🟧 Getting Into Y Combinator Isn't That Hard. Or Is It?
@SaadBencherif10|December 1, 2024 (3w ago)812 views
If you’ve ever searched for advice on getting into Y Combinator (YC), you’ve likely read about how hard it is.
YC’s acceptance rate is famously low—around 1.5%, comparable to the world’s most selective universities.
But is it impossible? Absolutely not.
In this article, I’ll share how we, co-founders of Presti AI, got into YC.
It took us four attempts, but we finally made it.
I believe anyone with enough dedication and effort put into his startup can make it.
1. The Must-Haves
If you’re not ready to meet these conditions, start by putting yourself in these situations first:
a. You and your co-founders should be able to build and sell the product yourselves.
YC values self-sufficiency, especially in the early days.
If you’re not technical enough to build the product, you should learn or find a co-founder who is.
b. You need 100% focus.
YC isn’t interested in side projects. They want founders fully committed to their startups.
If you can’t go all in, fix that first.
Without these 2 foundational elements, your application won’t stand out.
2. The YC Process
YC’s application process is incredibly founder-friendly.
It reflects their belief that most of your time should go toward building and selling.
Not raising funds or filling out lengthy applications.
There are two steps:
a. The written application
You’ll answer a few concise questions about your team, idea, and progress.
It happens here: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/
More on this later in the article.
b. The interview
If selected, you’ll have a 10-minute interview with YC partners.
It’s intense—a rapid-fire Q&A that gives them a quick sense of your team and idea.
The notice period is short (about a week), so don’t expect months to prepare.
YC’s simplicity in process underscores their philosophy: spend time on your startup, not on fluff.
3. The Best Time to Apply? Now!
Here’s why you shouldn’t wait:
a. You can reapply as many times as you want.
We applied four times and got rejected three times before being accepted.
Each time, updating our application with new progress took just 30 minutes.
b. YC isn’t looking for perfection.
You don't need to have the perfect idea, the perfect product and a clear traction to apply.
Most startups in a YC batch are very early-stage.
And many pivot during the batch itself.
What matters most is the team's strengths and cohesion. The positive dynamics of the founding team should be evident.
It should also be evident that you did your homework. You studied and know about your industry.
c. You can apply year-round.
YC used to have two batches per year, at winter and summer.
Now, they have four batches per year. So you can basically apply at any time of the year.
d. You increase your luck surface area.
Every application gives you another shot, and more importantly, a chance to reach the right partner.
By applying multiple times, we ended up having Nicolas Dessaigne, founder of Algolia, review our application.
Nicolas is French, just like us, and he understands the French ecosystem.
References that might not resonate with American partners—like Ecole Centrale Paris or Station F—clicked with him.
This is just our example, but it applies to anyone.
Every YC partner has different sensibilities, and one partner might love your idea while another might not.
The more times you apply, the higher your chances of connecting with someone who sees your potential.
4. Filling Out the Application: Keep It Simple
Great founders are concise and direct communicators. They are not in pitch mode. They use simple declarative sentences. The word itself becomes reality when you can be that clear. @bradflora describes one such YC startup 👇
YC partners read hundreds of applications a day. Your job? Make yours stand out with clarity and impact.
a. Use simple words.
Brad Flora, a YC partner, says, “Good founders have this ability to put complex things into simple words.”
Don’t overcomplicate—your goal is to be understood at a glance.
b. Consider their perspective.
They aren’t experts in your field and rely on gut feelings.
If your application is unclear or too detailed, you’ll lose their attention.
c. Be concise.
Partners skim applications, looking for motivated teams and ideas that seem promising.
Fun fact: at the end of the batch, our partner Nicolas Dessaigne told us their initial notes on our application. One read: “Team is motivated; idea seems OK.”
5. The Interview: Don't Prepare
Yes, you read that right.
Of the four times we applied, we were selected for the interview twice.
The first time, we spent 3 full days preparing, doing mock interviews, and analyzing every possible question.
Result? We got destroyed by Michael Seibel (literally). He went in a direction we didn't expect and we were completely unprepared.
The second time, we didn’t prepare at all. We had just raised funds so we actually were not so much focused on YC.
But this time, we had been running Presti AI for over a year.
We knew our business and industry inside out.
The takeaway? Spend your time working on your business and refining your understanding of it.
Actually, there is one question you should prepare for:
"What are you working on?"
Interviews often start with this question.
And you should be ready to answer it (i) in plain words (absolutely discard any technical jargon) and (ii) in 2 sentences.
6. The Result
The process is straightforward:
- If you’re accepted, you’ll get a call the next day.
- If not, you’ll receive an email.
One thing worth noting:
After our first rejection, we received an email from Michael Seibel suggesting we pivot and let him know if we did.
At the time, we thought it was a polite way of saying “no.”
It wasn’t.
We learned later that many founders in our batch shared similar experiences.
If your YC partner do not like the idea but likes the team, pivoting and letting him know could lead to another opportunity.
If you’re very early and not attached to your idea, this is definitely something to consider.
The Bottom Line
Getting into YC is simple, but it’s not easy.
The steps are straightforward, but they require clarity, dedication, and the ability to present your vision in simple terms.
If you’re thinking about applying, do it now. Don’t wait.
YC is 100% worth it—and in another post, I’ll explain why.
So? What are you waiting for?
Time to change your life. All you need is a friend, an idea, and a YC application.