# yc interview cheatsheet ## Key preparation areas | Key Preparation Area | Details | |-----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | Understand Your Business | Know what you're building, market size, competitors, and your unique solution. | | Prepare Succinct Responses | Craft short answers to common questions. | | Mock Interviews | Practice with YC alumni or colleagues for feedback. | | Avoid Jargon | Use clear language; no buzzwords. | | Show Energy | Be passionate and enthusiastic. | | Tough Questions | Anticipate and prepare for hard-hitting inquiries. | | Understand Your Users | Know your user base, needs, and hesitations. | | Be Open to Feedback | Learn from rejections or criticism. | - you need to answer any questions in less than 15 seconds - you need to be able to answer a question in [[Kolmogorov complexity|the least amount of characters]], [[070923 31840 inverted pyramid principle|with the most useful information first]], then [[Expansion & Contraction|expanding with details]] when they ask follow-ups or their body language indicate they don't get it - Do YC interview with everyone you meet in the street - pitch ur mom - and ur dad - pitch while biking - pitch to chatgpt - record yourself and watch your terrible answers - answer yc app questions daily - [[yc questions template]] - note down questions about ur startup you find your own answer not good enough when pitching to ppl -> get better - answer the question - nothing else ## Write down your answers Maintain a document with all possible questions and your answer (key points, don't memorize, rather understand) (<15s answer) Format it like this: Question - Answer - Answer to follow-up - Answer to 2nd follow-up - etc. Example: What are you working on? - An app to organize events - follow-up question "What's the difference with meetup.com?"" - There is blockchain in it - Fuck you - Okay ## Questions **Product and Market** - "Why is your product priced as it is?" - "What's innovative about your product?" - "Who exactly needs your product?" - "What do users currently want most?" **Growth and Metrics** - "Where are your new users coming from?" - "Describe your growth trajectory." - "How many users are paying customers?" - "What's your monthly burn rate?" - "What's your user conversion rate?" **Challenges and Obstacles** - "What's the worst setback you've faced?" - "What's the biggest mistake so far?" - "What hurdles are you anticipating?" **Team and Founders** - "How did your team come together?" - "How will you ensure team stability?" - "What makes you the right fit for this project?" **YC Participation** - "Why do YC over other options?" - "What specific help do you need from YC in the coming months?" **Future Plans** - "What are your next immediate actions?" - "What’s your plan in the next two years?" **General Questions** - "Can you succinctly describe what you're building?" - "Who's the biggest threat to your business?" - "How will you survive a big player's competition?" - "What will be your biggest future challenge?" - "Who's your target audience and why will they care?" - "What gives your team a competitive edge?" #startup #business #yc