- YC looks at applications differently, but there are common factors they consider.
- The first 3 sentences should provide a clear understanding of the idea.
- Be concise and clear about the product and its purpose.
- YC wants to understand why the team is the right fit for the project.
- They also want to know the progress made, such as if the product has been built, used, or monetized.

What is YC looking for when reading applications? YC's Head of Admissions Stephanie Simon shares the 3 questions she asks herself when reading apps.

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Y Combinator is a startup accelerator that provides seed funding for startups. We've backed companies like Airbnb, Coinbase, DoorDash, Reddit, Inc. Razorpay and more.

Chapters (Powered by https://bit.ly/chapterme-yc) -
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:10 - What you do?
00:00:21 - How your product works and why it should exist?
00:00:29 - Why are you the right team?
00:00:44 - What have you done so far?

Everyone reads applications a little differently at YC, but here's how I read applications and how I train others to.

I try to understand your idea very quickly.

So you should make it easy for me to have a clear picture of what you do, ideally in the first 3 sentences.

Be concise and clear about how your product works and why it should exist.

Please don't use more words when you could use fewer.

I try to understand why you're the right team to build the thing you want to build.

Maybe this is because you're domain experts and you understand the space very well.

Or maybe you have a history of doing impressive things that shows us that you can get stuff done.

Lastly, I try to understand what you've done so far.


Speaker 0: Everyone reads applications a little differently at YC, but here's how I read applications and how I train others to. I try to understand your idea very quickly. So you should make it easy for me to have a clear picture of what you do, ideally in the first 3 sentences. Be concise and clear about how your product works and why it should exist. Please don't use more words when you could use fewer.

I try to understand why you're the right team to build the thing you want to build. Maybe this is because you're domain experts and you understand the space very well. Or maybe you have a history of doing impressive things that shows us that you can get stuff done. Lastly, I try to understand what you've done so far. Have you started building it?

Is anyone using it? Is anyone paying you for it?

See all Y Combinator transcripts on Youtube

The 3 Questions We Ask When Reading Applications