Lucas da Costa’s Post

I've been overwhelmed with queries about the Y Combinator process and reviews. To manage this influx and give back to the startup community, I'm offering pro bono sessions to guide you through your YC journey—completely free! Here’s what I’m offering: - In-depth YC application reviews - Strategic interview prep - Personal insights from my own YC experience If you're dreaming about Y Combinator, hit me up using the link in the comment Let’s empower your startup journey together! #ycombinator #application #startups

Today, Lattice is a $3 billion SaaS powerhouse, but in 2016, Lattice was just two employees pitching at Y Combinator's Demo Day… would you have spotted its potential back then? Lattice's YC pitch, and it's a masterclass in startup potential - and investor blindspots. Jack, Lattice's founder, presented a simple concept: help companies set goals and track how each employee contributes. Early traction? Impressive. Goal-setting on the platform was growing 80% month-over-month. The team was the standout. Jack and Eric (CTO) had worked together at Teespring. This prior relationship hinted at lower founder conflict risk - a common startup killer. Plus, their startup background suggested an appetite for risk and understanding of ground-up company building. But… The pitch lacked concrete examples of customer impact…. and there was no mention of revenue. For many investors (myself included), that's often a deal-breaker. Hindsight is 20/20, and it's tempting to say I'd have invested. But truthfully? The lack of revenue would have been a big hurdle. Yet Lattice secured a $2.8 million seed round that spring, led by Thrive Capital. By January 2022, they raised $175 million at a $3 billion valuation. The lesson? In startup investing, you don't need to catch every unicorn. You just need to catch one. But to catch any, you need to be in the game. Lattice's journey from YC pitch to $3 billion valuation reminds us of the immense potential hiding in those 2-minute YC Demo Day presentations. Would you have invested in Lattice? And more importantly, are you positioned to spot the next Lattice from YC’s Demo Day?

At RightShift, we're always inspired by game-changers in the tech world. Today, we're spotlighting Y Combinator, the accelerator that's redefining what's possible in entrepreneurship. Did you know: 🚀 YC has launched over 3,200 companies with a mind-blowing combined valuation of $400+ billion! 🚀 It's not just for tech bros anymore - even publishing legends are joining YC batches! 🚀 YC's latest batch had 401 companies... selected from over 16,000 applicants! Talk about exclusive. 🚀 They're taking on problems like fusion energy and space debris removal. Moon shots? More like galaxy shots! But here's the real kicker: YC isn't just changing startups; it's reshaping our entire culture. They've turned founders into the rock stars of our era, inspiring a whole generation to dream bigger and push boundaries. From Airbnb to Stripe, from DoorDash to Coinbase, YC companies are the household names of tomorrow. They're not just building products; they're crafting the future. So next time you're doubting if your idea is "too crazy," remember: YC once backed a company whose plan was to have strangers sleep on each other's couches... Dream big. Start small. But most importantly, start. Want to read the full article and get insights like these straight to your inbox? Subscribe to RightShift Pulse. We bring you the stories that inspire innovation, right when you need them. #YCombinator #Startups #Innovation #DreamBig #RightShiftPulse

Do things that don't scale Paul Graham says this is what they advise the founders at Y Combinator because.. Startups don't just take off on their own. It's the founders who make them take off. Startups require a push, a nudge in the right direction. Think of it like starting a car with a crank - once it's going, it'll keep running smoothly. But initially, it takes some manual effort to get it going. Take Airbnb, for example. In its early days, the founders personally onboarded hosts and engaged with them directly. They went the extra mile by arranging for photographers to capture property images, ensuring a stellar user experience from the get-go & making the host onboarding easier. This hands-on approach is crucial for founders in the nascent stages of their startup journey. Whether it's customer onboarding, user engagement, or product development, founders must dive in. It's about doing whatever it takes to make the idea work, even if it means manual processes that aren't scalable. As startup grows, these tasks can be delegated or automated. But in the early days, it's the founder's dedication and smartness which provides the initial boost. Link to the full article in comments. #startups #founders #product

The Notorious B.I.G. got it right - mo’ money, mo’ problems. More money doesn’t fix your problems at a startup, it amplifies them. Bigger, more well-known companies don’t always have the better product. More money & headcount make moving faster & fixing things harder. Learning, iterating, & adopting in a changing environment is the edge startups have to build better products & achieve asymmetric returns. 

🎯 Y Combinator Application Guide: If you’re planning to apply to YC, don’t miss this essential guide by YC alum Yurii Rebryk, who cracked the code after 3 attempts and went on to raise $2.5M for his startup, 𝗙𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆. Here’s what makes it valuable: • 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗻 his experience applying 3 times • 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 reviews of 100+ applications • 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 advice from YC alumni and partners Some of the key application questions the guide covers include: • Describing your company in 50 characters or less • Detailing what your company will make • Explaining how you’ll make money • Why you chose this idea ... If you’re aiming for YC, this is a must-read. Again, shout out to Yurii Rebryk, for sharing such valuable insights! ------- Join 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 for more startup insights: 👉 https://lnkd.in/gm74uFNx

I’ve got to share this—navigating the startup world can be a mixed bag. While Y Combinator was once the gold standard for accelerators, it feels like they're now casting a wide net, hoping to find the next big hit. This hit-or-miss approach often results in startups gaining early traction from hype, but when enterprises put the products to the test, they quickly realize the prototypes can’t scale, leading to high churn. Building a quick prototype to showcase a feature or use case has never been easier, thanks to modern tools. But turning that initial concept into a reliable, scalable product that customers love? That’s where the real work begins. Through my journey, the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is the importance of user experience. It’s not just about building something that works—it's about creating a product that delights users every step of the way. Documenting clear, step-by-step instructions, ensuring a fast, lag-free interface, and meeting privacy and usability standards are critical factors that can’t be overlooked. Optimizing a product from 90% to 99% is an uphill battle, where each percentage point is exponentially harder to achieve. But focusing on these details is what separates a gimmicky prototype from a truly impactful enterprise product. Building something great means embracing the grind of refinement and always putting the user first. Let’s keep pushing for better. #clerkchat #startup #startupculture #lessons #userexperience #founders #ycombinator

If you are thinking of starting your own journey, go through this video and understand what a tarpit idea is. Avoid such trap at any cost. Tarpit ideas are the startup ideas that seem good — almost too good to be true! — but have been tried by many founders before with little to no success. Tarpit ideas are often not hard in obvious ways. They might seem so easy and good that it’s unbelievable that no one has done it — but when you look a bit deeper, you realize that they have been tried. Over, and over again. https://lnkd.in/g3ewTzgg

“Do I need a co-founder?” My answer to this question is probably a bit biased - After 9 years of working together, it’s hard for me to imagine making it this far (and having as much fun along the way) without my co-founder, Sean Thorne. That being said, I thought it’d be interesting to use some of the data we’re building out at People Data Labs to look into how Y Combinator thinks about this question. - Do YC startups with multiple co-founders outperform companies with solo-founders?  - How has YC’s view on co-founders changed over time?  - In what ways are solo-founders of YC-backed startups unique or different from co-founder-led YC startups? Let’s explore 💡

Bright future for startups with purpose, automation, value creation and rapid execution in niche markets. Robert RAHNER head of Finance at ESSCA School of Management - Budapest reached out to MYCOlive for help. Within minutes we found a solution with MYCOlive App, the girls booked their rooms and joined our community with chat support. When you build something new, it's not necessary to compete with big firms, let them compete within their own core market. Focus on collaboration and your ability to solve problems in your niche. I see a bright future for large companies such as IBIS hotel Accor Airbnb Hilton make smart startups collaboration/acquisition like Google Amazon Netflix to not end up like Kodak or Blockbuster. Same applies to scaleups, your funding rounds have ceiling.