Jorge Medina 🟡’s Post

Didn’t get into Y Combinator ? Less than 2% of startups do. This is what happens leading up to the deadline : As a YC backed founder, and having mentored several along the way, I get a LOT of inbounds asking “would you recommend me?”… on the day of the submission… like they’re just trying to collect as many “reviews”. 1. On principle I would never recommend anyone if I couldn’t personally vouch for them. 2. Even if I know you personally, you should’ve involved me in atleast reviewing your application so I can feel part of your experience and root for your success. 3. Most importantly- You should’ve spent more time building your story, getting feedback, building product and traction rather than back door tactics. It’s perfectly innocent (and valuable) to get legit recommendations, but far more valuable than that is to actually get feedback. Feedback from a YC founder is 100% more valuable than their recommendation. That’s what helped me - Despite being a solo, female, immigrant founder! There’s no gaming the YC system. You need to earn it. PS - I built Criya AI to help founders get that early traction, quickly - especially when there isn’t a big team, and time = money! Happy to speak to anyone in the journey - so i can actually help you! #ycombinator #ycfounder #traction #criya #founderledsales #yc

Y Combinator articles are timeless. But let's be clear. They still matter today. The experience shared by founders since 2012 resonates just as strongly now. Their insights on growth, product development, and startup culture remain invaluable. It's not just history. It's a playbook. These articles offer: - proven strategies - real-world advice - lessons from those who’ve been there - and insights that stand the test of time. A guide for anyone looking to build and scale. To all new founders and product managers, dive into these archives: https://lnkd.in/dSbTXFtE Your journey, your challenges, your aspirations find echoes in these words. Agree? Share to keep the knowledge alive.

1 year ago on 1st November, I had the massive privilege to be selected by the Y Combinator team for a pitch feedback session with the legend Garry Tan. As this was a non-official pitch, there was much less pressure. But on the flipside, there was an audience of 200+ people (which perhaps added even more pressure haha). We had Garry's undivided attention on us for a full 10 minutes. 3 minutes just to pitch and 7 minutes of his honest feedback. His feedback was direct, hyper-personalized and accelerated our learning curve tremendously. Here are some of his tips that we have been continuously practising since then: 🟡 Golden UX Demo: Weave the customer's journey into your demo inside your deck. This helps you to be efficient by making it super personal + clear in explaining your solution and its benefits to investors. Don't leave it up to their interpretation. ⏳ At YC, the partners spend 70% of their time helping founders to refine their pitch and messaging. This shows how important your 1-liner and 1-min elevator pitches are. If you can't even capture enough attention to get the door open, forget about anything else you might have prepared. No one is going to listen. 💰 To an investor, you have to show them you are a money-making machine in the making. Peeling away every story and narrative, every investor is the same at heart. If I put in $1 into your business, I need to see how you are going to turn it into $10. Make it crystal clear how you are going to do that and create confidence that your business is the right investment opportunity. ❤️ Lastly, not a tip but it was wonderful to meet and still be in touch with seriously good founders and now friends: Kit Neoh, 👨💻 Godfrey Yu - Founder of Exabloom Raffles Andrison Much has changed to us since then, but the advice still holds true. Thanks Enterprise Singapore Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) for making this happen for startup founders! Let me know what other tips you have in running startups and which ones resonate best with you?

Last 4 years - A Journey filled with UPs and DOWNs! 🤷♀️ 👩💻 Starting a tech business with just an idea about doing quality work was the beginning after finding out the number of startup founders/teams facing challenges to find the right tech partner or service provider who can understand the needs and product goals. 🛠️ Fast forward through these years of non-stop 12/14-hour days, striving to be better, and here we are with over 60+ clients. It was more than just business decisions; it felt personal every step of the way. Certainly, there were days so challenging that productivity seemed like a distant dream but also many achievements that went unnoticed in the hustle. Bootstrapping meant this was more than a business; it felt like all projects were owned by TechStaunch Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd. ❤️ 💡The biggest lesson? It's about finding joy in the challenges, not just getting through them. Staying positive and consistent has been key for me. 🌄 To all the founders out there, remember, the road less traveled might be tough, but the views are worth it. I'm still on my way to where I want us to be, but I can see it getting closer. I hope my story adds a little positivity to your day. ✨ PS: I've joined Y Combinator, getting into product development and on the lookout for dynamic partners to innovate and transform ideas into reality. (I was looking at our team's pics from the 1st year and decided to share this as I felt highly motivated and positive) #BootstrapJourney #TechStartup #FounderLife #Resilience #GrowthMindset #Innovation #YCombinator

Getting into Y Combinator is a big dream for founders! I had that dream too when I started Salor Even though I didn’t get accepted, applying taught me a lot! I learned important things from my research and experience. Here are some tips for your YC application: Teamwork Matters: ↳ YC prefers teams over solo founders. ↳ It's not just about skills; it's how well you collaborate that shines. Unique Idea: ↳ You need a standout idea with growth potential! ↳ Show the problem you're fixing and how your solution helps. Show Progress: ↳ Evidence matters! ↳ Show people are excited about your idea with a prototype or happy users! Passion Counts: ↳ Your enthusiasm is contagious! ↳ Show how dedicated you are to bringing your idea to life. Know Your Market: ↳ Understanding your customers and competitors is crucial. ↳ Be ready to share what makes your approach special! How to prepare: 1. Make your idea crystal clear. 2. Research what YC wants in startups. 3. Build a strong team that collaborates well. 4. Gather data showing interest in your project. 5. Having a strong team and a unique idea is key. 6. Create something simple to demonstrate progress. If you’ve been considering applying, today might be your day! Don’t wait—make it happen! ❤️ P.S. Do you ever think about applying to YC? I’d love to hear your thoughts! #Startups 

📌 What do startup founders write in their YC applications to get accepted? Each year, over 15,000 companies apply to Y Combinator (YC), of which around 1,500 companies (10%) get an interview. Ultimately, about 200 companies make it into the program. To apply to Y Combinator, founders have to take just one step: submit an application form. This form is designed to assess the potential of the startup and its founding team. Typically, it includes sections about the Founders, Market, Product, Traction, and more. The best way to understand how to fill out this form successfully is to review how other founders have done it. I found a great resource where you can check the list of over 50 Y Combinator applications ➡️ getintoyc .com It helped us a lot at Fluently to get into YC. Hope it will be useful for you too! 🚀

I'm a big fan of Y Combinator and the work they do. After watching (probably too many) of their YouTube videos, I wanted to share a good path to follow for anyone looking to build products that people want. If you're familiar with YC or startups, you probably already know this. This is for fellow newbies (like me) who want to build cool things. 1. Start with a problem A problem you have or one you know exists. YC video: https://lnkd.in/gUadCEKX 2. Talk to people about the problem You need to determine whom to talk to and what questions to ask them—easier said than done. YC video: https://lnkd.in/gDbqR8yg 3. Build your MVP quickly Build your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) within 2-3 weeks. Get your solution in front of real users as quickly as possible. YC video: https://lnkd.in/gfnFZUBj 4. Iterate on your solution Learn from your users, continue engaging with them, and iterate on your solution to make it better. Be obsessive about the user experience of your product. I hope you found this helpful! Thank you for reading.

I just love practical no BS advice. Great tips on getting into YC from Yurii Rebryk, but these tips are important for any investor call - Be concise and clear - Know your product, customers, and numbers - Do not memorize answers Hope this is helpful for fellow entrepreneurs who have applied to Y Combinator's upcoming batch

Till November 12 Y Combinator accepts applications to the W25 batch 🚀 Don’t miss your chance to get into the world's best startup accelerator! 18% of YC companies are valued at $100M+ and 4% of YC companies have become billion-dollar companies! However, getting into YC is a big deal – less 2% of applicants are accepted. To apply to Y Combinator, founders have to take just one step: submit an application form. This form is designed to assess the potential of the startup and its founding team. To increase your chances be accepted I made a doc with quick tips based on my personal experience. These tips helped me get accepted at Y Combinator with Fluently: AI English coach and raise over $2.5M! Don't have a startup? Share this post to help founders in your connections!

We applied to Y Combinator, And we made it to the top 6-7% – the interview stage 🔥 If you know Y Combinator, you know it's the world's most renowned (and demanding) startup accelerator. Giants such as Airbnb, Dropbox and Reddit, Inc. are YC alumni 💥 📊 20k-25k startups apply annually 📊 Only 7% land an interview 📊 And in the end, less than 1% integrate the program We tried it this year and it was super rewarding : ➡️ An application with a multitude of important and challenging questions, which entrepreneurs tend to look away from. ➡️ 10 mins of ultra-intense interview with Pete Koomen and David Lieb, where every answer had to be razor-sharp. Even if joining YC isn't your goal, I recommend you apply. Why? The process forces you to confront those tough questions and clarify your project, your positioning and your strategy, whether you're in the early stages or already more advanced. Many people apply just to structure their ideas... and some even get accepted! If we managed to get through stage 1, it's because we were hyper-concrete in really simplifying our product. Unfortunately, this approach didn't work in stage 2, as by over-simplifying, we gave the impression that our product was too niche. But it's a good lesson to learn 👇🏼 ✅ Clarity and precision are essential in your pitch ✅ Simplify, but don't lose your product's essence or potential ✅ Applying, selected or not, refines your positioning, product, and strategy We made it to the interview, but didn't get in. And you know what? That's okay. The process alone was invaluable. So, if you think Y Combinator can help you structure and boost your project, why not give it a shot? P.S. Remember, every 'no' gets you closer to a 'yes'. Keep pushing, keep refining, keep growing