How to get into YC: Insights from Mission Possible
The venture building program Mission Possible supports Ukrainian startups by providing participants with all the necessary resources, such as mentoring, networking opportunities during business breakfasts, practical workshops, and Q&A sessions.
With the aim of launching a new wave of entrepreneurship in order for Ukrainian startups to grow and achieve global success, Mission Possible gathered YC Alumni — Ukrainian entrepreneurs and held the online event — Pathway to YC: Ukrainian Edition, where the graduates shared their transformative experience of participating in YC and their advice for future applicants.
The speakers of the event were:
Yaroslav Azhnyuk — CEO and co-founder of Petcube
Roman Sevastyanov— Founder and CEO at Awesomic
Stacy Pavlyshyna— Founder and COO at Awesomic
Yuriy Zaremba — CEO and co-founder of AiSDR
Yurij Riphyak— Founder of YouTeam
Y Combinator is one of the world’s most successful accelerators, known for its ability to transform ambitious ideas into successful companies.
“It feels as a tribe to be, where you found your people. You found also those lunatics, builders who somehow are relentlessly and tirelessly building something. And they’re a bit crazy about it,” Stacy Pavlyshyna about YC.
Readiness to Apply
Entrepreneurs often ask when is the best stage to apply to YC? Applications to Y Combinator can be made at any stage of your startup’s development, from a simple idea to an already operating business with revenue.
According to Roman Sevastyanov: “There have been companies with me on a batch from guys who just had like idea invented a month ago and they get into YC..” However, if your startup is still at a very early stage and only has an idea, it’s important to have strong aspects that could attract YC’s attention. For example, work experience at companies like Google, or education at leading universities like Stanford or Berkeley.
But if you don’t have such characteristics, the best way to demonstrate your company’s potential is to show real traction, usually through revenue. “If you don’t have a strong background, or you haven’t finished at Berkeley or Stanford, just go back to your users and do sales. This would be the best way to verify your idea.”
Thus, regardless of the stage you are at, the key to a successful application to Y Combinator is to clearly demonstrate how your unique idea or product can be replicated and scaled, providing real value to users.
Currently, the program is expanding the areas of interest, which now include hardware, military and defense technologies, providing a great opportunity for startups in these sectors. For Ukrainian entrepreneurs, this is a unique perspective and potential advantage in new technological fields, among all applicants. Yaroslav Azhnyuk notes that “It’s an unfair advantage of Ukrainians to start these defense tech companies, because we are now on the edge, and we are the frontier for the Western world and the Western civilization.”
Clarity, demonstration of uniqueness and team experience
Success in YC begins with a clear and compelling application. Alumni emphasized the importance of straightforward answers that directly address YC’s questions. “If you get asked about some specific metric, just answer a number. That’s what you’re getting asked for. Not answering some other thing”, shares the founder and CEO of Awesomic Roman Sevastyanov.
YC is interested in the potential for rapid growth of startups. Applicants should highlight how their startup distinguishes them among competitors and what prospects for its scaling, so great importance is attached to the team. It’s important to demonstrate that your team has the necessary skills, experience, and deep understanding of the market you want to change.
Focus on practicality and keep your startup’s operations minimalist, preferring tasks that directly contribute to your business goals, always strive to quickly improve your product. “My key advice is just try to build as good of business as possible and then answer honesty”, adds the co-founder and CEO of Petcube Yaroslav Azhnyuk.
Feedback and interview preparation
Receiving feedback on your application from other entrepreneurs, especially from YC alumni, is a big plus. The founder of YouTeam, Yurij Riphyak noted: “Cold emails to fellow YC founders have a 30% positive response rate. Talk about a warm community!” This can help you clarify your questions and prepare for possible questions during the interview.
Additionally, it’s very beneficial to have recommendations for your candidacy. The founder and CEO of Awesomic, Roman Sevastyanov, emphasizes the importance of recommendations: “Nothing beats a recommendation from someone who’s not just met you, but succeeded because of you. Leveraging customers as advisors, especially those from YC alumni.” Such recommendations can greatly strengthen your application, demonstrating your achievements.
There will be an interview ahead that you need to prepare thoroughly for. “Ukrainian founders, you need to understand that your preparation is, even more, a must because you need to over jump the local founders who are pitching since the kindergarten… We need to pitch the startup in this environment and win,” advises Stacy Pavlyshyna. Preparing for a YC interview involves a deep understanding of your business and the ability to clearly explain your business model, growth strategy, and future plans. Practice responses to common questions, conduct mock interviews with mentors, family, or friends to hone your confidence.
Awesomic founders Roman and Stacy spent 2 weeks preparing, they compiled a list of potential questions, and created a spreadsheet in which they wrote three answer options for each question with different intervals — an answer for 10 seconds, for 30 seconds and for one minute and constantly practiced their pitch. “With this preparation, we’ve been able to get into YC from the first time. From the one application,” said Roman.
Your confidence also depends on your proficiency in English, and this aspect should not be underestimated. Yuriy Zaremba, CEO and co-founder of AiSDR, who went through the YC program twice, emphasized: “Learn English. You have to be very confident to pitch, talk, sell in the United States, to be successful in YC.”
Additionally, YC alumni recommended studying resources that can help better understand YC’s philosophy and prepare for participation in the accelerator. Paul Graham’s essays, the YC library, and the YC startup school are excellent sources of knowledge and inspiration.
Stand out in your application and interview, research, don’t be afraid to ask for advice and build relationships with YC alumni, prepare thoroughly for each stage, but it’s important to stay true to yourself — be frank and sincere during the interview. By using each opportunity given and following the advice given by YC alumni at this event, you can bring yourself closer to participation in one of the most successful accelerators in the world.
YC is truly a transformative journey that requires full commitment, including potential relocation and significant life changes. It’s about leveraging the growth opportunities offered by YC, both financially and in terms of support.
“It was life-changing. Like, in a very direct sense” Yurij Riphyak.
We wish you success and perseverance in applying to make your mission truly possible.
Watch the full recording of Pathway to YC: Ukrainian Edition.
