YC W24: Lessons from the Trenches

My YC Experience (W24 Batch)

I was lucky enough to go through YC in the W24 batch for Double. Overall, it was a great experience. Garry Tan was my group partner. Garry is known as one of the nicest and most authentic guys in the valley, and that was on display the entire batch. He hosted at his house in the mission a bunch, planning yoga sessions and multiple small group talks with amazing speakers.

The Good

• It steps up your company's pace: One of the most striking things about YC is the relentless pace. They push you to move fast, iterate quickly, and constantly validate your assumptions. This creates a sense of urgency that permeates the entire company. You learn to embrace the mantra of "launch early, launch often," and to prioritize action over deliberation.
• The advice is top-notch: Double is my 2nd startup - I founded Jetfuel in 2016 which was eventually acquired in 2021 for a life-changing amount of money. I wish I'd had all the YC advice the first time around. There was almost nothing that I disagreed with. Take it all in, don't die within the next two years, and move to the bay area!
• Raising Money Post-Batch is Significantly Easier: Raising money is primarily a social status game. The brand of YC (which stems from its unbelievable returns) and the competition between investors around demo day means it's significantly easier to raise a round than without YC. It's still hard and stressful, and it's nearly impossible to not compare yourself to others in the batch, but it is undoubtedly one of the perks of YC.

The Bad

• Batch Size: The only slightly negative thing I can say about YC is that the batches are too big. There were over 250 companies in the W24 batch. They have done a good job sharding the batch into concentrically smaller groups, but it still feels big. It's impossible to meet everyone, let alone forge meaningful connections with all of them. Being social and proactive is essential if you want to make the most of the experience. Looking back, I wish I had been more outgoing and intentional about building relationships with my fellow founders. Do a talk at the opening batch retreat!

It's all still up to you

I think any founder will agree with the line 'You gotta walk that lonesome valley. And you gotta walk it by yourself.' I meet a lot of founders or potential founders that think "If only I could get into YC, I'd be able to succeed". This is a complete and utter fallacy, but it's hard not to fall for it at times. YC will be one of those times. There is nobody to build your company but you. Don't forget it. Go build it!