Y Combinator Startup Podcast

What Basic Game Theory Teaches Us About Startups

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the problems with zero sum games within tech culture. Is your startup making a positive impact on the world or are your business practices a net negative in society?<br> <br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a></p>

Most Important Lifestyle Habits Of Successful Founders

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the best approaches to developing a healthy lifestyle that ultimately helps you run and grow a successful startup. Funders, take care of yourselves out there.<br> <br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a></p>

Elon Musk & The Midwit Meme

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel on the midwit meme, how it applies to startups, and the best example: Elon Musk.<br> <br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a></p>

Things That Don't Scale, The Software Edition

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel on software hacks that don't scale. Companies discussed include Google, Facebook, Twitch, and imeem. Watch the first video on doing things that don't scale here: https://youtu.be/4RMjQal_c4U<br> <br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a></p>

Why Investors (including YC) Can’t Fix Your Company

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel on common pitfalls in the advice from different types of investors and why you, the founder, are ultimately responsible for the success of your company.<br> <br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a></p>

What Does It REALLY Mean To Do Things That Don't Scale?

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel talk about Paul Graham's essay "Do Things That Don't Scale" and what it really means for founders. Read the essay here: http://paulgraham.com/ds.html<br> <br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a></p>

How To Change The World? Get The Small Things Right

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel talk about the importance of understanding incentives and doing research when it comes to building a world-changing startup. &nbsp;<br> <br> To create Rookies Mistakes we asked YC founders: Is there a simple fact you wish you knew when you started your company or a rookie mistake you wish you could take back?<br> <br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a></p>

Simple Products That Became Big Companies

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel talk about OpenSea, Gusto, and the importance of building simple products that solve a real problem. &nbsp;<br> <br> To create Rookies Mistakes we asked YC founders: Is there a simple fact you wish you knew when you started your company or a rookie mistake you wish you could take back?<br> <br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a></p>

Where Do Great Startup Ideas Come From?

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel talk about where the ideas for Airbnb, Coinbase, and Stripe came from. Then they discuss what you can learn from these founders.<br> <br> To create Rookies Mistakes we asked YC founders: Is there a simple fact you wish you knew when you started your company or a rookie mistake you wish you could take back?<br> <br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a></p>

Successful Founders Are OK With Rejection

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel on the importance of talking to your users, why successful founders are ok with rejection from potential customers, and how protecting your ego by not talking to your users can kill your startup.<br> <br> To create Rookies Mistakes we asked YC founders: Is there a simple fact you wish you knew when you started your company or a rookie mistake you wish you could take back?<br> <br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a></p>

Should You Follow Your Passion?

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel talk about solutions in search of a problem, whether or not to follow your passion, how to figure out what to work on, and how to motivate yourself.<br> <br> To create Rookies Mistakes we asked YC founders: Is there a simple fact you wish you knew when you started your company or a rookie mistake you wish you could take back?<br> <br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a><br> <br> </p>

Understanding Investor Terms & Incentives

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel talk about investor terms and incentives.<br> To create Rookies Mistakes we asked YC founders: Is there a simple fact you wish you knew when you started your company or a rookie mistake you wish you could take back?<br> <strong>Apply to Y Combinator: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a><br> <br> </p>

YC Founders Made These Fundraising Mistakes

<p>Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell are back for episode 2 of Rookie Mistakes to discuss common mistakes founders make when fundraising, and how to avoid them.<br> </p> <p>Apply to Y Combinator:<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a><strong> &nbsp;</strong><br> Work at a startup:<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3Fab2J0MWxnVU05RUFaeVlPdDd2WG9GeEM4UXxBQ3Jtc0trOGhiS0ZIUTE4WTBuNzJGTXk5MzJuRXg2UmpjRzhndjAxQjlaSUktTGZ0VUlFUUtfem1vRmc4U3hPaE50VHVxUVg0YVB2ZXo2MXFkWDNCbFRFTUtYOXN3bkxjWmtHMnJGLUNRb3J5dU4wcVdXeVJ5VQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fjobs&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs</a></p>

YC Founder Firesides: Gusto on building for new verticals

<p><a href="https://gusto.com/">Gusto</a> (<a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/gusto">YC W12</a>) provides growing businesses with everything to take care of their team. Today, more than 200,000 businesses use Gusto for payroll, employee benefits, talent management, and more. And with the recent addition of <a href="https://embedded.gusto.com/">Gusto Embedded</a>, developers now use Gusto’s APIs and pre-build UI &nbsp;flows to embed payroll, tax filing, and payments infrastructure into products. &nbsp;<br> <br> YC’s <a href="https://twitter.com/anuhariharan/status/1557784730543632384">Anu Hariharan</a> sat down with Gusto co-founder and CPO <a href="https://twitter.com/tomerlondon">Tomer London</a> to talk about building for new customer segments and the future of embedded finance — sharing advice for startup founders and CEOs along the way. &nbsp;<br> <br> Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/<br> <br> </p>

Co-Founder Mistakes That Kill Companies & How To Avoid Them

<p>In the first episode of Rookie Mistakes, Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss co-founder mistakes. To create Rookies Mistakes we asked YC founders: Is there a simple fact you wish you knew when you started your company or a rookie mistake you wish you could take back?<br> <br> Apply to Y Combinator:<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a><strong> &nbsp;</strong><br> Work at a startup:<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3Fab2J0MWxnVU05RUFaeVlPdDd2WG9GeEM4UXxBQ3Jtc0trOGhiS0ZIUTE4WTBuNzJGTXk5MzJuRXg2UmpjRzhndjAxQjlaSUktTGZ0VUlFUUtfem1vRmc4U3hPaE50VHVxUVg0YVB2ZXo2MXFkWDNCbFRFTUtYOXN3bkxjWmtHMnJGLUNRb3J5dU4wcVdXeVJ5VQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fjobs&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs</a></p>

Dealing With Setbacks And The Startup Gut Punch

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the best approaches to managing the many setbacks startup founders can face over the lifetime of starting and running a business. &nbsp;<br> <br> Apply to Y Combinator: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEQ4MG0tZVo0eEcyRmt6MjFxcFBjeWhTcHRId3xBQ3Jtc0trVklnZkNmNFhPczBLOTdnYlN6UW9mNW1idDdJWjVSVlRhSGQ1QWhMY1lMbnRzTW1ZYXIwbkRRQlduZjRRbzB1a1h5eWdGb3EtbXl2Z2NzZ2VROHUwYU50MWJqS1VTWGtyU3N2c1ZpRmFKLW1ldG5fQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a> &nbsp;<br> Work at a startup: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3Fab2J0MWxnVU05RUFaeVlPdDd2WG9GeEM4UXxBQ3Jtc0trOGhiS0ZIUTE4WTBuNzJGTXk5MzJuRXg2UmpjRzhndjAxQjlaSUktTGZ0VUlFUUtfem1vRmc4U3hPaE50VHVxUVg0YVB2ZXo2MXFkWDNCbFRFTUtYOXN3bkxjWmtHMnJGLUNRb3J5dU4wcVdXeVJ5VQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fjobs&amp;v=AWa4qZvtMuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs</a></p>

Saving Your Startup During an Economic Downturn

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss Paul Graham's essay "Default Alive or Default Dead." They share strategies to cut your company's burn rate and keep your startup alive to see another day. &nbsp;&nbsp;<br> <br> Paul Graham's essay: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGpNRGd5aXBTcDZvQlRJbXZPLUdjTGlvQlZOQXxBQ3Jtc0ttLWVuZ0Jzc2lMa2J4SnJHbFFEc0hQeWx0NUVHYzVrVGR6OFNLNXpkbEVaaVN6aVBpQTJMdFJrbFVHU2Nta05Bb1BDYUxGbU5yWWFkYmowOG5QS2RmWGVpdlJybjl1OVA0WXdsMDVyakdoUWRyeXI0Yw&amp;q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paulgraham.com%2Faord.html&amp;v=0OVSTWozvfY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.paulgraham.com/aord.html</a> &nbsp;<br> Trevor Blackwell's startup growth calculator: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUFkSExPS0hRSXJpRXdPR1N3dGNuS2lHNHB0QXxBQ3Jtc0trMGRvdHYyd1VqMl9rTGNvX0psY2dGTjlBZlY2X0cxNzZFRnNlQVpFLW5UakJhQlF5VE1hRDc5ZWpIOG5fd1FFTkgxa0loZmZpZk83MlJZMEtBd3lRRlRtd2JkM0xtZU5jcnRHUm1NdWRwblItUTJ4Yw&amp;q=http%3A%2F%2Fgrowth.tlb.org%2F&amp;v=0OVSTWozvfY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://growth.tlb.org</a> &nbsp;<br> Apply to Y Combinator: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1NKRGFFMUNheHZMbzVRTUtaNnNKVF9CZjMtd3xBQ3Jtc0tuXzAzd3JicDMzX1JPdDlGUGFpMzl2cEtwWjZHVVVFaHc2ekpfNmZOdXpFVDA3X1ZtTjlyZ0VLNEEycVVUc01vYm8xLUktOGNKS0dFRjhvTUE5SDdkUXdYd0h5TVBNY2FyeHYwNUUwcUFIVVpiSE1ucw&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fapply%2F&amp;v=0OVSTWozvfY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a> &nbsp;<br> Work at a startup: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEk2TEdfY1dqTVg4ZEJwSXJzLVNxWGRBVHlaQXxBQ3Jtc0ttTlhKZmFUUDFWRjhSeG5OWlIzbzJEYU9WSVZuVGdlNjRhckVJZFFuQUUzVWp6cWNPQkVlTDBCR1NlN05UelE2V281Vm1kZ0NQbUFabktGeWRIbUNZS3g4RmxMaHBMSHNfZU9FWmx6T3NYS0w4bVBvTQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ycombinator.com%2Fjobs&amp;v=0OVSTWozvfY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs</a></p>

Why You Should Leave Your FAANG Job

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the struggles of working at FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) and how to strategize leaving a big tech job to become a founder at a startup.</p> <p> Apply to Y Combinator: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a><br> Work at a startup: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs">https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs</a></p>

How Future Billionaires Get Sh*t Done

<p>Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel take a look at Paul Graham's essay "Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule" and share tips on how to be more effective and productive on the journey to creating a billion dollar business.</p> <p><br> Read PG's essay here: <a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html">http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html</a><br> Apply to Y Combinator: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a><br> Work at a startup: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs">https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs</a></p>

#157 - Diego Saez Gil

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/dsaezgil">Diego Saez Gil </a>is the founder of <a href="http://www.pachama.com/">Pachama</a>. Pachama is building a marketplace where companies can support carbon offset projects.</p><p>The YC podcast is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/craigcannon" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Craig Cannon</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/">Y Combinator</a> invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.</p><p>Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/&nbsp;</p><p>***</p><p><b>Topics</b></p><p>00:00 - Welcome Gustaf and Diego <br>01:19 - Diego's background<br>06:50 - What is Pachama?<br>09:25 - Using remote sensing to track carbon<br>11:37 - Connecting disparate groups<br>13:04 - How much carbon does a typical company offset?<br>15:28 - How big is the reforesting opportunity?<br>17:09 - What are the incentives to offset carbon?<br>18:40 - Why don't people trust carbon offsets?<br>20:33 - What are the different forest conservation methods?<br>25:20 - How does Pachama use technology?<br>29:00 - Growth challenges<br>30:20 - Who are the customers?<br>32:12 - The future of the carbon market<br>32:48 - Fundraising for a climate startup<br>37:50 - Advice for people that want to start working in the climate change space.<br>41:38 - Climate policy<br>43:23 - What are the most important things happening in the space?<br>45:10 - The benefits of agroforestry and permaculture<br></p>

#156 - Amber Atherton and Iba Masood

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/AmberAtherton">Amber Atherton</a> is the founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.zyper.com/">Zyper</a> (YC W18).<br><br><a href="https://twitter.com/ibamasood">Iba Masood</a> is the cofounder and CEO of <a href="https://tara.ai/">TARA</a> (YC W15).<br><br>The YC podcast is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/craigcannon">Craig Cannon</a>.<br><br>Y Combinator invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.<br><br>Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>***<br><br><b>Topics</b><br><br>00:00 - Intro<br><br>1:16 - Seed fundraising for Zyper and Tara<br><br>3:26 - Tara's pivot<br><br>4:31 - Series A fundraising for Zyper and Tara<br><br>18:11 - Evaluating investors<br><br>23:46 - Meeting with associates and partners<br><br>30:35 - Raising a Series A as a female founder<br><br>39:31 - Fundraising psychology <br><br>41:46 - What not to do when fundraising <br><br>45:01 - Talking to portfolio companies about investors<br><br>46:21 - What it's like to run a Series A stage company <br><br>1:00:41 - The most important piece of advice for fundraising<br></p>

#155 - Laks Srini

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/laks_srini">Laks Srini</a> is the cofounder and CTO of <a href="https://zerodown.com/">ZeroDown</a>. Before that he was the cofounder and CTO of Zenefits.<br><br>You can find him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/laks_srini">@laks_srini</a>.<br><br>The YC podcast is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCannon">Craig Cannon</a>.<br><br>Y Combinator invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.<br><br>Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a> <br><br>***<br><br><b>Topics</b><br><br>00:00 - Intro<br><br>00:30 - What is ZeroDown?<br><br>1:50 - How did they test the idea?<br><br>3:50 - What did they learn from companies that failed in the space?<br><br>8:00 - Breaking down the product<br><br>11:25 - ZeroDown's customers<br><br>13:35 - Expanding to other markets<br><br>15:50 - What if a downturn happens?<br><br>17:10 - ZeroDown's hiring strategy<br><br>20:10 - What are their hardest technical challenges?<br><br>22:05 - ZeroDown's breadth and product strategy<br><br>26:40 - Customer interviews<br><br>28:35 - Should everyone own a house?<br><br>29:50 - Home ownership in the future<br><br>32:45 - Build something you really want to see in the world<br><br>34:40 - Working with his cofounders was the most important consideration <br></p>

#154 - Matt Cutts

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/mattcutts">Matt Cutts</a> is the Administrator of the <a href="https://www.usds.gov/">US Digital Service</a> and previously he was the head of the webspam team at Google.<br><br>You can find him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/mattcutts">@mattcutts</a>.<br><br>The YC podcast is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/craigcannon">Craig Cannon</a>.<br><br>Y Combinator invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.<br><br>Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/ ">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a> <br><br>***<br><br><b>Topics</b><br><br>00:00 - Intro<br><br>00:36 - Working at Google in 2000<br><br>2:48 - Did Google's success feel certain?<br><br>3:53 - Building self-service ads<br><br>7:23 - The evil unicorn problem<br><br>8:23 - Lawsuits around search<br><br>10:48 - Content moderation and spam<br><br>14:38 - Matt's progression over 17 years at Google<br><br>17:18 - Deepfakes<br><br>18:43 - Joining the USDS<br><br>21:03 - What the USDS does<br><br>23:43 - Working at the USDS<br><br>26:43 - Educating people in government about tech<br><br>28:58 - Creating a rapid feedback loop within government<br><br>31:48 - Michael Wang asks - How does USDS decide whether to outsource something to a private company, or build the software in house?<br><br>32:58 - Spencer Clark asks - It would seem that the government is so far behind the private industry’s technology. To what extent is this true and what can be done about it? How should we gauge the progress of institutions like the USDS?<br><br>36:03 - Stephan Sturges asks - With GANs getting more and more powerful is the USDS thinking about the future of data authenticity?<br><br>38:23 - John Doherty asks - How difficult was it to communicate Google’s algorithm changes and evolving SEO best practices without leaking new spam tactics?<br><br>40:18 - Vanman0254 asks - How can smart tech folks better contribute to regulatory and policy discussions in government? <br><br>42:38 - Ronak Shah asks - What's your best pitch to high-performing startups in the Bay Area to adopt more of human centered design (something that the government has been moving towards surprisingly well, but that some fast moving startups have neglected resulting in controversy)<br><br>49:58 - Adam Hoffman asks - What are legislators, the government, and the general populace most “getting wrong” in how they conceptualize the internet?<br><br>51:33 - Raphael Ferreira asks - Is it possible to live without google? How do you think google affected people in searching for answers and content, now that’s we find everything in just one click?<br><br>55:23 - Tim Woods asks - Which job was more fun and why?<br><br>57:13 - Working in government vs private industry<br><br>1:00:48 - Snehan Kekre asks - What is Matt's view of the ongoing debate about backdooring encryption for so called lawful interception? <br></p>

#153 - Cory Doctorow and Joe Betts-LaCroix

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/doctorow">Cory Doctorow</a> is a blogger, journalist, and science fiction author. He’s also the co-editor of <a href="https://boingboing.net/">Boing Boing</a>.<br><br><a href="https://twitter.com/bettslacroix">Joe Betts-Lacroix</a> is the CTO of <a href="https://www.vium.com/">VIUM</a> and an Expert at YC.<br><br>Y Combinator invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.<br><br>Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/&nbsp;">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/&nbsp;</a><br><br>***<br><br><b>Topics</b><br><br>00:00 - Intro<br><br>00:32 - Adversarial interoperability <br><br>7:55 - So what should founders do?<br><br>13:55 - Copyright<br><br>19:55 - Remixing <br><br>27:00 - AT&amp;T<br><br>29:50 - Firms and state-like duties<br><br>31:25 - Medium-term suggestions for founders<br><br>39:25 - Conspiracy theories<br><br>51:50 - Science fiction and predictions <br><br>56:55 - Peak indifference model<br></p>

#151 - Startup School Week 10 Recap - Ali Rowghani on How to Lead and Kevin Hale and Adora Cheung on Startup School 2019 by the Numbers

<p>We've cut down the tenth week of lectures to be even shorter and combined them into one podcast.<br><br>First, a lecture from&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/rowghani">Ali Rowghani</a>. Ali is a partner at YC. His lecture covers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HDO1p3VdYg">how to lead</a>.<br><br>Then a lecture from <a href="https://twitter.com/ilikevests?lang=en">Kevin Hale</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/nolimits">Adora Cheung</a>. Kevin and Adora are both partners at YC. Their lecture breaks down this year’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atgskSiD-8M&amp;feature=youtu.be">Startup School by the numbers</a> and they share tips on what helped companies most.<br><br>Y Combinator invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.<br><br>Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a><br><br>***<br><br><b>Topics</b><br><br>00:00 - Intro<br><br>00:36 - Ali Rowghani - How to Lead<br><br>1:36 - Ali's background<br><br>2:56 - There's no single archetype for a great leader so be yourself<br><br>5:16 - Great leaders think and communicate clearly<br><br>9:56 - Great leaders have good judgement about people<br><br>12:56 - Great leaders have strong personal integrity and commitment<br><br>13:46 - The transparency test<br><br>14:41 - The best way to measure great leaders is in terms of the amount of trust they engender in the people that work with them<br><br>15:21 - The science of trust<br><br>16:08 - The art of trust<br><br>16:36 - Optimize for trust<br><br>17:40 - Kevin Hale and Adora Cheung - Startup School 2019 by the Numbers<br><br>19:24 - Startup School grew during the course<br><br>20:24 - Did SUS make a difference?<br><br>21:14 - 106 SUS companies were accepted into YC<br><br>23:17 - How can you replicate their success?<br><br>23:44 - Be clear and concise<br><br>26:59 - Edit your company description<br><br>28:04 - Weekly updates submitted<br><br>28:39 - Top 7 biggest obstacles for SUS companies<br><br>29:04 - Top 7 KPI movers<br><br>29:59 - Top 7 user insights<br><br>31:04 - Average startup weeks to launch<br><br>31:54 - Average hard tech or biotech startup weeks to launch<br><br>32:54 - % of weekly updates from launched startups<br><br>33:34 - Group sessions<br><br>33:59 - Companies got better at explaining their ideas, selling themselves, and getting others excited<br><br>35:09 - Founders like qualitative feedback<br><br>36:09 - No shows<br><br>37:19 - Morale<br><br>37:49 - Technical, launched, full-time, revenue generating, non-flaky, non-solo founder startups that talk to users are happier<br><br>41:14 - Summary<br></p>

#150 - Startup School Week 9 Recap - Carolynn Levy on Modern Startup Financing and Jared Friedman’s Advice for Hard-tech and Biotech Founders

<p>We've cut down the ninth week of lectures to be even shorter and combined them into one podcast.<br><br>First, a lecture from Carolynn Levy. Carolynn is a partner at YC. Her lecture covers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qWZALyGSmg">modern startup financing</a>.<br><br>Then a lecture from <a href="https://twitter.com/snowmaker">Jared Friedman</a>. Jared is also a partner at YC. His lecture focuses on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1DlZWfI6rk">advice for hard-tech and biotech founders</a>.<br><br>***<br><br><b>Topics<br></b><br>00:00 - Intro<br><br>00:33 - Carolynn Levy - Modern Startup Financing<br><br>1:33 - The basics: form a corporation, need money to grow?, sell a part of the company<br><br>2:58 - Fundraising terms<br><br>3:58 - What has changed: structure, access, focus<br><br>5:10 - What hasn't changed: preferred stock financing, valuation and dilution, communication<br><br>6:42 - Old way of raising early money: Series A preferred stock financing<br><br>8:33 - What was broken?<br><br>9:33 - The transition: bridge loan financings<br><br>10:46 - Realization: convertible promissory notes are a better way to fund early stage startups<br><br>12:01 - Modernization of the convertible - SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity)<br><br>14:03 - When do priced rounds happen?<br><br>15:12 - Is modern early stage financing perfected?<br><br>18:01 - Takeaways<br><br>19:30 - Jared Friedman - Advice for Hard-tech and Biotech Founders<br><br>20:25 - What is a hard-tech company?<br><br>21:35 - Why start a hard-tech company?<br><br>25:06 - YC is the largest bio and hard-tech seed investor in the world<br><br>25:49 - How much of YC's advice applies to hard-tech founders?<br><br>26:33 - How do you make progress when you have a "heavy MVP"?<br><br>31:49 - How do you prove people will want your product, if you haven't built it yet?<br><br>32:57 - Letter of Intent<br><br>34:10 - Fundraising for hard-tech and biotech companies<br><br>36:15 - Final thought<br></p>

#149 - Startup School Week 8 Recap - Adora Cheung on Prioritizing Your Time and Kevin Hale on Evaluating Startup Ideas

<p>We've cut down the eighth week of lectures to be even shorter and combined them into one podcast.<br><br>First a lecture from <a href="https://twitter.com/nolimits">Adora Cheung</a>. Adora’s a partner at YC. Her lecture covers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcCmMOWuAF4">how to prioritize your time</a>.<br><br>Then a lecture from <a href="https://twitter.com/ilikevests">Kevin Hale</a>. Kevin is also a partner at YC. His lecture is the second part of his talk on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17XZGUX_9iM">how to evaluate startup ideas</a>.<br><br>Y Combinator invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.<br><br>Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a></p><p><br>***<br><br><b>Topics</b><br><br>00:00 - Intro<br><br>00:32 - Adora Cheung - How to Prioritize Your Time<br><br>2:12 - Real vs fake progress<br><br>4:10 - How to determine if you're prioritizing the right tasks<br><br>4:42 - Keep a spreadsheet of ideas related to moving your primary KPI<br><br>7:32 - Grade the new and old ideas once a week based on potential impact<br><br>9:52 - Consider the complexity of each task<br><br>11:32 - Don't try to do everything at once<br><br>11:52 - How do I know I'm prioritizing my time well?<br><br>13:42 - What if I can't complete my tasks in time?<br><br>14:02 - <a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html">Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule&nbsp;</a><br><br>15:32 - Moving fast<br><br>16:47 - Kevin Hale - How to Evaluate Startup Ideas Pt. 2<br><br>18:52 - <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/howtoapply/">How to apply to Y Combinator</a><br><br>20:17 - As a YC partner, you don't need to sell me<br><br>21:12 - Can I understand the idea? Am I excited by it? Do I like the team and want to work with them?<br><br>21:47 - How do I describe my company in a very efficient manner?<br><br>22:52 - Making your idea legible<br><br>25:12 - Things to avoid when describing your company<br><br>27:34 - Be conversational<br><br>28:02 - Avoid jargon, no preamble, and be reproducible<br><br>28:47 - Nouns: what are you making, what is the problem, and who is the customer<br><br>32:47 - Using the X for Y formula of explaining your startup<br><br>36:57 - Be concise without leaving out the key nouns<br><br>40:47 - How to adjust a description<br></p>

#148 - Startup School Week 7 Recap - Kevin Hale on Conversion Rates and Pricing

<p>We've cut down the seventh week of lectures to be even shorter and combined them into one podcast.<br><br><a href="https://twitter.com/ilikevests">Kevin Hale</a> gave both lectures this week. Kevin’s a partner at YC and cofounded Wufoo. His first lecture is on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGqX9fpweyc">how to improve conversion rates</a> and his second lecture is on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwXlo9gy_k4">pricing for startups</a>.<br><br>Y Combinator invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.<br><br>Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a><br><br>***<br><br><b>Topics</b><br><br>00:00 - Intro <br><br>00:27 - Kevin Hale - How to Improve Conversion Rates<br><br>1:02 - Why we care about conversion rates<br><br>2:02 - Shareware conversion rate is .5%<br><br>2:22 - Casual download games is 2%<br><br>2:32 - Freemium SaaS range from 1.5 to 5%<br><br>3:57 - Knowledge spectrum<br><br>5:52 - The one button interface<br><br>6:37 - What is the call to action? And the magic moment.<br><br>8:02 - What is it?<br><br>8:38 - Is it right for me?<br><br>9:02 - Is it legit?<br><br>9:22 - Who else is using it?<br><br>9:52 - How much? What's the catch?<br><br>10:39 - Where can I get help?<br><br>11:30 - Kevin Hale - Startup Pricing 101<br><br>13:15 - Monetization gives you the biggest bang for your buck<br><br>14:35 - Price thermometer<br><br>16:35 - Mistake 1 - Prices are too low<br><br>16:55 - Mistake 2 - Underestimate costs <br><br>17:08 - Mistake 3 - Don't understand your value<br><br>17:27 - Mistake 4 - Focus on wrong customers<br><br>18:05 - Sales and profit over a product's life<br><br>19:20 - Why is pricing innovation hard?<br><br>21:27 - How to optimize prices <br><br>22:32 - $1B formula<br><br>24:05 - Price and complexity<br><br>26:55 - 10 - 5 - 20 rule<br><br>28:20 - Summary<br></p>

#147 - Startup School Week 6 Recap - Tim Brady on Culture and Dalton Caldwell on Pivoting

<p>We've cut down the sixth week of lectures to be even shorter and combined them into one podcast.<br><br>First <a href="https://youtu.be/qnNHW6TYv5I">a lecture from Tim Brady</a>. Tim’s a partner at YC. His lecture covers the importance of building a good culture early and shares six things that you can do now to help create a solid foundation for your startup.<br><br>Then <a href="https://youtu.be/8pNxKX1SUGE">a lecture from Dalton Caldwell</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/daltonc">Dalton</a> is a partner at YC and he’s also the head of admissions. His lecture covers pivoting and his advice on how founders should think about it.<br><br>Y Combinator invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.<br><br>Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a><br><br>***<br><br><b>Topics<br></b><br>00:00 - Intro<br><br>00:38 - Tim Brady on Building Culture<br><br>1:13 - Culture is behavior and the right behaviors support a good business <br><br>4:38 - Six things new startups can do now<br><br>5:00 - 1. Be proud of the problem you are solving<br><br>7:31 - 2. Create a long term vision that others will follow<br><br>9:36 - 3. List your values then model the behavior<br><br>12:34 - 4. Align your culture with your customer<br><br>14:49 - 5. Discuss the importance of diversity to your company<br><br>16:43 - 6. Put a hiring process into practice. Plan to evolve it.<br><br>18:24 - Dalton Caldwell on Pivoting<br><br>18:53 - The term "pivot"<br><br>20:20 - Why pivot?<br><br>21:33 - Good reasons to pivot<br><br>22:35 - Good reasons not to pivot<br><br>23:13 - Why people take too long to pivot<br><br>26:01 - Anecdotes<br><br>27:22 - Product market fit<br><br>28:34 - How to find a better idea<br><br>30:40 - It's ok to not work on an idea that requires venture capital<br><br>31:34 - Venture vs. non-venture scale ideas <br><br>32:52 - When is the best time to pivot<br><br>33:48 - More pivoting thoughts <br><br>35:07 - Idea quality scores<br><br>37:11 - Brex<br><br>39:51 - Retool <br><br>41:37 - Magic<br><br>43:22 - Segment<br><br>45:16 - Dalton's summary</p>

#146 - Startup School Week 5 Recap - Kirsty Nathoo and Kevin Hale

<p>We've cut down the fifth week of lectures to be even shorter and combined them into one podcast.<br><br>First <a href="https://youtu.be/LBC16jhiwak">a lecture from Kirsty Nathoo</a>. Kirsty is a partner and CFO of YC. Her lecture focuses on the most common mistakes startups make with their finances and how they can avoid making them.<br><br>Then <a href="https://youtu.be/30a5yFBd7Fo">a lecture from Kevin Hale</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/ilikevests">Kevin</a> is also a partner at YC and he’ll talk about the importance of building a successful working relationship with your cofounders and processes you can use to do so.<br><br>Y Combinator invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.<br><br>Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a><br><br>***<br><br><b>Topics<br><br></b>00:00 - Intro<br><br>00:38 - Kirsty Nathoo - Startup Finance Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them<br><br>2:08 - #1 - Not knowing what to look at: bank balance, money coming in, and money going out<br><br>2:56 - Burn<br><br>3:41 - Runway<br><br>4:59 - Growth rate <br><br>5:48 - Default alive - <a href="http://growth.tlb.org">http://growth.tlb.org</a> and <a href="http://paulgraham.com/aord.html">http://paulgraham.com/aord.html</a><br><br>8:09 - #2 - Not looking often enough: every week<br><br>9:04 - #3 - Under-Representing Expenses <br><br>12:27 - #4 - Out-sourcing responsibility<br><br>15:11 - #5 - Scaling too quickly<br><br>20:08 - #6 - Letting runway get too low before fundraising - <a href="https://blog.ycombinator.com/advice-startups-running-out-of-money/">https://blog.ycombinator.com/advice-startups-running-out-of-money/</a> <br><br>23:21 - Kevin Hale - How to Work Together<br><br>24:49 - Everyone fights<br><br>25:43 - Four things to avoid: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling<br><br>27:40 - Make a plan before you fight: divide and conquer<br><br>31:11 - Know thyself - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s9ACDMcpjA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s9ACDMcpjA</a><br><br>34:12 - Document a process<br><br>36:20 - Use nonviolent communication<br><br>37:19 - Observation vs evaluation<br><br>39:16 - Emotions vs thoughts - <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/nonviolent/evaluative-words-list-nonviolent-communication">https://www.slideshare.net/nonviolent/evaluative-words-list-nonviolent-communication</a><br><br>41:50 - Universal needs<br><br>43:38 - Requests vs demands<br><br>45:46 - How to Deliver Constructive Feedback in Difficult Situations - <a href="https://medium.com/s/please-advise/the-essential-guide-to-difficult-conversations-41f736e63ccf">https://medium.com/s/please-advise/the-essential-guide-to-difficult-conversations-41f736e63ccf</a><br><br>46:01 - Pay down your emotional debt<br><br>47:18 - Practice having level 3 conversations<b><br></b></p>