Y Combinator model π₯
π Overviewβ
The Y Combinator AI Model evaluates startup potential using venture capital (VC) standards,
helping founders understand if their business is fundable, scalable, and YC-level investable.
π‘ Designed for early-stage startups, this model provides ruthless but valuable insights on your growth potential.
π How It Worksβ
1οΈβ£ Submit Your Startup for Evaluationβ
Describe your startup as you would pitch to an investor.
The AI will analyze your team, market, traction, defensibility, and risk factors.
π Example user input:
"We are building an AI-powered assistant for small businesses to automate customer inquiries. We have 5,000 users and $10K MRR, growing at 15% MoM."
π The AI will then generate 10 critical YC-style questions about your startup.
2οΈβ£ Answer YC-Style Questionsβ
The model will challenge your business fundamentals by asking 10 YC-style investor questions.
π₯ Team & Executionβ
- Are the founders working full-time, and what prior experience proves they can build a billion-dollar company?
- What is the biggest execution risk your team faces, and how are you mitigating it?
π Market & Scalabilityβ
- How big is your total addressable market (TAM), and is it growing fast enough for VC-scale returns?
- Why hasnβt this problem already been solved by existing major players?
π Growth & Tractionβ
- What are your growth metrics (MoM growth, retention, LTV:CAC), and how do they compare to YC-backed startups?
- What specific growth strategies have you implemented, and what has worked best so far?
π Moat & Competitive Advantageβ
- What makes your startup defensible against well-funded competitors?
- If another YC-backed startup enters your market tomorrow, why wonβt they beat you?
β οΈ Risks & Weaknessesβ
- What is the biggest existential risk your startup faces, and how do you plan to handle it?
- If your current growth strategies fail, what is your pivot plan?
β οΈ Note: These are just examples. The AI dynamically adjusts the questions based on your specific startup description.
3οΈβ£ Get Your YC-Style Startup Evaluationβ
Once you submit your answers, the AI will rate your startup across five key YC criteria:
π YC Startup Score (10-point scale):
- π₯ Founder Strength β Are the founders strong enough to build a billion-dollar company?
- π Market & TAM Viability β Is the market big enough for a venture-scale startup?
- π° Growth, Revenue & Traction β Does the startup have fast, sustainable growth?
- π Competitive Edge & Defensibility β Can the startup withstand well-funded competition?
- β οΈ Risks & YC Fit β Does the business fit YCβs standards and avoid major risks?
The AI will call out both strengths and weaknesses in your startup, helping you understand if you are investor-ready.
π₯ Public Top 100 Startup Rankingβ
π’ Want to showcase your startup?
You can choose to make your evaluation public and compete in the Top 100 Startup Ranking.
π Enable public ranking (toggle switch in UI).
π Your highest-scoring startup will automatically be featured in the Top 100 if enabled.
π If disabled, your evaluation remains private.
π― Why Use the Y Combinator Model?β
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Understand how real investors will evaluate your startup.
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Identify weaknesses BEFORE pitching to VCs or accelerators.
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Get brutally honest feedback on your business model.
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Compete for a spot in the public Top 100 Startups.
π Ready to test your startup?
π Try YC Model Now