All My Advice for Getting into YC

Written By Aakash Shah

I participated in YC W21 with Wyndly (https://www.wyndly.com). I've also coached 8 people into YC. Many of these coached have gone on to raise unimaginable amounts and build sustaining companies.

Introduction

Successful YC applications follow a three-part framework:

  1. Identify your fundraising vertebrae - The 2-3 specific reasons investors would fund you
  2. Craft independent, powerful answers - Each question should stand alone as evidence of your potential
  3. Weave an overarching narrative - Connect everything into a compelling story about your inevitable success

Let's walk through how to execute each step effectively.

Step 1: Identify Your Fundraising Vertebrae

Begin by honestly assessing which 2-3 of these strengths form the backbone of your investment case:

  • Traction: Impressive user/revenue growth (e.g., "20% week-over-week growth for 6 months")
  • Market Size: Clear path to massive TAM (e.g., "$50B addressable market growing 15% annually")
  • Unique Insight: Novel approach others have missed (e.g., "We discovered enterprise customers value X over Y")
  • Team Advantage: Exceptional domain expertise or prior success (e.g., "We built and sold a similar product")
  • Product Innovation: Technical or UX breakthrough (e.g., "Our algorithm improves accuracy by 40%")
  • Problem Urgency: Critical pain point with growing demand (e.g., "Companies lose $5M annually to this issue")

Action steps:

  1. List evidence for each category
  2. Identify your 2-3 strongest vertebrae with concrete metrics
  3. Ensure these strengths appear consistently throughout your application

Step 2: Structure Each Answer Independently

For each application question:

The Formula

  1. Lead with your main point in the first sentence
  2. Include just 1-2 key messages that demonstrate business mastery
  3. Provide concrete evidence (metrics, experiments, customer quotes)
  4. Connect back to your vertebrae

Key Questions to Prepare

  • What are you building? (Product focus)
  • Who are you? (Team strength)
  • How far along are you? (Traction evidence)
  • What's the market opportunity? (Size and growth)
  • Why will this become a $10B company? (Growth trajectory)

Action steps:

  1. Draft each answer separately
  2. Review to ensure each could stand alone
  3. Cut any content that doesn't directly support your vertebrae

Step 3: Craft Your Overarching Narrative

Thread these elements into a compelling story:

The Five-Part Structure

  1. Hook: The insight or opportunity that makes your venture unmissable
  2. Characters: What makes your founding team uniquely positioned to win
  3. Struggle: The critical problem you're addressing (and why it matters)
  4. Triumph: Early wins that validate your approach
  5. Determination: Why you'll succeed regardless of obstacles

Action steps:

  1. Identify your most compelling hook
  2. Highlight founder qualities that specifically match your problem
  3. Ensure your early wins directly validate your approach
  4. Demonstrate commitment beyond typical founder enthusiasm

Final Review Checklist

Before submitting, verify your application:

  • Opens every answer with the main point immediately
  • Consistently highlights your 2-3 vertebrae throughout
  • Provides specific metrics rather than general claims
  • Demonstrates deep domain expertise & business mastery
  • Uses authentic, bullshit-free language
  • Keeps all answers concise
  • Makes a clear case for $10B potential
  • Tells a cohesive story across all questions

Remember: YC partners review thousands of applications. Your job is to quickly demonstrate you're building something that could fundamentally reshape an industry and create billions in value.

Resources

Aakash Shah
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Essential Advice to Land a YC Interview