Equity

Y Combinator is still paranoid

Sep 14, 2022

In this insightful discussion, Michael Seibel, Head of Y Combinator's Accelerator and founder of Social Cam, shares his experiences and views on the evolving startup ecosystem. He highlights how YC has adapted to market changes by increasing funding deals from $125,000 to $500,000. Seibel emphasizes the importance of in-person interactions for deeper connections with founders post-pandemic. The conversation also dives into tackling diversity challenges in startups, promoting equitable access for underrepresented groups in the entrepreneurial landscape.

50:57

Creator website

Episode guests

Michael Seibel

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Importance of Deadlines and Density of Investor Attention in Journalism and Investment

01:43

Riot Litusa

01:19

Intro

2min

Reviving In-Person Connections at Y Combinator

16min

Y Combinator's Strategic Shift

12min

The Startup Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities

7min

Bridging the Diversity Gap in Startups

7min

Y Combinator's Evolving Strategies

6min

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a single topic, think about a question and unpack the rest. This week, Natasha and Alex asked: How is YC evolving to meet a changed market? The question is fresh off of Demo Day last week, where Team TC and TC+ banded forces to cover the twice-a-year event that sees hundreds of startups launch to the public.

These days, Seibel doesn't often do press -- and neither does YC -- so the interview was used to connect the dots on recent news from the accelerator, cross check top trends from this past batch and ask about some of the biggest critiques people have about the institution today.

We went a bit long, but figured it was worth it given the way the conversation was going. Equity has a live show on Thursday, and lots more to come. Chat soon!

Equity drops every Monday at 7 a.m. PDT and Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m. PDT, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast,Spotifyand all the casts.

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

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