking under pressure.
YC's classic application has asked founders about a time they “hacked” a non-computer system to their advantage. Paul Graham describes this as a wildcard that can cause him to take a second look at an otherwise unpromising application.
Don't manufacture a clever story.
Applying to Y Combinator is straightforward: you submit an online application, include information about the founders, company, progress, and (optionally but highly recommended) a short founder video. If YC is interested, they invite you to a short interview, usually a fast-paced conversation with YC partners.…
Applying to Y Combinator is straightforward: you submit an online application, include information about the founders, company, progress, and (optionally but highly recommended) a short founder video. If YC is interested, they invite you to a short interview, usually a fast-paced conversation with YC partners.
Here are the things that tend to matter most.
YC reviewers read many applications quickly. The strongest applications make it immediately obvious:
A weak answer:
"We are revolutionizing the future of AI-powered commerce."
A stronger answer:
"We help independent restaurants predict demand so they waste less food. We started after seeing restaurants throw away 30% of prepared inventory every week."
YC emphasizes concise, specific, matter-of-fact answers rather than marketing language.
Don't say:
"I'm a relentless builder."
Say:
"I built X, which reached Y users, while working nights for six months."
YC cares about examples of initiative, ability to build, and unusual accomplishments.
You do not need a huge company before applying. YC funds many very early-stage companies, including companies at the idea stage. But if you have progress, show it:
YC specifically recommends focusing on making progress rather than spending excessive time rehearsing for the interview.
YC's own guidance is very specific:
A good structure:
0–15 seconds: Who you are
"Hi, we're Alice and Bob. We previously built X and Y, and we're working on Z."
15–40 seconds: What you're building
"We're building [product] for [specific users] because [specific problem]."
40–60 seconds: Why you
"We discovered this because [personal insight]. So far we've [progress]."
Avoid:
YC wants to see founders communicating clearly, not a marketing team.
The interview is extremely short—about 10 minutes—and is designed as a conversation. Typically, multiple YC partners will ask questions about your application and company.
If you have users, be ready for:
YC specifically calls out understanding users and metrics as important preparation.
Expect questions like:
A strong founder does not pretend there are no risks. They understand the obstacles and have theories for overcoming them.
If you have something built, be ready to show it quickly. YC may ask to see what you have made.
A good answer:
"We don't know yet. Our current hypothesis is X, and we're testing it by doing Y."
A bad answer:
"We have a revolutionary proprietary approach that solves everything."
❌ Spending weeks perfecting a pitch deck
YC interviews are not pitch presentations.
❌ Explaining the vision before explaining the product
Start with what you actually make.
❌ Being vague about users
"Businesses" is weak. "Dental offices with 5–20 employees" is better.
❌ Hiding weaknesses
YC partners often notice gaps quickly. Showing that you understand problems builds credibility.
❌ Waiting until everything is perfect
YC encourages founders to apply when they have a strong team and idea rather than waiting indefinitely.
A useful test: if someone reads your application for 60 seconds, they should know:
That combination—clarity + founder quality + evidence of execution—is what makes an application stand out.
Applying to **Y Combinator (YC)** is straightforward, but passing the initial written filter is intensely competitive . About 7% of written applications advance to the interview stage.[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5tU2447OK8)…
Applying to Y Combinator (YC) is straightforward, but passing the initial written filter is intensely competitive . About 7% of written applications advance to the interview stage.
How to Apply
Tips for the Application Video
YC requires a 1-minute video where the founders introduce themselves and the project . It is not a promotional reel or a pitch deck.
Tips for the Interview
If your written application and video pass, you will be invited to a 10-minute video interview over Zoom with 2–3 YC partners . There are no slide decks or opening speeches.
Founder Perspectives
If you'd like, let me know:
I can help you tighten your company description or prepare mock interview questions.
Applying to **Y Combinator (YC)** is a structured process, but standing out requires clarity, conciseness, and conviction. Here is how to navigate the application, make a killer video, and ace the…
Applying to Y Combinator (YC) is a structured process, but standing out requires clarity, conciseness, and conviction. Here is how to navigate the application, make a killer video, and ace the interview.
Would you like help reviewing or drafting a specific section of your written application, or do you want to practice a mock interview Q&A?
Absolutely. I’d optimize for **clarity, evidence, and founder quality**, not polish. As of **August 15, 2026**, YC is still accepting late applications for the **Fall 2026 batch**, although the July 27 on-time deadline has passed. YC says late applications are still considered, but they can't promise a decision…
Absolutely. I’d optimize for clarity, evidence, and founder quality, not polish.
As of August 15, 2026, YC is still accepting late applications for the Fall 2026 batch, although the July 27 on-time deadline has passed. YC says late applications are still considered, but they can't promise a decision timeline.
YC's own advice boils down to: make it extremely easy for a partner to understand why you and your company are interesting. Paul Graham specifically emphasizes concise, matter-of-fact answers and warns against marketing language.
For essentially every answer, ask:
Don't just say:
"We have strong interest from customers."
Say:
"42 companies have signed up, 11 are paying, and revenue grew from $4k to $18k MRR in the last three months."
Specific numbers are dramatically more useful.
And don't assume you need huge traction. YC explicitly says about 40% of companies it funds in a typical batch are just an idea, and most have no revenue.
If you're pre-launch, substitute evidence such as:
A strong YC application often has this underlying narrative:
Founder → insight → problem → product → evidence → why now → huge opportunity
For example:
"I spent five years as a claims adjuster and saw X happen repeatedly. Existing software handles Y but completely misses Z. We built a tool that does Z. We launched 8 weeks ago, have 27 paying customers, and discovered that customers are actually using it for A. We're now building around that."
That's much stronger than:
"We're revolutionizing the $50B insurance industry with AI."
YC has explicitly said it's resistant to marketing-speak and wants matter-of-fact answers.
Don't phone in the question asking about other ideas you've considered. YC says partners may look at those if the primary idea doesn't immediately convince them.
If you have another genuinely strong idea, explain it intelligently.
This is not a pitch video.
YC's current instructions are unusually specific:
YC specifically says the purpose is to hear how the founders communicate.
Aim for roughly:
0–10 sec: Who you are + what you're building
10–35 sec: What the product does and for whom
35–50 sec: Why you're uniquely positioned / interesting insight
50–60 sec: One compelling piece of evidence or what you're excited about
For two founders, don't try to cram two miniature speeches into the minute. Make it feel like you're introducing yourselves to someone you actually want to talk to.
Example structure:
"Hi, I'm Jane, and this is Alex. We're building X for Y.
I spent five years doing Z, where I saw [specific problem] repeatedly. We built X to solve it. We launched three months ago and now have [specific traction].
We're especially excited because we've discovered [interesting insight]."
That's enough.
Don't read it. YC explicitly recommends bullet points instead of a script.
And yes, submit the video. Paul Graham's older application advice says applications with videos were statistically more likely to get interviews.
YC interviews are currently 10-minute Zoom conversations, typically with 2–3 YC partners. All founders should be present.
The biggest mistake is treating it like a traditional VC pitch.
YC explicitly says:
Don't rehearse.
They don't want a prepared presentation, pitch deck, or scripted answers. The interview is supposed to be a conversation.
You should be able to answer instantly:
What are you building?
One or two sentences. No jargon.
Who uses it?
Specific customer.
Why do they care?
Specific pain.
How do they solve it today?
Name actual alternatives.
Why is your solution better?
Specific—not merely "AI-powered," "faster," or "easier."
How many users/customers?
Know the exact number.
Revenue?
Know it.
Growth?
Know it.
Retention?
Know it.
How did you get your first customers?
Know the story.
What have you learned?
This one is particularly important.
YC says it likes founders who know a lot about their users and what they've learned from them.
This is important.
You might get:
"How many users?"
You answer.
"How much do they pay?"
You answer.
"Why wouldn't Google do this?"
You answer.
"How did you get those customers?"
You answer.
"Why are they choosing you?"
And suddenly you're three minutes into a completely different line of questioning.
That's normal.
Don't try to drag them back to your prepared narrative.
YC specifically says interviews can go in many directions and that founders shouldn't worry about making the interview conform to an expected format.
Rather than doing 20 mock interviews, I'd spend your preparation time on a company interrogation.
Have a founder sit down with the other founder and ask questions like:
Know whatever metrics actually matter for your business.
Make the company better.
This is probably the most important YC interview advice.
YC says that rather than spending your time obsessing over interview preparation, the best way to improve your chances is to make progress between submitting the application and interviewing: launch, improve the product, gain users, increase revenue, etc.
So if you have 14 days before an interview, I'd rather see:
Week 1
than:
Week 1
The former gives you new facts to talk about.
YC may ask you to show what you've built.
Have it already open and working.
If it's software:
YC explicitly recommends being ready to show a working version during the interview.
But don't turn the interview into a demo presentation unless they ask.
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Be extremely specific | Use startup buzzwords |
| Give numbers | Say "lots of users" |
| Explain interesting customer insights | Give generic market claims |
| Speak naturally | Memorize answers |
| Know competitors deeply | Say "we have no competition" |
| Show what you've built | Spend the interview on slides |
| Talk about what you've learned | Pretend you know everything |
| Demonstrate momentum | Obsess over interview tricks |
| Be ambitious | Make unsupported grandiose claims |
| Be yourself | Try to sound like a stereotypical YC founder |
YC's own interview guidance repeatedly emphasizes plain language, conversation, genuine knowledge of users, working products, and earnestness.
The strongest YC application isn't necessarily the company with the most impressive numbers.
It's the application where, after reading it, the partner thinks:
"I understand exactly what these people are doing. They've noticed something interesting. They've already gotten surprisingly far. And I want to talk to them."
That's the target.
If you tell me what you're building, who the founders are, current traction/revenue, and what stage you're at, I can also tell you how I'd position your specific YC application, what I'd put in the 60-second video, and the 10–15 questions I'd expect YC to attack you with.
Applying to [Y Combinator (YC)](https://www.ycombinator.com/apply) is straightforward, but standing out among thousands of applicants requires extreme clarity, conciseness, and honesty.[](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/It-how-to-apply-and-succeed-at-yc)…
Applying to Y Combinator (YC) is straightforward, but standing out among thousands of applicants requires extreme clarity, conciseness, and honesty.
How to Apply to Y Combinator
Best Tips for the Application Form
Best Tips for the Application Video
Watch this quick guide on how to record an effective, unscripted YC founder video:
3m
How to Ace Your YC Interview Video 11 months ago
YouTube · Lobster Capital
Best Tips for the YC Interview
Founder Perspectives
“I'd suggest to not use the application video as marketing, but rather genuinely talking about the problem and how you are addressing it.”
“Don't waste that much time and mental energy on the application. After applied, forget about it and focus on your business.”
If you're currently preparing an application, let me know:
I can help you critique your one-liner or draft your responses for maximum clarity.
Absolutely. The key is to think of the YC application less like a polished VC pitch and more like a **very compressed proof that you are an unusually capable founder working on something worth building**. As of August 2026, YC is accepting late applications for the **Fall 2026 batch**; the on-time deadline was July…
Absolutely. The key is to think of the YC application less like a polished VC pitch and more like a very compressed proof that you are an unusually capable founder working on something worth building.
As of August 2026, YC is accepting late applications for the Fall 2026 batch; the on-time deadline was July 27, but YC says late applications are still considered.
YC itself says the biggest application mistake is failing to communicate clearly enough for the reader to understand why the company and founders are good.
For every answer, aim for:
Specific > impressive-sounding
Evidence > claims
Simple > clever
For example, don't say:
"We're revolutionizing how businesses interact with AI."
Say something like:
"42 companies are currently using our product. They pay $200/month, and we've grown from $4k to $18k MRR in three months."
If you have traction, put numbers everywhere they're relevant:
And explain unusual things rather than leaving YC to guess.
YC wants to understand:
A weak answer says:
"We're passionate about helping small businesses."
A stronger answer says:
"I spent four years running X, personally experienced Y, and interviewed 73 businesses before building Z."
The second gives YC something concrete to believe.
YC's official instructions are unusually strict:
So don't make a mini commercial.
YC is primarily trying to learn what you are like as a founder and how clearly you communicate.
I'd roughly use:
0–10 sec — Who you are
"Hi, I'm Jane, and this is John. We're the founders of X."
10–30 sec — What you're building
"We're building X for Y. The problem is Z."
30–45 sec — Why you
"We started this because..."
45–60 sec — Evidence / interesting detail
"We've already done X, and currently Y people are using it."
Don't try to cram your entire startup into 60 seconds.
Trying to sound like a founder.
Don't do:
"We are leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence to fundamentally transform..."
Do:
"We're building software that automatically does X. We started because..."
Talk like you're explaining your startup to a smart friend.
YC explicitly says not to recite a written script; they want spontaneous communication.
A phone/laptop camera, decent lighting, quiet room, and clear audio are enough. Don't spend three days editing it.
This is where YC is particularly different from a traditional VC pitch.
YC interviews are currently 10-minute Zoom conversations, generally with 2–3 YC Partners, with all founders present. They have your application open while interviewing you.
Ten minutes is very short.
YC explicitly says not to rehearse heavily, not to prepare slides, and not to give a prepared speech. They want a conversation.
Instead, know your company cold.
You should be able to answer almost instantly:
And especially:
"What changed since you applied?"
YC explicitly recommends focusing on making progress rather than spending your time rehearsing for the interview.
YC says interviewers may ask to see what you've built, and recommends having a working product loaded and ready to screen-share.
This is one of the highest-leverage things you can prepare.
Don't make the demo:
"Let me walk you through our entire product..."
Instead:
"Let me show you the thing that makes this work."
Then demonstrate the core insight in 30–60 seconds.
If your product isn't fully built, have the strongest working prototype you can.
A typical YC conversation can feel like:
What are you building?
X.
Why do people need it?
Y.
How many use it?
How many pay?
Why don't they all pay?
...
Why wouldn't Google build this?
...
Who are your competitors?
...
Why are you better?
...
They're not necessarily trying to trip you up. They're trying to rapidly locate the interesting part of the business.
Don't get defensive.
If you don't know something, say:
"I don't know yet."
Then explain what you currently believe and how you'd find out.
That is much better than inventing an answer.
YC itself says they don't expect founders to have every answer and that sincerely reasoning through an unexpected question can make for a good discussion.
This is probably the most important advice.
Between submitting the application and interviewing, make the company better.
Get:
YC explicitly says this is a better use of your time than mock interviews.
Your strongest interview answer should frequently be:
"Since we applied, we did X, and we learned Y."
That's much more compelling than having perfectly rehearsed answers.
Don't sanitize yourself into sounding like every other startup.
YC's application guidance emphasizes helping the reader understand what is distinctive about you, your insight, and your project.
If you:
tell them.
Interesting founders are memorable.
I'd approach it in this order:
1. Write the application extremely plainly.
No buzzwords. No marketing copy.
2. Make every important claim concrete.
Numbers, examples, customers, experiments.
3. Make the founder story obvious.
Why you + why this problem + why now.
4. Record the video in one or two takes.
Bullet points, natural delivery, no script.
5. Submit rather than endlessly polishing.
6. If invited, spend 90% of your preparation time improving the startup.
7. Know your numbers and competitors cold.
8. Have a 60-second demo that actually works.
9. During the interview, answer the question they asked—not the question you prepared for.
10. Be unusually honest.
"I don't know" + good reasoning beats bullshit.
The official YC resources are worth reading directly: application instructions, video instructions, and YC's interview guide.
If you tell me what your startup does, your founders' backgrounds, current traction/revenue/users, and how far along the product is, I can also give you a YC-specific assessment of your application: what I'd emphasize, what I'd worry YC will reject, and how I'd position the video/interview.
