Y Combinator does not only fund companies with significant traction; many successful companies were accepted based solely on their ideas.

Many people mistakenly believe that traction or revenue is necessary to apply to Y Combinator, but that's not true; a significant portion of funded companies only have a founding team and an idea.

It's a myth that you need to be far along in your startup journey to apply to Y Combinator; many successful companies started with just an idea when they applied.

It's a misconception that being too far along in your startup's development disqualifies you from applying to Y Combinator; many successful applicants have raised significant funding before joining.

Many successful founders funded by Y Combinator had little to no online presence in the early stages of their companies, and focusing too much on establishing thought leadership can distract from what truly matters: making your company work.

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.

Getting into Y Combinator is just the beginning; many founders mistakenly believe that this achievement equates to success, but real impact comes from the work that follows.

Many hard tech founders mistakenly believe they need large amounts of funding upfront, but Y Combinator encourages them to think like software companies and find ways to progress with less money.

Many successful applicants to Y Combinator were not first-time applicants; getting comfortable with taking risks and applying even when you think you might not succeed is crucial for growth. Persistence shows character and can lead to success, so don't be afraid to pursue opportunities even if the odds seem low.