# Everything They Teach at Y Combinator > A one-page reference summarizing core startup lessons from Y Combinator. This reference sheet condenses core advice taught at Y Combinator across fundamental startup stages. It covers practical rules for team formation, idea validation, MVP speed, organic growth, PR, fundraising, and hiring. Founders can use it as a quick benchmark to audit their practices against established accelerator guidance. ## The framework Everything they teach at Y Combinator Team - 2-4 co-founders, minimum 50% engineers - Make sure you have one year's worth of "ramen money" savings - All founders must quit jobs completely - No idea required to start Idea - Start brainstorming with teammates before ideas solidify - One member typically has kernel of the idea - Get early team buy-in and ownership - Focus on solving personal problems you deeply understand Initial steps - Market research: verify billions in market potential - Legal setup: set up US incorporation - MVP development: launch within 2 months maximum Growth 1. Ad experimentation (least recommended) 2. B2B customer references a. Focus on providing amazing service, helps with word-of-mouth in industry 3. Built-in viral sharing for consumer products a. Sharing must be core to product usage PR - Handle early PR yourself without agencies - Treat PR like business development: get warm intros, build relationships, provide real value/news - Focus on actual news: product launches, funding rounds, major hires, significant partnerships Fundraising - If you don't need money, people love to give it to you - Schedule investor meetings within tight time frame - Create momentum and FOMO, investors move because they have a fear of missing out - Focus on showing growth Operations - Minimize expenses aggressively, get cheaper office space, reduce founder salaries - Track all expenses monthly, review every line item - Focus on extending runway Hiring - Each hire should increase company's average talent - If you can't hire someone who's smarter than you, just do it yourself - Be completely transparent about stock compensation, outstanding shares, salary benchmarks - Build loyalty with early employees - Keep team small and efficient, only hire when absolutely necessary ## What it is for - Audit early-stage startup decisions against Y Combinator principles - Plan fundraising rounds using tight timelines to generate momentum - Structure founding team equity, runway, and technical ratios - Prioritize MVP launch speed and organic distribution channels ## Key points - Team guidelines on co-founder numbers, engineering ratios, and runway - Idea generation principles focused on personal problem solving - Launch timeline emphasizing 2-month MVP execution - Distribution hierarchy prioritizing word-of-mouth and virality over paid ads - Founder-led PR strategy targeting genuine newsworthy milestones - Fundraising playbook focused on investor FOMO and condensed meeting schedules - Lean operations advice to extend runway and cut non-essential costs - High-bar hiring rules and transparent equity compensation advice ## Pricing Free ## Details - Type: Framework - Category: [Business & Money](https://xiry.app/topics/business-money.md) - Topic: [Startup Advice](https://xiry.app/topics/business-money/startup-advice.md) - Open source: no - Platforms: other - For: Early-stage founders, startup operators, and aspiring entrepreneurs. - Tags: startups, y combinator, fundraising, entrepreneurship, mvp, hiring ## Why it was saved - [@benln, 23 January 2025](https://x.com/benln/status/1882524558550597892): Condenses YC's core playbook into a scannable reference ## Related - [8 Rules for Startups by Jesse Min Zhang](https://xiry.app/resources/8-rules-for-startups-by-jesse-min-zhang): Core operating principles for early-stage startup execution and decision-making. (Tip, Free) - [Best YC Application Advice from YC Alums](https://xiry.app/resources/best-yc-application-advice-from-yc-alums): A 17-point checklist for writing a stronger Y Combinator application. (List, Free) - [How to Start a Startup](https://xiry.app/resources/how-to-start-a-startup): Foundational essay outlining core principles for building a successful tech startup. (Article or course, Free) - [Paul Graham: Why Your 'Vision' Doesn't Matter Without Users](https://xiry.app/resources/paul-graham-why-your-vision-doesn-t-matter-without-users): Startup advice on prioritizing direct user outreach over isolated product vision (Tip, Free) - [Sam Altman's 9 Principles to Build a Great Company](https://xiry.app/resources/sam-altman-s-9-principles-to-build-a-great-company): Foundational operating principles for early-stage startup founders (Tip, Free) - [Startup Archive](https://xiry.app/resources/startup-archive): Curated video clips and short insights from notable startup founders (Website, Free) Updated 11 October 2026. Page: https://xiry.app/resources/everything-they-teach-at-y-combinator Make your own library: Xiry takes your saved reels, tweets, Reddit bookmarks and Watch Later videos, makes them searchable and pulls the useful stuff out, like this library. It's invite-only for now; join the waitlist at https://xiry.app/#waitlist.