YC
Work at a Startup Expo 2018
@ Y Combinator
07/30/18
Takeaways
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Justin Kan
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
The management at startups generally really sucks, which can hinder your experience and growth.
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Justin Kan
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Joining a startup is statistically improbable to make you rich, so don't expect to be set for life just by joining one.
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Justin Kan
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Silicon Valley has matured, and many people now seek stability and a clear career path, which is not typically found in startups.
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Justin Kan
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
You will get access to jobs that you're completely unqualified for when you join a startup, which can lead to rapid personal growth.
JK
Justin Kan
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Working at a startup is a great gateway to starting your own startup, as it puts you around like-minded individuals.
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Justin Kan
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Joining a startup maximizes your speed of learning, as you will face challenges that push you to grow quickly.
SA
Sam Altman
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
It's important to evaluate startups based on whether they have a small number of users who truly love the product, rather than just a large user base.
SA
Sam Altman
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Trust in exponential growth and momentum, as startups that are growing tend to continue growing if they maintain that momentum.
SA
Sam Altman
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
The growth rate of the market is more important than its current size; focus on how fast the market is expected to grow in the future.
SA
Sam Altman
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Identifying technological platform shifts can help you find the biggest opportunities in the startup landscape.
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Sam Altman
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
The quality of the founders and early employees at a startup is a critical determinant of its success.
SA
Sam Altman
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Look for ideas that sound bad but are actually good, as these can be the most lucrative opportunities in the startup world.
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Sam Altman
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Finding a group of peers who can provide good advice about which startup to join is crucial for making informed career decisions.
SA
Sam Altman
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Most startups are not generous enough with employee equity, and you should demand fair treatment in terms of compensation.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We're looking for mobile engineers who are product-oriented and care about user experience to help create a community space that has been traditionally underserved.
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Betsy Larkin
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We've raised over $300,000 on Kickstarter and in the first week of sales, we generated over $30,000 in revenue, making us profitable right out of the gate.
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Alex Harmsen
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We build collision avoidance systems for industrial drones, which are now mandated by aviation authorities worldwide for safe operations.
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Andrew Quarry
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We create HD maps that include 3D representations of the environment, essential for self-driving cars, using a program called Paver that allows users to earn money by driving.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Our school focuses on training students for high-growth tech companies, with 40% of our students being underrepresented students of color and 50% being low-income students.
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Hua
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We build cannabis SaaS products, including retail point of sale systems and inventory management, processing over $10 million in sales per month.
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Keith
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We create video explanations for kids, answering questions that adults often can't, and we're scaling to reach children everywhere.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Neighborly is an AI-based credit bureau that helps tenants build credit by paying rent, while providing landlords with a fair assessment of potential renters.
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Scott Patterson
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
At Notable Labs, we focus on personalized drug discovery for blood cancer by testing combinations of approved drugs on patients' actual cells.
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Lucas
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
Nova is the world's first international credit history platform, helping immigrants access credit in foreign markets through a standardized API.
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Kevin
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We help students and young professionals find fulfilling jobs through mentorship and guidance, charging only after they secure employment.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We are building a platform that connects parents with vetted caregivers for childcare, aiming to create a modern village for families.
YC
Y Combinator Cast
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We're building the operating system for scientific labs, providing free software to improve productivity and making money through lab supplies.
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David
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We're a dramatically faster way to build custom internal tools, allowing companies to create tools without starting from scratch every time.
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Dan Knox
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We're building a platform for scientific collaboration, connecting researchers and improving the efficiency of scientific research.
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Luciano
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We automate the process of analyzing customer feedback, allowing companies to understand sentiments and make data-driven decisions.
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Stefan
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We're developing driverless trucks that operate autonomously on highways while being teleoperated for the first and last mile, addressing the shortage of truck drivers.
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Hannon
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We build and operate long-range, high payload drones for critical supply deliveries, focusing on enterprise customers and medical supplies.
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Max
07/30/18
@ Y Combinator
We create voice-controlled games for Alexa and Google Home, with a focus on interactive experiences that engage users.