The Social Radars Jared Friedman, Partner, Y Combinator; Co-founder, Scribd
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Dec 30, 2025 
Jared Friedman, a former co-founder of Scribd and a partner at Y Combinator, shares his fascinating journey from a CS major at Harvard to a major player in the startup scene. He discusses the early days of YC, the challenges of launching Scribd as the 'YouTube for documents,' and the pivotal moments that shaped its growth, including a shift to a subscription model inspired by Twitch. Jared also delves into his experiences mentoring new founders, YC's evolving tech landscape, and the critical role of AI in shaping the future of startups.
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Early Paul Graham Influence
- Jared discovered Paul Graham in ninth grade and learned Lisp from his book, which shaped his path to startups.
- That early exposure led Jared to follow Paul’s essays and aim for the Summer Founders Program.
Meeting A Cofounder Via Campus Email
- Jared met cofounder Tripp after Tripp emailed the CS undergrad list seeking a technical partner.
- They hit it off, started building a ride-hailing style product, and later applied to YC together.
Rejected Then Reinstated
- Paul initially rejected Jared and Tripp’s Uber-like idea in 2006 because timing and phones weren't ready.
- They argued via a long email thread and secured YC by agreeing to switch to a Craigslist-for-colleges idea.
