The Ralston Years

Geoff Ralston takes over as president. YC runs its first fully remote batch through the pandemic, raises the standard deal to $500k, and a flood of online talks and founder stories carries YC’s ideas worldwide.

Part of Y Combinator

133 moments in this segment.

1. 2013-08-15 — DoorDash at YC Summer 2013 Demo Day. From the Y Combinator video archive (2020).
2. 2019-01-23 — Tracking Political Manipulation Through Social Media - Samantha Bradshaw. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
3. 2019-01-30 — What Shutting Down Your Startup Feels Like - Avni Patel Thompson of Poppy with Kat Manalac. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
4. 2019-02-15 — Ryan Hoover on Product Hunt's Acquisition and Lessons Learned About Launches with Dalton Caldwell. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
5. 2019-02-27 — Karn Saroya on the Capital-Light Way to Start an Insurance Business. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
6. 2019-03-11 — YC's Director of Events Domonique Fines with Elpha CEO Cadran Cowansage. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
7. 2019-03-14 — How Pitching Investors is Different Than Pitching Customers - Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
8. 2019-03-15 — Geoff Ralston becomes president. In 2019 Geoff Ralston — a long-time partner and the founder of YC’s Startup School — succeeds Sam Altman as president of Y Combinator.
9. 2019-04-03 — A CS Education That's Free Until You Get a Job - Austen Allred of Lambda School. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
10. 2019-04-04 — How to Get and Test Startup Ideas - Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
11. 2019-04-10 — Google Photos Product Lead and Bump Cofounder David Lieb with Gustaf Alströmer. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
12. 2019-04-12 — How to Find a Technical Cofounder - Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
13. 2019-04-18 — Hiring Tips from Pebble Watch Founder Eric Migicovsky. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
14. 2019-04-25 — Should I Use a Dev Shop? - Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
15. 2019-04-30 — Startup Advisor Equity? - Pebble Watch Founder Eric Migicovsky. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
16. 2019-05-01 — Software Engineer Turned Youtuber - Jarvis Johnson. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
17. 2019-05-08 — HubSpot CEO and Cofounder Brian Halligan with Wufoo Cofounder Kevin Hale. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
18. 2019-05-15 — Monetizing Podcasts and Newsletters - Chris Best of Substack and Jonathan Gill of Backtracks. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
19. 2019-05-16 — When is the Right Time to Apply to Y Combinator? - Jared Friedman. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
20. 2019-05-17 — Working at Big Tech Companies Can Be a Trap - Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
21. 2019-05-21 — Request for Startups: Government 2.0 - Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
22. 2019-05-22 — Vidit Aatrey on Building Meesho, India's Top Reselling Platform, with Adora Cheung. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
23. 2019-05-29 — Analyzing Billions of Transactions to Understand Consumer Behavior - Michael Babineau and Kevin Hale. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
24. 2019-05-31 — Most Startups Are Undercharging - Dalton Caldwell. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
25. 2019-06-05 — Simone Giertz on Her Robots and Returning to Work After Brain Surgery. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
26. 2019-06-06 — How Much Equity to Give Your Cofounder - Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
27. 2019-06-12 — Tracy Young on Scaling PlanGrid to 400+ People with YC Partner Kat Manalac. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
28. 2019-06-14 — Should You Move Your Company to Silicon Valley? - Eric Migicovsky, Pebble Founder. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
29. 2019-06-19 — Jeremy Rossmann of Make School on Income Share Agreements and the Future of College. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
30. 2019-06-20 — Does YC Fund Solo Founders? - Jared Friedman. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
31. 2019-07-03 — Updates for Startup School 2019 and Office Hours with Kevin Hale. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
32. 2019-07-10 — Startup Hiring Advice from Lever CEO Sarah Nahm with Holly Liu. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
33. 2019-07-12 — What Successful Founders Focus On - Dalton Caldwell. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
34. 2019-07-16 — Elad Gil: When do you know you have Product Market Fit?. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
35. 2019-07-16 — Paul Graham: What are some common mistakes founders make?. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
36. 2019-07-16 — Paul Graham: When should you launch your startup?. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
37. 2019-07-16 — Michael Seibel: How do you decide what to build next?. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
38. 2019-07-16 — Paul Graham: What does it mean to do things that don't scale?. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
39. 2019-07-16 — Paul Buchheit: What are some things successful founders have in common?. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
40. 2019-07-16 — Ooshma Garg: What are some of the challenges you face as the CEO of your startup?. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
41. 2019-07-17 — Camille Fournier on Managing Technical Teams. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
42. 2019-07-19 — Can You Apply to YC Before You Have a US Visa? - Jared Friedman. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
43. 2019-07-19 — Geoff Ralston: The Story of Your Startup. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
44. 2019-08-01 — Michael Seibel - How to Plan an MVP. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
45. 2019-08-01 — Ilya Volodarsky - Analytics for Startups. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
46. 2019-08-07 — EconTalk Host Russ Roberts on Key Economic Concepts for Founders. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
47. 2019-08-14 — Jay Reno of Feather, a Furniture Subscription Startup. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
48. 2019-08-15 — Gustaf Alströmer - Growth for Startups. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
49. 2019-08-16 — The Biggest Mistakes First-Time Founders Make - Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
50. 2019-08-22 — Kirsty Nathoo - Managing Startup Finances. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
51. 2019-08-28 — Diana Hu on Augmented Reality and Building a Startup in a New Market. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
52. 2019-08-29 — Tim Brady - Building Culture. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
53. 2019-08-29 — Dalton Caldwell - All About Pivoting. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
54. 2019-09-06 — Kevin Hale - Startup Pricing 101. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
55. 2019-09-20 — Carolynn Levy - Modern Startup Funding. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
56. 2019-09-24 — How To Cold Email Investors - Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
57. 2019-09-30 — Geoff Ralston - Parting Advice. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
58. 2019-10-11 — Consume Information That Encourages You To Do More - Dalton Caldwell. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
59. 2019-11-22 — Why Fundraising Is Different In Silicon Valley - Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
60. 2019-11-27 — Cory Doctorow and Joe Betts-Lacroix on Adversarial Interoperability. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
61. 2019-12-04 — Matt Cutts on the US Digital Service and Working at Google for 17 Years. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
62. 2019-12-11 — Laks Srini on Making Homeownership in Reach with ZeroDown. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
63. 2019-12-18 — Amber Atherton of Zyper and Iba Masood of TARA on Raising a Series A as a Female Founder. From the Y Combinator video archive (2019).
64. 2020-01-28 — Diego Saez Gil - How Pachama Uses Tech to Solve Climate Change. From the Y Combinator video archive (2020).
65. 2020-11-11 — Volley (W18) - YC Tech Talks: Gaming 2020 (November 9th, 2020). From the Y Combinator video archive (2020).
66. 2020-11-11 — Ramen VR (S19) - YC Tech Talks: Gaming 2020 (November 9th, 2020). From the Y Combinator video archive (2020).
67. 2020-11-11 — Dreamcraft (S18) - YC Tech Talks: Gaming 2020 (November 9th, 2020). From the Y Combinator video archive (2020).
68. 2020-11-11 — Athlane (S19) - YC Tech Talks, Gaming 2020 (November 9, 2020). From the Y Combinator video archive (2020).
69. 2020-12-07 — Designing Characters with Deep Learning: Spellbrush (W18) - YC Gaming Tech Talks 2020. From the Y Combinator video archive (2020).
70. 2020-12-07 — Synthetic Media: Virtual Influencers & Live Animation: Figments (S19) - YC Gaming Tech Talks 2020. From the Y Combinator video archive (2020).
71. 2020-12-07 — Desining from Day One: Artists as Founders: Multiverse (S20) - YC Gaming Tech Talks 2020. From the Y Combinator video archive (2020).
72. 2020-12-09 — DoorDash's Application Video for YC S13. From the Y Combinator video archive (2020).
73. 2020-12-14 — Essential Startup Advice During a Pandemic. From the Y Combinator video archive (2020).
74. 2021-01-12 — 2021 YC Top Companies on Their Startup Journey. From the Y Combinator video archive (2021).
75. 2021-02-01 — Michael Seibel - How to set your KPI?. From the Y Combinator video archive (2021).
76. 2021-02-08 — Harj Taggar - Why Do Startups Fail. From the Y Combinator video archive (2021).
77. 2021-02-08 — Harj Taggar - How Startups can Compete with FAANG Companies when Hiring Employees. From the Y Combinator video archive (2021).
78. 2021-02-08 — Harj Taggar - Choosing a Startup to Work At. From the Y Combinator video archive (2021).
79. 2021-02-26 — Squire, Edlyft, Promise: The Journey, Challenges, & Impact. From the Y Combinator video archive (2021).
80. 2021-03-08 — Future Founders Conference for Women Globally. From the Y Combinator video archive (2021).
81. 2021-11-11 — Weave's Application Video for YC W14. From the Y Combinator video archive (2021).
82. 2021-12-16 — Understanding Investor Terms & Incentives || Rookie Mistakes with Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2021).
83. 2022-01-05 — Should You Follow Your Passion? – Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
84. 2022-01-15 — The deal grows to $500k. In January 2022 YC revises the standard deal to $500,000 — $125,000 for 7% plus a further $375,000 on an uncapped SAFE — giving founders more runway from day one.
85. 2022-01-19 — Where Do Great Startup Ideas Come From? – Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
86. 2022-01-26 — Simple Products That Became Big Companies – Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
87. 2022-02-02 — How To Change The World? Get The Small Things Right – Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
88. 2022-02-16 — Things That Don't Scale, The Software Edition – Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
89. 2022-02-23 — Why Investors Can’t Fix Your Company – Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
90. 2022-03-02 — Elon Musk & The Midwit Meme – Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
91. 2022-03-31 — How Future Billionaires Get Sh*t Done. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
92. 2022-04-20 — Why You Should Leave Your FAANG Job. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
93. 2022-04-29 — Investors Said No, Now What?. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
94. 2022-05-06 — Save Your Startup During an Economic Downturn. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
95. 2022-05-10 — Critiquing Startup Websites With Instacart's First Designer. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
96. 2022-05-17 — Introducing Startup School 2022. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
97. 2022-06-01 — Turning Your Users Into Paying Customers. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
98. 2022-06-08 — Y Combinator Is Back In Person. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
99. 2022-06-10 — YC's Summer 2022 Startup Job Expo - Pitches from 30 YC founders & find your next startup. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
100. 2022 — Sam Altman (2022). Sam Altman, photographed in 2022. Part of the Y Combinator story.
101. 2022 — Sam Altman (2022). Sam Altman, photographed in 2022. Part of the Y Combinator story.
102. 2022-06-23 — Lessons From The Founders Scaling Their Startup In A War Zone. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
103. 2022-06-30 — AMA with YC: Job Searching During an Economic Downturn (Event Summary). From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
104. 2022-07-07 — Top Ways Startups Waste Money. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
105. 2022-07-19 — YC Startup Talks: Understanding Equity with Jordan Gonen, CEO & Co-founder of Compound. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
106. 2022-07-22 — Most Important Lifestyle Habits Of Successful Founders. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
107. 2022-07-22 — YC Tech Talks: Climate Tech with Charge Robotics (S21), Wright Electric (W17) and Impossible Mining. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
108. 2022-08-11 — YC Ultimate Job Guide: Startup Stages. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
109. 2022-08-11 — YC Women in Tech: Breaking Into Product. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
110. 2022-08-11 — Becoming a founding engineer at a YC startup. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
111. 2022-08-12 — YC Tech Talks: Defi and Scalability with Nemil at Coinbase (S12). From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
112. 2022-08-12 — YC Tech Talks: Designing from Day One: Artists as Founders with Multiverse (S20). From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
113. 2022-08-12 — YC Tech Talks: MMOs in the Instagram Era: Highrise (S18). From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
114. 2022-08-12 — YC Tech Talks: Designing Game Characters with Deep Learning, from Cory Li at Spellbrush (W18). From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
115. 2022-08-15 — A deliberate tightening. In summer 2022 YC deliberately cuts batch intake by about 40% — from 414 down to roughly 250 companies — prioritising quality and partner attention as the accelerator matures.
116. 2022-08-23 — Becoming a founding engineer at a YC startup - Finley short. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
117. 2022-08-26 — The Better Customer–Startups or Big Enterprise?. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
118. 2022-09-01 — What Basic Game Theory Teaches Us About Startups. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
119. 2022-09-09 — The Two Mindsets That Can KILL Your Startup. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
120. 2022-10-11 — Big Changes at Y Combinator? An Inside Look with S22 Founders. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
121. 2022-10-12 — Why become a product engineer? -- with Volley (YC W18) & Luminai (YC S20). From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
122. 2022-10-21 — Y Combinator Go-To-Market Jobs Expo, 2022. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
123. 2022-12-01 — What VCs Look for When Investing in Bio and Healthcare. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
124. 2022-12-01 — Fireside Chat with Tanay Tandon of Athelas. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
125. 2022-12-01 — Welcome to the YC Health and Bio Summit 2022 with Surbhi Sarna. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
126. 2022-12-01 — YC Alumni Lightning Round. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
127. 2022-12-01 — The Past and Future of YC Bio. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
128. 2022-12-01 — The Right Reason and Way to Approach Strategics. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
129. 2022-12-08 — Which Sales Strategy Is Best For Your Startup?. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
130. 2022-12-15 — Startup Business Models and Pricing | Startup School. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
131. 2022-12-19 — YC Startup Talks: Startup Equity with Compound (YC S19). From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
132. 2022-12-22 — YC Tech Talks: Machine Learning. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).
133. 2022-12-23 — Critiquing Startup Websites With Webflow CEO. From the Y Combinator video archive (2022).