Getting into Y Combinator was a turning point for us, as it validated our idea and pushed us to fully commit to the startup.

Despite starting Y Combinator with the goal of helping a few entrepreneurs, we never anticipated funding a thousand startups, many of which have become very successful.

I co-founded Y Combinator, the first startup accelerator, which began with a hypothesis about what people wanted, and it turned out they did want it, leading us to fund over 1,800 startups valued at over a hundred billion dollars.

The Y Combinator experience was invaluable; the community of motivated individuals and guidance from partners like Paul Graham helped us stay on course and saved us years of effort.

Stripe never formally went through Y Combinator, but YC invested in us, which helped us connect with a community of entrepreneurs.

Y Combinator was a lifeline for us; without it, we wouldn't be alive today.

My experience with Y Combinator was incredibly intense, creating a sense of urgency that is crucial for startup success.

I applied to Y Combinator on a long shot, not expecting to get in, but after interviewing in Palo Alto, I was accepted and dropped out of graduate school to pursue my startup.

After graduating from college, I struggled to find my path, working various jobs until I met Paul Graham, which led to our partnership in founding Y Combinator.