Y Combinator Methodology
YC's battle-tested approach: Launch fast, talk to users, and iterate based on what you learn
The YC Mantra
"Make something people want"
Launch in Weeks, Not Months
Your first version should be embarrassingly simple. If you're not embarrassed by your first launch, you launched too late.
How to Launch Fast
- • Cut your feature list by 90%
- • Focus on one core value prop
- • Launch to a small group first
- • Use existing tools when possible
- • Don't worry about scaling yet
YC wisdom: "Launch now, fix it later"
Talk to Users Every Day
Do things that don't scale. Manually onboard every user. Understand their problems deeply. Your users will tell you what to build.
The Mom Test
- • Talk about their life, not your idea
- • Ask about specifics in the past, not hypotheticals
- • Talk less, listen more
- • Get to the real problem behind the request
- • Watch what they do, not what they say
Target: Talk to 10+ users every week
Iterate Based on Feedback
Ship updates weekly or faster. Every week you should know more about your users than the week before. Speed of iteration beats quality of iteration.
Weekly Cycle
- • Monday: Plan based on user feedback
- • Tuesday-Thursday: Build and ship
- • Friday: Launch and measure
- • Weekend: Talk to users
- • Repeat every week
Goal: 10% week-over-week growth
Focus on Growth
Primary KPI: Weekly Growth Rate
Growth is the best indicator of product-market fit. If you're growing, keep doing what you're doing. If not, talk to more users.
Good
5-7% / week
Great
10% / week
Exceptional
15%+ / week
Do Things That Don't Scale
Recruit users manually. Deliver your service personally. Write handwritten thank you notes. You can automate later when you have product-market fit.
Find Your First 10 Users
Your first users should love you, not just like you. It's better to have 100 users who love you than 10,000 who sort of like you.
Charge from Day One
Revenue is the best form of validation. If people won't pay, you haven't solved a real problem. Start with a high price and lower it if needed.
Essential YC Questions
What are you building?
Explain it like you would to a smart friend. No jargon, just clarity.
Who desperately needs this?
Be specific. "Everyone" is not a target market.
How do you know people want this?
Show evidence: user interviews, pre-orders, letters of intent, or actual revenue.
Why now?
What has changed in the world that makes this possible or necessary now?
What's your unfair advantage?
Why will you win? Domain expertise, unique insight, or technical breakthrough?
How will you make money?
Be specific about pricing, customer acquisition cost, and lifetime value.
YC Principles to Live By
- •Build something people want: This is the only thing that matters
- •Launch now: You'll learn more in a day of launching than a month of planning
- •Stay default alive: Control your burn rate and reach profitability without raising more money
- •Write code and talk to users: That's all you should be doing in the early days
- •Be a cockroach: Survive no matter what. You can't iterate if you're dead
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