Y Combinator Startup Podcast

Austen Allred, CEO and co-founder of Lambda School, discusses the innovative education model that offers coding courses with payment only after securing a job. He dives into the accessibility of tech education, advocating for practical learning over traditional degrees. Austen also addresses the importance of networking and the challenges of fundraising, sharing personal anecdotes from his entrepreneurial journey. He reflects on the nuances of remote work and the evolving landscape of education, emphasizing inclusivity for underrepresented candidates.

In this discussion, Amy Buechler, an executive coach for startup founders, and Michael Seibel, CEO of Y Combinator, explore the vital role of coaching in entrepreneurship. They dive into co-founder dynamics, especially around roles and responsibilities, using insights from Michael's experience at Justin.tv and Twitch. The duo also tackles the intricacies of equity distribution, addressing potential resentment, and emphasizes the importance of open communication in conflict resolution. Their candid exchanges reveal how navigating tough conversations can lead to stronger team dynamics and overall success.

Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, is a tech-savvy YouTuber with over 8 million subscribers, famous for his insightful product reviews and interviews. He discusses the secrets behind his channel's success, the subjective nature of tech features, and the latest trends in smartphones and electric vehicles. Marques reveals his creative evolution and how he adapts to maintain relevance in the fast-paced tech world. He also shares personal experiences with storytelling and the challenges of content creation, emphasizing authenticity and connection with viewers.

Adora Cheung, a Partner at Y Combinator, shares her wealth of knowledge on podcasting, focusing on metrics and the art of engaging interviews. She discusses the evolution of podcasting gear and the importance of selecting compelling topics. Cheung and Craig Cannon delve into challenges like hearing one's own voice and navigating audience engagement. They also explore the future of the podcasting landscape, the balance between innovation and complacency in tech jobs, and when to take the leap into entrepreneurship.

Domonique Fines, Director of Events at Y Combinator, shares her journey from aspiring lawyer to tech event planner. She discusses the pivotal moment that led her to choose passion over expectation, emphasizing the importance of understanding target audiences in event planning. Dom also highlights outreach initiatives aimed at increasing tech access for underrepresented groups and reflects on the significance of self-care to avoid burnout. With inspiring insights, she encourages listeners to pursue their goals and embrace their unique career paths.

Meet Mike Knoop, co-founder of Zapier, an automation powerhouse, and Kevin Hale, co-founder of Wufoo and a Visiting Partner at Y Combinator. They discuss the evolution of remote work, sharing insights on building effective remote teams and fostering creativity. Learn about Zapier's growth strategy, how to navigate challenges in communication without an office, and the importance of customer feedback. Plus, they dive into the significance of using OKRs to enhance collaboration and keep morale high in a remote setting.

Karn Saroya is the CEO and cofounder of Cover, which was in the YC Winter 2016 batch.Cover is a nationally licensed insurance brokerage. You can use their app to take a picture of property you want to insure and they’ll connect you with their insurance partners so that you can get the best price and coverage.You can find Karn on Twitter at @karnsaroya.The YC podcast is hosted by Craig Cannon.***Topics00:36 - Karn’s intro01:01 - Using computer vision to identify and catalogue property2:28 - How Karn ended up starting Cover3:48 - Being a maker vs. an advisor5:58 - Stylekick, Karn’s previous startup9:28 - Joining Shopify10:08 - How the idea for Cover happened11:58 - The capital-light way to start an insurance business16:28 - Underwriting17:58 - Lead generation20:18 - Product development21:28 - Buying Cover.com for $750k24:53 - Being engaged to a cofounder28:43 - Managing two offices and cultures30:58 - Being an international founder in YC31:58 - Advice to people in the current batch of YC

Caterina Fake hosts the podcast Should This Exist? which is about how technology is impacting our humanity. It launches today on iTunes. She also cofounded Flickr, Hunch, and Findery and is an investor at Yes VC.Kat Manalac is a partner at YC.You can find Caterina on Twitter at @Caterina and Kat at @KatManalac.The YC podcast is hosted by Craig Cannon.***Topics00:32 - Caterina's new podcast, Should This Exist?2:32 - Is there a process for considering if something should exist?4:02 - Who should be part of these conversations?5:17 - Wait But Why and the Human Colossus7:22 - Episode 1 of Should This Exist?10:17 - Having conversations before things exist11:42 - How might employees think about their role in whether or not something should exist?14:32 - Caterina reflecting on her creations and if they should exist19:02 - Considering whether things should exist as investors23:32 - Cofounder charter - What you will and won't do26:03 - Questioning the VC model27:22 - Working on Wall St, feeling herself change, and quitting31:22 - Caterina as a student34:02 - Peculiarity and entrepreneurship35:22 - "Don't fight to win prizes that aren't worth winning"38:32 - What was once fringe is now mainstream40:52 - Kat looking up to Lea Salonga42:42 - Evgeny asks - How did she get her first 100 paying users?49:27 - How does she advise founders to find investors?54:47 - What questions should founders ask themselves while making something?

Ryan Hoover is the founder of Product Hunt which was in the Summer 2014 YC batch and was acquired by AngelList. He also invests in startups through his Weekend Fund.Dalton Caldwell is a Partner at YC where he runs admissions.Ryan is on Twitter at @rrhoover and Dalton is at @daltonc.The YC podcast is hosted by Craig Cannon.***Topics00:27 - Ryan's intro00:52 - Dalton's intro1:27 - Forming Product Hunt and applying to YC5:17 - Product Hunt's growth rate when they applied to YC6:27 - Raising money for the right reasons9:42 - Maker communities11:27 - Why raise money for Product Hunt?13:12 - Having buzz during the batch18:12 - Brex changing their idea during YC20:17 - Pivoting into something you know well21:32 - In retrospect, how would Ryan have advised himself around monetization?28:27 - Trying to build out other verticals34:27 - Don't act like you have infinite runway35:57 - Creating urgency and developing products within AngelList40:17 - Tips to launch on Product Hunt45:07 - What Dalton looks for in applications46:57 - Giving people the opportunity to start48:47- What motivated Ryan to leave his job before Product Hunt

Jake Klamka founded Insight. Insight provides intensive 7 week professional training fellowships in fields such as data science and data engineering. Insight was in the YC Winter 2011 batch.Kevin Hale is a Visiting Partner at YC. Before YC Kevin was the cofounder of Wufoo, which was funded by YC in 2006 and acquired by SurveyMonkey in 2011.You can find Jake on Twitter at @jakeklamka and Kevin at @ilikevests.The YC podcast is hosted by Craig Cannon.***Topics00:37 - Kevin's intro01:07 - Jake's intro1:42 - Applying to YC with one product then changing it4:07 - How Insight started4:57 - Jake's first students and initial coursework8:37 - Finding out what companies want from data scientists10:37 - Picking the first class of students12:07 - Common pitfalls for people transitioning into data science15:07 - Types of data science roles17:22 - What data scientists should look out for in companies18:17 - Chuck Grimmett asks - When do you know you need to bring in seasoned data scientists?20:37 - How Insight has scaled and changed22:37 - What happens in the program23:57 - Examples of a good project for a data science resume26:27 - Will more data scientists be founders in the future?28:37 - Teaching product29:37 - Cleaning data32:07 - Tools for tracking data32:57 - Track what are you trying to optimize35:57 - Churn and conversion39:37 - Is there an ideal background for a data scientist?41:37 - Which startups recruit well at Insight?43:37 - Contracting46:17 - Fields Jake is excited about