From UIUC Cornfields to SF Startup: Leap Possible
.@sauravml was studying CS at UIUC just a few months ago, surrounded by cornfields and lecture halls. Now he's in San Francisco building Fleetline, a place where being ambitious and taking risks feels completely normal. Anyone can make that leap. https://t.co/gNl84ElBrq https://t.co/DQ43vW8HGW
Skip the Competition Slide if You Claim Uniqueness
Many startup founders claim they are building something nobody else sees yet, but their pitch deck comp landscape slide has 7 companies doing the exact same thing. Easy fix: remove this slide from your pitch deck.
Nice CTOs Stifle Innovation and Halt Growth
A VP mis-hire is always tough. A VP Sales mis-hire can set you back a year in sales. A VP Marketing mis-hire can lead you down massive time and money ratholes that don’t get you any more customers. But,...
Vet-Focused Shopify Brand Turns
I love when founders turn passion projects into profitable businesses. A Shopify brand built for vets and healthcare pros. > $142K TTM revenue > $130K TTM profit > 17% YoY growth > Low overhead Full listing on @acquiredotcom: https://t.co/ddxifCeDgi https://t.co/CsDd7W2XxK
Non‑obsessed Founders Are Just Underpaid, Under‑insured Employees
Startup founders who aren't irrationally obsessed with their startup are just rationally employed people with worse health insurance and lower pay.
Roelof Botha Celebrates 23 Years Shaping Founders
Congrats @roelofbotha on an incredible 23 years at Sequoia! You’ve helped shape a generation of founders and investors. None of the scoops or noise can take away from what you’ve achieved and the legacy you leave behind.
AI Chatbots Loved, Yet Doomer Billionaires Fuel Fear
If judged based on consumer adoption, AI chatbots are the most popular technology ever. If judged based on poll numbers, they are the least popular. How to explain this? A big part of it is the Doomer Industrial Complex —...
Serverless API Turns Real-Time Streams Into Simple Storage
https://t.co/wJCDi1KWOl (@s2_streamstore) is the serverless API for unlimited, durable, real-time streams. Streams are now a dead-simple cloud storage primitive. Congrats on the launch, @shikhrr, @sgbalogh0, and @quettabitxyz! https://t.co/2JXcYtSXvb https://t.co/xQoRfmprtG
Two Portfolio Wins: Nasdaq IPO and Time Cover
One @fiftyyears portfolio company IPOed on NASDAQ the same day another appeared on the cover of Time. Pinch me.
Send Investor Updates: Leverage Trust, Drive Growth
Founders, for the love of God; send investor updates. 1. Leverage them for help with customer intros, hires and fundraises. 2. Use them to create excitement and conversation about you in market. 3. Because these people have trusted you and...
Bootstrapped SaaS Grew via SEO, Sold for Right Price
Christopher Lier built LeadGen App as an internal tool. Turned it into a SaaS, grew it with SEO, and never raised a dollar. When he sold on @acquiredotcom, he knew what his startup was worth and waited for the right buyer...
SaaStr AI VC Matchmaking Delivers 183 Intros in Two Weeks
The new SaaStr AI VC Matchmaking tool has already made 183 VC intros in its first 2 weeks Try it here -> https://t.co/ZbU9L2c0td https://t.co/HXWF2pE3Gx
From 9‑5 Frustration to Building Desired Products with YC
Before YC, @therishic was working a regular 9–5, frustrated by how slow things moved and fighting to build anything new. Now, as co-founder of Kastle (YC S24), he’s able to finally build products that people really want. https://t.co/gNl84ElBrq https://t.co/p3nNZhky1p
Great Products Need Distribution, Not Just Brilliance
Technical founders who build amazing products but can't get distribution are like master chefs with Michelin recipes cooking at their mom's kitchen.
VCs Demand 100x IPO: Absurd, Reckless Expectations
VCs explaining why a portfolio company needs to IPO at 100x revenue is like teaching your kid to swim by throwing them off a yacht!
Hire Like a Salesperson: Sell Your Startup First
Most founders think hiring is about interviewing. But it's actually about selling. For Startup School, @juicebox_work co-founder & CEO @davepaffenholz joins YC's @harjtaggar to share how early-stage founders can find, pitch, and close top engineering and sales talent— from crafting better...
Top Seed Investor Bill Offers Incredible Job Opportunity
Bill is one of the best seed investors in the business. Incredible job opp for someone:
YC's Impact: Our Success Began There
Back to YC — without which we’d never be where we are today https://t.co/8BQ8ijpA4a
YC's New Era: Younger, Elite‑Educated, Bay‑Centric Founders
Startup culture feels very different these last few years. This analysis of the 'new' Y Combinator under @garrytan's leadership highlights shifts: • YC founders are younger, averaging ~26 years old • More graduated from a top 20 university, now more than 50% • Massive...
Secure AI Funding Now or Fall Behind
"If you haven't captured any AI budget for your start-up yet, your team failed. They had all of 2025 You had to grow faster due to AI in 2025. Twilio, Mongo, Snowflake, startups like WorkOS and RevenueCat all did. The budget was...
Sequoia Shakeup and OpenAI Missteps Highlight Industry Turmoil
Meaty Friday piece on Sequoia Capital's leadership shakeup, OpenAI's executive communications fumbles, and much more https://t.co/Lbioa0Q8SP
Seeking Ideal 2026 Founder & Investor Event Locations
We are ramping up our founder and investor events in 2026. Where should we host them?
YC-Backed Startup Reinvents $6.5T US Trust Administration
Sava (@savatrust) is building an Agentic Trust Company to modernize how $6.5T in U.S. trusts are administered. Driven by how painful it was to set up trusts for his family after selling his S12 company, @nimit is back at YC to...
Brutal Honesty Beats Politeness
So true. I get dinged for the latter all the time. Since 2004 the @khoslaventures website has proclaimed “we prefer brutal honesty to hypocritical politeness”. Proud to be a big investor in @PimDeWitte’s two ventures: general intuition and highlight.
Hummingbird's First Biotech Deal Nets $800M Stake
Let me just get this straight: Hummingbird owned 16% of BillionToOne at IPO. That is an $800M stake. This was their first ever biotech deal. These guys just play another game!!
AI‑Powered Open‑Source Tool Simulates Customers in Minutes
🦜@ExpectedParrot is an open-source framework for simulating your customers with AI agents. Test pricing, refine messaging, and explore product feedback and decisions in minutes, not weeks. https://t.co/f6JKZvUd8l Congrats on the launch, @johnjhorton and Robin! https://t.co/BI2C8HF9FO
AI Capex Distinguishes Valuation of Hardware vs Digital Firms
I get asked a lot if we are in an AI bubble. My answer generally is it does not matter to my investment strategy. But here is one place that the AI CAPEX buildout matters: valuation. You cannot value companies that...
Jaw‑dropping Founder Demos Spark My Curiosity
Occasionally I meet a founder with a demo that makes my jaw drop. Wish I could share what I just saw. Side note: If you're a founder with a truly jaw-dropping demo, DM me. :)
Breadth Beats “Spray and Pray” At Seed Stage
Breadth matters at seed. “Spray and pray” is a lazy pejorative and LPs who insist on spreading that toxic meme will destroy the firms they invest in and and their own returns.
Success Lies in Building Ecosystems, Not Dominating Markets
"Venture capital, the success of Silicon Valley, and much of today’s technological progress, was built on an infinite game: Recognising the opportunity to develop an ecosystem, rather than simply dominating what little existed."
Founder Growth Accelerates Through YC Community Collaboration
For @priyak_9 and her company @withnixo, the key to growing fast was being part of a community of founders solving tough problems together. She found that sense of momentum and shared purpose at YC. And so can you. https://t.co/gNl84El3BS https://t.co/FeQisg32Pu
AvallonAI Secures $4.6M to Automate Insurance Claims
Congrats to @AvallonAI on their $4.6M seed! They're building AI agents that automate insurance claims operations—handling intake calls, document processing, and case tracking. Helping TPAs and carriers tackle the industry's critical staffing shortage. https://t.co/wyH8WQDRLY https://t.co/UomzYV8uI3
AI Associates Turn Weeks of PE Work Into Minutes
Zarna (@zarna_ai) is building private equity’s first AI associate class. These agents turn weeks of investment work into minutes, so firms close better deals faster. https://t.co/IaIx9jB1N4
Migrate only for Concrete Needs, Not Trendy Buzzwords
Ouch. If this is your list of reasons for doing something, don't do it. "Why we migrated: - New investor wanted 'cloud-native' - Engineers wanted K8s experience - Competitors were using it - Seemed like the future"
AI Agents Automate Market Due Diligence for Top PE Funds
DiligenceSquared (@DiligenceSqrd) is automating market due diligence for investment decisions, deploying AI agents that conduct expert interviews and synthesize insights. They're already working with some of the world's largest PE funds. https://t.co/J4rb0mdmqV
Skip Finishing Schools, Build Real Value and Relationships
Someone at the SF Standard is going to write a story about how I told people not to go to Slow Ventures Finishing School. FWIW I really like a bunch of the people who work there, and I have no...
Biotech Nasdaq IPO Promises Massive Early‑investor Returns
juicy biotech nasdaq ipo today! huge returns for early investors https://t.co/EppHjO3egc
Introducing Cerebral Valley’s Heavyweights with Index Ventures
Meet the Cerebral Valley Heavy Weights with @IndexVentures https://t.co/MfyhKCjKam
AI Associates Automate Legal Workflow, Freeing Lawyers' Focus
Lexi (@getlexi_io) is building AI Associates for law firms and legal teams—handling the full spectrum of legal work from intake to delivery so lawyers can focus on what really matters. https://t.co/6rM6Vh0ycO
Investing to Accelerate Technology's Deflationary Impact
Technology is deflationary in a good way and @usv we are investing in driving down cost!
AI Cuts Referral Time 82% and Boosts Appointments
Saffron Health (@saffronhealthco) uses AI agents to automate specialist referrals for primary care, cutting referral time by 82%, finding appointments 55% sooner, and reducing kickbacks by 44%. https://t.co/oFQ6BDBwO0 Congrats on the launch, @moonriseTK & @MichaelMotorcy9! https://t.co/xjxkZ3JlDT
Planbase Secures $2.1M to Automate Clinic Scheduling with AI
Planbase raised $2.1M to build the AI platform for healthcare ops—where admins can just type “build next week’s schedule” and it happens. Real-time, generative operations for clinics. https://t.co/6pDmxoGuwr
AI Agents Already Outpace Average Humans—Start Monetizing Now
New!! @rodriscoll @HarryStebbings + me on 20VC: 1/ "AI Agents really are already better than mediocre humans. So you better be tapping into that revenue as a startup. You better be getting some of that revenue by now, by late...
Cash Burn: No Escape for Founders
New on SaaStr!! "You Can Hide From a Lot of Things as a Founder. Cash Burn Isn’t One of Them." https://t.co/GzWBxOnn2k https://t.co/KFM0DeUeuo
Amera Cuts Claims Admin Costs 20‑30% via Automation
Amera automates claims processing workflows for health insurance payers. It cuts admin costs by 20-30%, turns hours of manual work into minutes, and helps members access more affordable, transparent care. https://t.co/xhDCotk94Z Congrats on the launch, @deepkkapur & @LouiseTanski!
Product Hunt Celebrates 12 Years Empowering Indie Makers
Today is Product Hunt's 12-year anniversary. It started with a tweet and has become a global launchpad for founders and makers. Pretty cool to see so many now-household names—Notion, Deel, Loom, Ramp, Figma—launch their v1s on the platform. But we've always tried to...
Export Restrictions Threaten US AI Leadership and Global Innovation
Everyone in Silicon Valley understands that the way to win a technology race is to get the most users and developers on your platform. Yet the anti-export lobby in Washington keeps inventing reasons why America’s friends and allies shouldn’t be...
Mission‑First Biotech Thrives on Science and Execution
10 out of 10. Would recommend. BillionToOne is a wonderful example of what's possible when you take on the most important, hardest problem you can. Oguzhan and David didn’t set out to “start a startup.” They wanted to solve a globally important...
AI Hype: Bubble or Superintelligence? Both Unlikely.
The two biggest narratives about AI right now are that (1) it’s a massive bubble (i.e. totally fake) and (2) about to give rise to superintelligence (i.e. totally real). Both narratives can be fake (which is what I believe) but...