How I got into Y Combinator with a 4 day old idea as a college student [storytime]

Here's the story of how I got into Y Combinator (YC) with a 4 day old idea, whilst still at university.

DISCLAIMER: My experiences are offered independently of, and not sponsored or endorsed by, or affiliated with, Y Combinator.

We are so grateful to the team at YC, and all those who have helped us along the way. The YC interview was a fantastic learning experience, and I’m excited to share it with you in this video! If you’re interested in seeing our YC application, getting more information on the interview, or hearing my tips on how to prepare, feel free to comment that down below.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction
00:49 Started working on a startup idea
01:54 Submitting the online application to YC
02:54 What we did before the YC interview
04:25 The YC interview
05:27 The aftermath of our first YC interview
07:02 The second YC interview
08:05 Conclusion

[knowledgeispower]

Thank you so much for this knowledge. It seems like YC is more interested in the founding team than the idea itself. YC would rather fund a A-team with a B-idea than a B-team with a A-idea.

[arnavbathla]

This is extremely motivating as a fellow early-stage founder!
Keep it up, Ahana!
Super excited for you:)

[QueenLover-ji]

By YouSum Live

00:00:00 Seizing Y Combinator opportunity with a novel idea.
00:00:11 Transition from academia to entrepreneurial journey.
00:01:02 Utilizing "Disciplined Entrepreneurship" for startup guidance.
00:01:16 Idea generation process: 100 ideas to one standout concept.
00:01:35 Quill: Automating meeting minutes for efficiency and insights.
00:01:57 Bold move: Applying to Y Combinator despite doubts.
00:02:45 Intense preparation for YC interview with alumni insights.
00:03:23 Initial feedback: Pushing to launch and gain traction quickly.
00:05:55 Pivoting to Hout: Leveraging personal insights for a new idea.
00:06:45 Intense last-minute prototype building for Hout.
00:07:49 YC acceptance: Turning a four-day-old idea into reality.

By YouSum Live

[todorvalev]

(Greetings from Rotterdam) We were just watching with a friend of mine this video and we were inspired by Quil and recorded our entire 100 idea ideation process.
Really inspiring, Ahana!

[lopaneyovideos]

Just applying to YC myself and appreciate all the insight. Looked you up, nice to see a fellow uwcsea grad.

[ronque]

Thank you for helping to dispel so many myths about the process. I pretty much thought you had no chance unless your idea already had some traction!

[artempeshevets]

Hard work pays off. Happy for you, Ahana!

[katlehokomeke]

I'm so happy to hear this. 🙂❤️ Congratulations! I'm going to apply to YC later this year... wish me luck.

[Horacel]

Great video! We did not get in this time around but my team and I will continue to push regardless and apply in the future again!

[zk]

It would be great to see a video of how you wrote your application - your written/comms skills must be amazing!

[seemabanerjee]

There is no substitute for hard work. Well done!

[subijoyacharya]

Thank you Ahana. Please upload more videos on getting entry in Y combinator.

[RajeshMenon]

Very inspiring... Have shared it in a few startup groups I am in.

[koby]

Good luck Ahana you are helping us a lot

[jucanful]

This is so encouraging. As an entrepreneur, i would be happy to connect and learn one or two things from you

[ipip]

This is very encouraging. Thanks for sharing.

[pavangandhi]

Amazing this has motivated me to apply to YC

[HoneyPooBoo]

Wow that is so cool Ahana! An investor we met last week told us we should apply to Y Combinator for our luxurious eco-village resorts project, and we don't know if they'll take entrepreneurs not focused on tech but who knows, worth a try, we will finish our application! 💖🌎😊

[fionfooo]

Thanks for sharing! I'm currently studying at Imperial and I think that your story is truly inspiring. Would love to connect and learn more from you!

[sreenimensa]

Hi! First of all congratulations and thanks for posting this motivating video. We have built our MVP and have launched about 8 days ago. Around 100 odd users are using the web application and I have mostly received positive feedback. Right now I am not charging to get more users. So I have no revenue to show. How particular are people at YC regarding having paying customers given that it is just an MVP which is 8 days old.