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The YC founder video
The application asks every team for a one-minute video of the founders talking. It isn’t a pitch or a product demo: YC says it wants to hear how the founders communicate. Here is what YC asks for, a simple way to plan your minute, and the mistakes that are easy to avoid.
Sources: YC’s application video page, Paul Graham, “How to Apply to Y Combinator” (hosted by YC) by Paul Graham, YC’s earlier video instructions as quoted by Startup Grind, and Jessica Livingston’s tips. Checked October 25, 2026. Follow the live form if it differs. Placet is not affiliated with Y Combinator.
What YC asks for
From YC’s application video page:
- Content: introduce yourselves, explain what you’re doing and why, and add anything else you want YC to know about the founders or the project.
- Length: one minute.
- Only the founders talking. It is not a demo or a promotional video; the application has a separate place for a demo.
- Every founder in it. If you can’t be in one room, screen-record a video call.
- No written script. Talk from bullet points, the way you would explain it to a friend.
The same page links to five videos from funded teams (Kernel, Gumloop, Medplum, Whatnot and Teespring). Watch two or three before you record.
A simple plan for 60 seconds
This is our suggestion, not a YC format. Use it as a starting point.
0 to 15 seconds: who you are.
Each founder gives their name, what they do in the company and one specific thing they have built or achieved. Paul Graham calls the “something impressive” question the most important one on the application, and the video is a chance to back it up in your own voice.
15 to 35 seconds: what you’re making, and why.
Say your one-liner out loud in plain words, then the problem behind it, ideally with one concrete example of a person who has it.
35 to 55 seconds: your best evidence.
Users, revenue, a technical result, or why your team is unusually suited to this problem. One or two facts, said simply.
55 to 60 seconds: stop.
No sign-off speech. Ending a few seconds early is better than running long.
Recording tips
- Check the audio first. YC’s earlier instructions said a significant fraction of the videos it received were inaudible. Use a quiet room and play the video back before you submit it.
- Keep it simple. A phone or laptop camera at eye level, light on your faces, everyone in frame.
- Do a few takes, then pick one. Don’t edit it into a production; YC’s earlier instructions asked for no postproduction effects.
- Share it the way the form asks. Follow the upload instructions on the live form. YC’s earlier instructions asked for an unlisted, embeddable YouTube link rather than a private one, so the partners could watch it.
Common mistakes
- Reading a script. YC says reciting a script doesn’t help your application or show how you communicate.
- Turning it into a demo or an ad. Screens, slides and B-roll belong in the demo field, not here.
- Adding background music. YC’s earlier instructions said partners regularly gave up on videos ten seconds in because of it.
- A missing or silent founder. Everyone appears, and everyone speaks.
- Buzzwords. “AI-powered platform transforming X” tells a partner nothing. Say what it does, as Livingston advises for interviews too.
- Going long. YC asks for one minute. Respect it.
Why it matters
In How to Apply, written for an earlier version of the application, Paul Graham said he looks at the video once the founders seem promising, and that YC is statistically much more likely to interview people who submit one. It is also a preview of the interview, which is a short conversation rather than a pitch.
Related: every application question, explained · how to get into YC · deadlines
Common questions
How long should the YC founder video be?
One minute. YC’s application video page says the video should be 1 minute long.
Can I put a product demo in the founder video?
No. YC says this video is not the place for a demo or promotional video; the application has a separate place for a demo.
What if my co-founders are in different places?
Every founder should be in the video. YC says that if you can’t be in the same room, you should screen-record a video call instead.
Should I write a script for the founder video?
No. YC asks you not to recite a written script. Use bullet points and talk spontaneously, as you would to a friend.