Kyle Masterson’s Post

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.

Finally, I made it: Y Combinator application guide 🚀 Just 1 DAY LEFT till the Y Combinator application deadline for the W25 batch (12 November). Don't miss your chance to boost your application and get into the world's best startup accelerator! I’ve compiled a 27-slide document with YC application tips, showing you how to approach each question with examples. The guide is: - based on review of 100+ YC applications - built on my personal experience applying to YC 3 times (accepted on the 3rd try) - backed by advice from YC alumni and partners These tips helped me to get accepted at Y Combinator with Fluently: AI English coach and raise over $2.5M! The guide covers key application questions, such as: - Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less. - What is your company going to make? - How do or will you make money? - Why did you pick this idea? And many more. P.S: Download the PDF to access the links. -- Won't apply to YC? Share this doc with founders in your network!

Y Combinator was a force to be reckoned with for almost the entirety of my time at Fast Company, and while it was always present -- generating characters, innovative companies, etc -- FC hadn't dug into how it operates and the power of its formidable network since 2015. Until today. Ainsley Harris did a masterful job trying to understand the leading tech accelerator and how it really has become the decentralized corporate giant that had been its founder's ambition. [Hat tip as well to Anne Latini and Mike Schnaidt for the brilliant art direction.] Y Combinator has turned "building" into a job and becoming a company founder into a career. But what is that actually like? Is the YC network only getting stronger as it grows? Are there risks to its dominance in Silicon Valley (and increasingly, the world)? For the tens of thousands of founders who apply to YC every six months for its vaunted batches, you have to read this story before you do. https://lnkd.in/e9HxHvxD

I spent my whole September on completing Startup School by Y Combinator. It was quite productive and joyful. The course lets you dive into more interesting topics as you go through the modules. One thing I really appreciate is the professional and simple explanation by tutors. Understanding how things work in "complex" business world and how to use this understanding to your advantage - that worth learning. If you also wanna benefit from this course, check out the official website: startupschool.org Once again, thanks to Y Combinator for creating such a great resource! #ycombinator #yc #startupschool

Everything thought at Y Combinator in 10 Minutes. Basically everything you need to know before starting a Startup I found this video from Y Combinator highly insightful and pretty straightforward, I highly recommend anyone interested about starting their journey to watch this video. Hearing it directly from those who've been there and done that is invaluable! Looking for a CoFounder ? https://onlyfounders.app/

Just returned from an inspiring retreat with Y Combinator and we're buzzing with new insights and energy! 🌟 The retreat was packed with incredible activities, from ice sculpting and pickleball to fascinating talks by both founders and group partners. Here are some key takeaways that stuck with me: - Resilience is Key: Embracing uncertainty and learning to deal with anxiety positively can make a huge difference. - User-Centric Approach: Truly understanding our users and their needs is crucial to developing products that make a real impact. - Cofounder Relationships: Building strong bonds and fostering open communication with your cofounders can be a game-changer. - Good Taste in Products: Developing a strong opinion on product quality by deeply understanding our users’ lives and preferences is vital. Be ready to adapt if new signals contradict your assumptions. A huge thank you to Tom Blomfield, David Lieb, Tyler Bosmeny, Brad Flora, Nate Smith, and all the other awesome YC Group Partners, who shared invaluable wisdom and guided us through the sessions. Also, it was incredible to connect with so many brilliant founders who are on similar journeys. Your stories and insights are truly inspiring! Looking forward to applying these lessons as we continue to build Educato AI (YC S24) with Pierre-Louis Monnot and Codrut L. and make a meaningful impact in the world of online exam prep. Stay tuned for more updates! 🚀 #YCombinator #StartupJourney #EdTech #Startups #Innovation #Founders #Resilience #UserFocus

Will you apply to Y Combinator Winter 2025 Batch? 🚀 As Y Combinator's application deadline approaches on November 12, we know many of you are preparing to make your mark in the startup world. At Silicon Gardens we're excited to support you on this journey! Earlier this year, we hosted an exclusive 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐘𝐂 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, led by an exceptional entrepreneur (Miha Mlakar) with the unique experience of being accepted into YC not once, but twice! If you want to gain invaluable insights from this workshop, we're here to help. Simply email us at 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬@𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬.𝐜𝐨𝐦, and we'll send you the recording. Don't miss this opportunity to refine your application with tips and strategies that could make all the difference! Good luck to everyone applying! #YCombinator #FoundersForFounders

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. And it has had a ripple effect on how I share online. Last month we applied to Y Combinator. We were working on the application for 2 weeks. The needed clarity and conciseness forced us to really go deep into research, thinking, and A LOT of writing. Uncovering learnings for our vision and planned execution. It was 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 at the same time. Exciting because getting in would mean forgetting about the pressures of self-funding our company, and going through the most coveted startup program in the world. Terrifying because somehow 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 than any other decision we could make on our own. So I chose not to share it in public like I did everything else. I was afraid of judgement if we failed. Something I thought I had moved past. And because it was occupying all of my mind space. It meant I had nothing else to share. So 𝗜 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁. However, with some time and reflection, I’ve come to the natural realization that 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻: 🟡 that our product isn’t worth it 🟡 that WE aren’t worth it There could be a million reason why we get rejected. And none of them are going to make us stop working on easybranding. 𝗪𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻. We believe in 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁. And we believe in 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀. YC is an amazing opportunity for growth. But it’s just one of the many paths we can take towards our ultimate goal. So by publicly stating it I’m letting go of whatever hold fear had over me. And 𝗜’𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀𝘀. Because honestly, we are doing great 😎 #buildinpublic #startup

🙌 🎉 I’m thrilled to share that I’m joining Foundation Capital as an investment partner focusing on enterprise applied AI, working alongside Joanne Chen, and the enterprise team. Shoutout to Chris Lyon, our talent partner, for making this happen! The past two years of building Brewit (YC W23) with my best friends Mark (Kailing) Ding and Sam (Kaishan) Ding is a forever memorable journey for me - I can still vividly recall the moment we found out we got into Y Combinator. I’ve gained invaluable lessons in resilience, iteration, and adaptability from building, pivoting, and growing our company, navigating the highs and lows of startup life. While an exciting announcement is on the horizon for Brewit, I’m ready to embark on a new chapter in my career. After speaking with dozens of founders and aspiring entrepreneurs, I realized how much I enjoy hearing their visions, expanding my perspective, and sharing my ideas. This naturally led me to venture capital, where I can do this on a larger scale. Specifically, Foundation Capital has a 30-year history of supporting founders at their earliest stages: helping shape ideas into companies and guiding founders on their 0 to 1 journey…a journey I was on myself! The firm has also been investing in AI for over a decade, with early investments in Cerebras Systems, Cohesity, Netflix, Turing, Jasper, etc. This aligns with my areas of interest. I believe the next generation of AI-native applications will fundamentally reshape the entire enterprise stacks across verticals. One area I’m currently focusing on is the impact of AI in the logistic sector - please check out the article in the comment below to learn more. A founder’s journey can be an exhausting rollercoaster ride. I have been in your shoes and I want to stand alongside you. If you’re a founder looking to raise your pre-seed or seed round, or if you’re just brainstorming ideas to work on, please ping me at llu@foundationcap.com

Planning to apply to Y Combinator W25? 📝 Our latest article covers all the essentials—from the best time to apply and how many times you can submit, to key tips for creating a standout founder video. Get insider advice to help your application shine and boost your chances of success in YC’s competitive selection process. ✨ Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g2kGkMFK For more YC insights and expert guidance, apply to our Rize for YC program! Submit your application by November 8th to receive a detailed review and set yourself up for success. 🚀 #razorpayrize #RizeforYC #YCombinator