Joining Y Combinator turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made, especially as we faced severe financial challenges before receiving their support. Starting and running a company as a founder can be a very lonely experience, where you often feel responsible for everyone's future and only you know the reality of the low times.

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

After struggling for a year to get the Airbnb marketplace going, we decided to apply to Y Combinator in the fall of 2008 as a last-ditch effort.

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.

After exiting Y Combinator, we achieved $200,000 in revenue within six weeks, and by the end of the year, we reached about $1 million, showcasing our rapid growth trajectory.

I didn't do Y Combinator at the beginning of Gobble; I did it three and a half years into the struggle when I was running out of money and had only $8,000 in the bank.

With dwindling funds and a working product, I was advised to join Y Combinator, which I initially hesitated to do but ultimately saw as a necessary step to keep the company alive.

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

During Y Combinator, we practiced our pitch extensively, receiving valuable feedback from peers and mentors.