Including social proof in sales emails, such as past experiences or notable achievements, can enhance credibility and authority in the eyes of potential customers.

Including well-known customer names as social proof in your email can enhance your credibility and excite potential customers.

Being part of Y Combinator provides invaluable exposure and credibility, especially for founders who may not have connections in Silicon Valley. It creates a unique momentum during fundraising, culminating in a demo day where you can present to top investors.

Many successful Y Combinator companies have been funded without having a prestigious tech company on their resumes, proving that it's not a requirement for becoming a successful startup founder.

If you're considering applying to Y Combinator, just do it; the experience could change your life, as it did for us.

Internships at reputable companies like Stripe or Airbnb count as valuable experience when applying to Y Combinator, as they demonstrate technical skills on the founding team.

After an unsuccessful interview at Y Combinator, you will receive feedback that can help improve your future applications; addressing this feedback is heavily weighted in your favor.

Even if you didn't attend a prestigious school, you can still find opportunities by identifying workplaces with interesting people and getting your foot in the door.

I advise companies going to Y Combinator to leverage the connections and mentorship available there to craft growth strategies for their solid products.