60+ links for Y Combinator Application and Interview Advice

I collected a lot of application and interview resources so you don't have to.

Y Combinator runs startups in batches accepts applications twice a year. When we applied, we didn’t have any experience with a startup or writing incubator applications. If others, who have been through the process, had not shared their experience, it’ll be even more difficult for first-time founders like us to get accepted to the program.

As more people go through the program and share their experience, the base of knowledge becomes stronger and more useful. I have shared a list of resources that can be useful to anyone applying for the program. The best way to use these resources is to not just read/watch them once, but over a period of time as you are writing applications and preparing for interviews. Your goal should be to drill this advice in your head and keep it top of mind. It’s going to help you immensely.

The resources are segregated by applications, videos, interviews, and other advice.

Sample Applications — all the available sample applications submitted by companies that got the interview.

Sample Videos — as a part of your application, you need to prepare a 2 min video explaining your product, team, and business.

Interview Advice — after your application is shortlisted, you are invited for a 10 min interview at YC. Some amazing advice from YC partners and founders on how to shine through.

Other Advice — generic advice by founders who went through the program and their learnings from the process.

Y Combinator Application Review Request:

Many people have reached out to me to review their Y Combinator application. If you want me to review your application, fill out the form below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwkiPPJlkW-EepPfGGuC5anXN3j4ZXqikuiSI3Rgl_8wKzbA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Sample Applications

• W05 — Reddit — http://alexisohanian.com/our-y-combinator-summer-05-application-what-w

• S07 — Dropbox — https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/27532820/app.html

• S09 — Mixpanel — https://medium.com/@suhaild/mixpanels-y-combinator-application-in-2009-34b5d30dbc12

• W10 — Scribd — https://www.scribd.com/doc/111078156/Yc-Application

• W10 — Makegameswithus — https://s3.amazonaws.com/mgwu/YC+GM.pdf

• W10 — Ownlocal — https://www.scribd.com/doc/111078156/Yc-Application

• S10 — Taazr — http://ethanfast.com/2011/10/deconstructing-a-successful-yc-application/

• W12 — The Muse — https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-muses-successful-application-to-y-combinator-w12

• W12 — Familyleaf — https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19699329/FamilyLeaf_YC_application.pdf

• W13 — Lollipuff — https://www.lollipuff.com/blog/102/lollipuffs-ycombinator-experience

• S13 — Apptimize — http://www.nancyhua.com/2014/10/08/successful-y-combinator-s13-application/

• S13 — One Month — http://pastebin.com/0SMrXX6M

• S13 — Standard Treasury — http://blog.zactownsend.com/our-yc-s13-application

• W14 — Cruise — https://www.scribd.com/doc/309342340/Cruise-Automation-Y-Combinator-Application

• S14 — Kash — http://www.withkash.com/blog/2015/08/27/applying-to-yc-part-2/

• W15 — Gitlab — https://about.gitlab.com/2016/09/30/gitlabs-application-for-y-combinator-winter-2015/

• S15 — Mimir — https://prahasith.com/our-successful-ycombinator-s15-application-843c3047cadd#.net98fhyi

• S15 — Xendit — http://blog.xendit.co/2015/10/06/xendits-successful-application-to-ycombinator-s15/

• W16 — Paystack — https://paystack.com/blog/company-news/paystacks-y-combinator-application

• S16 —The Flex Company — https://medium.com/@laurenschulte/the-flex-companys-successful-y-combinator-s16-application-92bd2b3d568d

• W17 — Simple Habit — https://worldnewsbits.com/a-copy-of-a-successful-y-combinator-application-from-simple-habit/

Sample Videos

• W10 — Optimizely — 

• S10 — PagerDuty — 

• S10 — AeroFS — 

• W11 — Lanyrd — 

• W12 — The Muse — 

• W13 — Zenefits — 

• W13 — Teespring — 

• W13 — LolliPuff — 

• S14 — Aptible — 

• W15 — Campus Job (WayUp) — 

• W15 — Flip — 

Advice — Interviews

• Michael Seibel — 

Michael Seibel @mwseibel

My top ten pieces of advice for preparing for a YC Interview, good luck!

• by YC — http://old.ycombinator.com/howtoprepare.html

• 2008 — http://www.david.blog/blog/y-combinator-interview-advice

• 2009 — https://www.renthop.com/yc.html

• 2012 — https://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-to-interview-with-Y-Combinator

• 2012 — https://techcrunch.com/2012/04/27/be-concise-the-top-questions-asked-at-a-y-combinator-interview/

• 2013 — http://blog.perfectaudience.com/2013/04/26/want-to-ace-your-ycombinator-interview-be-relentlessly-empathetic/

• 2013 — http://www.daniellemorrill.com/2013/04/thoughts-on-yc-interview-prep/

• 2014 — http://blog.trak.io/ycombinator-our-interview-experience-after-flying-5351-miles-for-10-minutes/

• 2014 — https://www.aptible.com/blog/y-combinator/

• 2014 — https://dannysu.com/2014/08/10/yc-interview/

• 2014 — https://www.easypost.com/blog/2014-11-13-how-to-interview-for-y-combinator.html

• 2015 — http://henrikzillmer.com/dos-and-donts-at-the-y-combinator-interview

• 2015 — https://medium.com/@tmzier/how-to-prepare-for-the-y-combinator-interview-fd7fb7eaa82c#.9nnbwy40n

• 2016 — https://hackernoon.com/y-combinator-interview-advice-for-international-companies-763811e676d8#.b6fe8mcng

• 2016 — https://hackernoon.com/how-to-ace-your-yc-interview-5c078aea7908#.3dadnb1v5

Other Application Advice

• by YC — http://www.ycombinator.com/howtoapply/

• 2013 — http://blog.close.io/hack-your-y-combinator-interview-get-accepted

• 2013 — http://glenmoriarty.posthaven.com/609335

• 2013 — http://blog.zactownsend.com/advice-on-the-yc-application

• 2013 — https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-advice-for-a-startup-applying-to-Y-Combinator

• 2014 — http://blog.hipmob.com/post/64689083699/advice-for-your-yc-application

• 2014 — http://blog.frontapp.com/2014/10/01/three-months-at-y-combinator-what-its-like-and-how-to-get-in/

• 2016 — http://www.strikingly.com/blog/how-to-get-into-y-combinator-the-no-bs-approach/

• 2016 — https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-get-into-y-combinator-the-no-bs-approach-820cbedbc904#.wym1saoww

• 2016 — https://medium.com/@adi_agarwalla/https-medium-com-adi-agarwalla-y-combinator-international-4db8072f946d#.f7c3so64c

• 2016 — https://www.konsus.com/blog/y-combinator

• 2017 — https://www.codementor.io/blog/tips-for-successful-y-combinator-application-1bz78dcb2y

• 2018 — https://blog.useproof.com/how-we-got-into-y-combinator/

• 2018 — https://hackernoon.com/nail-your-yc-application-29ed0fedf2cd

• 2019 — https://travelchime.com/blog/2019/04/15/how-we-went-from-bootstrapping-to-y-combinator/

Even if you don’t end up getting into the program, it makes you think deeper and help develop clarity about your business.