Y Combinator Partner: How to Successfully Apply and Get Funded at YC?
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Y Combinator Partner: How to Successfully Apply and Get Funded at YC?
Filling out the application form may take two to three hours, but the potential benefits are substantial.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsCompiled by: TechFlow
Note: This article is part of the TechFlow series "YC Startup Course Chinese Notes" (updated daily), dedicated to collecting and organizing Chinese translations of YC courses. The thirteenth entry features an online lecture by YC partner Dalton Caldwell titled "How to Apply and Succeed in Y Combinator."
*TechFlow Note: Y Combinator is a renowned startup accelerator and investment firm founded in 2005 that supports entrepreneurs globally. Y Combinator accepts applications twice a year, selecting numerous promising startups to provide seed funding, training, and resources to help them grow rapidly.
Y Combinator's portfolio includes many well-known companies such as Dropbox, Airbnb, Reddit, and Stripe—enterprises that have become industry leaders and achieved significant commercial success.
Today we'll discuss how to successfully apply for and receive funding from YC. As the head of admissions, I've traveled around the world giving talks and meeting applicants, answering countless questions. I believe I’ve developed a solid internal model covering various concerns and potential scenarios. So I’ll do my best to anticipate the questions you might be thinking about and answer them thoroughly.
Why Apply to YC?
Filling out the application is a crucial step toward becoming a successful startup with YC. Through this process, you are forced to think deeply about key issues—what your company does, how it differs from others in the market, who your competitors are, etc. Answering these questions not only helps you better understand your own business but also enables you and your co-founders to collaborate more effectively, including resolving equity splits.
YC offers more than just funding—it provides support and resources to help startups succeed. If you're only interested in free money without truly understanding YC’s mission and values, then YC may not be the right fit for you.
Completing the application may take two to three hours, but the potential payoff is substantial. It gives you deeper insight into your company and increases your chances of being selected by YC.
Creating Luck
Beyond filling out the application, founders must learn how to create luck. This means putting yourself in positions where fortunate events can occur. Founders often face rejection and setbacks, but if you never accept negative feedback, real success will remain out of reach. Therefore, don’t fear rejection—instead, position yourself to be ready for good things when they happen. This mindset is a critical trait for entrepreneurial success.
The YC program helps entrepreneurs succeed by encouraging them not to fear rejection and by systematically preparing them to seize opportunities. Applying to YC can therefore be an excellent way to develop the skill of creating luck, while also gaining access to a community of fellow startups growing together.
Why Not Apply?
There are many reasons people hesitate to apply to YC. Common ones include:
Feeling too early, fearing rejection, believing they already have enough experience, or thinking their company doesn’t align with YC. But these are self-imposed limitations—not actual barriers set by YC. In reality, YC welcomes all kinds of companies and industries, having funded many unconventional and even bizarre startups. If you want to apply, simply visit their website and follow the instructions. No permission needed, no need to wait for a reply. The right time to apply depends on your situation—but you can apply at any time.
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Thinking you’re too early: But nothing is too early—we’ve funded teams whose startups were technically “negative months” old. Every batch includes diverse types of companies across industries. Whatever field you're in, we’ve likely funded something similar—or even crazier.
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Experienced individuals often limit themselves: They think because they’ve started companies before or attended business school, they don’t qualify. That’s not true.
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Having raised some funds already: Raising prior capital doesn't disqualify you from applying to YC.
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Worrying competitors might get funded too: That won’t stop us from funding you—and it’s not a valid reason not to apply.
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Your company isn’t growing fast enough, or you’re unsure about long-term commitment to entrepreneurship: Then YC may not be right for you.
In short, if you have a strong idea and genuine entrepreneurial drive, don’t let fear of rejection stop you from applying to YC. We encourage co-founder teams, so applying alone shouldn’t deter you either. As long as you have a good idea and the motivation to build a startup, you should apply.
If you decide to apply, simply go to the website and follow the instructions. You can apply anytime, though if you aim for a specific batch, check the site for deadlines. Remember, you don’t need permission for everything—just submit your application online. If you have questions, feel free to email us.
Application Steps
Now let’s talk about what makes a strong application process.
First, I want to emphasize the importance of completing the application carefully. Many people rush through it—skipping questions, omitting URLs or resumes, leaving key fields blank. This hurts your professionalism and reduces your chances. Please take the time to fill it out properly.
Second, founder videos are very important. We require every founder to appear in the video, which must be under one minute long. Yet many ignore this: submitting 20-minute emotional monologues or featuring only one founder. This is definitely not advisable. I strongly recommend following instructions precisely and ensuring all founders appear in the video. If you can’t coordinate timing with your co-founders, wait a few days and submit later. Following directions matters—it improves your odds.
Clarity in the Application
A good application should make its point clearly and quickly, without requiring lengthy explanations. More words don’t yield better results—in fact, they often obscure meaning.
You should clearly state who is building the product and demonstrate tangible progress. Doing just this much puts you ahead of most applicants.
Yet some applications confuse everything—blurring ideas, team roles, and development status—making it hard to grasp what’s actually happening. Without clear alignment upfront, it’s difficult to convince others of your vision.
Therefore, when filling out the form, be concise, avoid jargon, and answer all key questions. This not only makes your work easier to understand but also strengthens your ability to sell your idea.
Below are examples of excellent descriptions from real YC applications and companies.
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For instance, Remix and Tetrascience both used short, clear, jargon-free descriptions to accurately convey what their products do, who they serve, and how they work.
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In contrast, weak applications tend to muddy the waters—failing to clarify the core idea, team structure, or current status.
Telling a Story
A standout application tells a story. When we read an application, we try to extract key elements: team members, goals, origin of the idea, achievements, etc.
If an application is easy to understand, it’s likely a strong one. Conversely, if it takes significant effort to decipher, it’s probably not effective.
To build a successful startup, at least one team member should be capable of executing the core work. This person could be an expert in science, programming, or another domain. Even non-technical teams must show evidence they can bring the product to market.
Vague statements aren’t helpful. Clearly state who is building the product, where prototypes come from, and what your production plan is.
Key Tips for Applying to YC
If you can follow instructions well, write a strong application, and handle the video correctly, you stand a good chance of receiving YC funding.
But proving you’re serious often requires extra effort. Meeting these standards increases your chances of getting an interview and ultimately succeeding.
The YC application process is simple and transparent, but there are a few pitfalls to avoid:
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Don’t try to network your way into YC—the organization was created specifically so people without connections could still launch startups.
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Don’t trust advice from self-proclaimed experts—they may just be putting obstacles between you and your application.
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Be wary of those claiming they can help you “break into Silicon Valley”—most are scammers.
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Most importantly, building a great startup is the best path to greatness—not relying on someone else’s “magic” shortcut.
The Interview
If invited to a YC interview, expect a 10-minute in-person session.
We expect the entire founding team to attend. Typically, three or four YC partners will conduct the interview.
Questions are usually basic—we want to understand fundamentals like whether you’ve launched, how you acquire users, your next steps, and your view of the market.
We don’t ask tricky questions or bring in technical experts to grill you. Instead, we focus on understanding the basics.
There’s plenty of interview advice online, but much of it is misguided—promoting an adversarial mindset, as if the YC interview is an opponent to defeat and interviewers are enemies to outsmart.
That’s not what we want. We hope for a pleasant conversation. Imagine you’re interviewing someone—you’d look for honest answers, a natural dialogue, and someone you’d enjoy working with and sharing the journey.
So during the interview, we don’t care about rehearsed responses. We want to see founders who can engage in productive, authentic discussions.
If someone recites memorized lines about AI during the interview, it feels unnatural and off-putting—this isn’t someone you’d want to collaborate with long-term.
Instead, we seek open, organic conversations that give us a clearer picture of your company and its future.
These people will call and text you constantly—they’ll become an integral part of your life.
Because we invest in people, we want to know if you’re ready to fully engage and collaborate with our team. During the interview, we aim to extract information quickly within limited time—but we’re not trying to trip you up.
A successful interview requires founders to deeply understand their business—knowing their metrics, users, plans, and equity distribution—and to speak clearly about them. When problems arise in the application, we value self-awareness and honesty over attempts to manipulate the interviewers.
If you’re not selected, we’ll provide feedback. Accepting and acting on that feedback may well be your path into YC next time.
Finally, if you have doubts, we suggest reflecting on and optimizing your approach to overcoming obstacles—a vital skill for becoming a great founder.
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