YC Application Tips & Guide
We're YC founders who've helped over 1,600 applicants review and improve their Y Combinator applications. Here's our guide to what works — the tips, examples, and advice we wish we'd had when we applied.
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Start RefiningYC Application Tips
Clarity Is Everything
Partners read ~100 apps/day. Give it to them in the first sentence, in the simplest possible terms.
Founders Matter Most
"Something impressive each founder has built or achieved" is the most important question. A single concrete example beats any generic claim.
Always Submit a Video
Applications with videos are statistically much more likely to get an interview. 1 min, all founders, no scripts — bullet points only.
Be Matter-of-Fact
No marketing-speak or jargon. Test: could someone reproduce your idea from your description? Compare to things people know.
Reveal Your Weaknesses
Disclose all flaws. If partners think of a problem you didn't mention, they'll assume you haven't considered it.
Show Someone Can Build It
Dalton Caldwell's #1 tip: make it clear at least one person can build the product. If non-technical, show evidence — a prototype, early traction.
Show Traction & Progress
Revenue, users, growth rate — concrete numbers beat vague claims. Progress between applications is a powerful signal.
Demonstrate Insight
Don't just claim it'll be "well-designed and easy to use." Show you understand the obstacles and have a theory for overcoming them.
Edit Ruthlessly
Every unnecessary word subtracts from the necessary ones. Print it out, take a red pen, cross out every word you don't need.
The Wildcard Matters
A strong answer to "hacked some non-computer system" can rescue a weak application. YC wants people who beat systems.
Applying Again Is a Strength
~1/3 of each batch applied before. Showing real progress between applications is one of the strongest positive signals.
Don't Overthink It
The application should take 2-3 hours. No warm intros needed — the system is designed for complete strangers.
Essential Videos
How to Apply and Succeed at Y Combinator
Dalton Caldwell, YC Managing Director
How to Get and Evaluate Startup Ideas
Jared Friedman, YC Partner
More YC videos
Successful Application Examples
Popular applications from earlier batches:
Dropbox · View on YC
Clear product description, honest about weaknesses, solo founder.
MagicBell
Developer tool, showed MVP with real traction, strong founder-market fit.
Dendron
Solo founder, showed progress from previous application, applied twice.
Other notable examples:
GitLab · Read more
Applied with $1M ARR, led with traction.
Cruise
Bold vision, strong technical founders.
Paystack
Payments for Africa, acquired by Stripe for $200M+.
Application video examples:
Collections:
YC's Philosophy
Launch now — Ship immediately, iterate with real feedback.
Build something people want — YC's core mantra.
Do things that don't scale — Get first customers by any means necessary.
Find the 90/10 solution — 90% of the result with 10% of the effort.
Write code, talk to users — The only two things that matter early on.
Find 10-100 customers who love you — Depth over breadth.
All startups are badly broken — What matters is what you do about it.
Growth follows product — Don't grow before you've built something people want.
Essential reading
Interview Preparation
10 minutes with 2-3 YC partners. Not adversarial — they're trying to understand your business.
Know your numbers cold — Users, revenue, growth rate, equity split.
Don't over-rehearse — Memorized paragraphs feel weird. YC wants organic conversation.
Show self-awareness — Overconfidence is a red flag. Knowing what's hard is valued.
Both founders should speak — Absence raises questions about team dynamics.
If rejected, YC sends feedback. Address it or disprove it, then reapply — that's how ~1/3 of each batch gets in. YC Interview Guide →
Official YC Links
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