Pitch videos

Demo Day

DoorDash

YC Demo Day pitch, Summer 2013

Why it works: Opens with exactly what DoorDash does, names why the obvious alternatives (menu aggregators, couriers) fall short, then backs it with numbers: average delivery times and weekly order growth.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Show insight, not execution promises · Prove people want it

DoorDash later went public; YC tells the story from application to IPO.

Sources: Batch: video title on YC’s channel; YC blog: DoorDash from application to IPO

“DoorDash at YC Summer 2013 Demo Day” by Y Combinator · Watch on YouTube
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Demo Day

GitLab

YC Demo Day pitch, Winter 2015

Why it works: One plain sentence on what GitLab is, then proof: organizations using it, paying-customer logos and a run rate over $1M. The insight (open-source contributors ship the features they need) is stated, not implied, and the incumbent is named.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Prove people want it · Show insight, not execution promises

Sources: Batch: video title on GitLab’s channel

“GitLab Y Combinator Demo Day Winter 2015” by GitLab Unfiltered · Watch on YouTube
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Demo Day

Artisan

YC Demo Day pitch, Winter 2024

Why it works: Under a minute. It says what they build and where they start (outbound sales), then gives users, ARR and named customers. A good model of a tight, numbers-first short pitch.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Prove people want it · Cut every word you don’t need

Sources: Batch: video title on Artisan’s channel

“Artisan YC W24 Demo Day Pitch” by Artisan · Watch on YouTube
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Demo Day

Anja Health

YC Demo Day pitch, Winter 2022

Why it works: About 35 seconds: what it does, contracted revenue, lifetime value and churn, then a one-line personal reason for starting it. Shows how much fits in a few sentences when every word carries a fact.

Rubric: Cut every word you don’t need · Prove people want it · Founder-market fit

The founder’s own video title says the company raised $5,000,000.

Sources: Batch and raise: video title on the founder’s channel

“My Y Combinator Demo Day Pitch (Raised $5,000,000) | W22 Batch | Anja Health” by Kathryn Cross · Watch on YouTube
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Demo Day

Proof

YC Demo Day pitch, Winter 2018

Why it works: Explains the product with concrete on-screen examples, then gives paying customers and the lift customers report. It closes with the team’s prior experience in the same market.

Rubric: Be specific; show magnitude · Prove people want it · Founder-market fit

Sources: Batch: video title on Proof’s channel

“Proof - YC Demo Day (W18) - Y Combinator” by Proof · Watch on YouTube
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Demo Day

GetAccept

YC Demo Day pitch, Winter 2016

Why it works: Starts from a specific pain (proposals that get no answer), walks through one customer’s workflow, then states ARR, week-over-week growth, paying customers and pricing, plus the founders’ previous company.

Rubric: Be specific; show magnitude · Prove people want it · One impressive achievement per founder

Sources: Batch: video title on GetAccept’s channel

“GetAccept - YC W'16 Demo Day” by GetAccept · Watch on YouTube
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Demo Day

Asseta

YC Demo Day pitch, Summer 2013

Why it works: “The eBay for capital equipment”: a known reference that makes the idea instantly legible. It explains why earlier marketplaces failed and what they do differently (getting the inventory), then shows growth and the team’s years in the industry.

Rubric: Use a known reference when it helps · Show insight, not execution promises · Founder-market fit

Sources: YC blog: Asseta (YC S13) launches…

“Asseta Y Combinator Demo Day” by Anton Brevde · Watch on YouTube
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Demo Day

Quilt

YC Demo Day pitch, Summer 2017

Why it works: “Docker for data” gives a reference in two words. It contrasts a customer’s messy workflow before and after the product, and mentions paying customers weeks after launch.

Rubric: Use a known reference when it helps · Be specific; show magnitude · Prove people want it

Sources: Batch: video title on Quilt Data’s channel

“Defining the standard unit of data : Quilt at Y Combinator Demo Day, S17” by Quilt Data · Watch on YouTube
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Demo Day

Vote.org

YC Demo Day pitch, Summer 2016 (nonprofit)

Why it works: A nonprofit pitch built on one comparative number: its cost to register a voter versus what others spend. It ends with a specific ask, an amount and a deadline, and what that money will do.

Rubric: Be specific; show magnitude · Prove people want it

Sources: YC company page: Vote.org

“YC Demo Day Pitch” by debra cleaver · Watch on YouTube
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Demo Day

Auro Robotics

YC Demo Day pitch, Summer 2015

Why it works: Watch for how a hard-tech team explains a self-driving product for a narrow first market (campuses) instead of “all roads”: narrow beats vague.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Show insight, not execution promises

Ridecell acquired Auro in 2017.

Sources: YC blog: Auro Robotics (YC S15); Ridecell announcement of the Auro acquisition

“Auro Robotics: Y Combinator Demo Day Pitch” by Auro · Watch on YouTube
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Demo Day

Eloquent AI

YC Demo Day pitch (2025)

Why it works: A recent example: notice how fast the pitch gets to who the customer is (financial-services operations teams) and what the product does for them, the same plain-first-sentence rule older pitches follow.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence

Sources: Eloquent AI on YC’s company directory

“Eloquent AI YC Demo Day” by Eloquent AI · Watch on YouTube
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Early pitch

Dropbox

Launch on stage at TechCrunch50, 2008

Why it works: States the everyday problem in plain words, then shows the product working live in a few clicks. When a sync is slow on stage, the founders keep going: the demo, not the slides, makes the case.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Show insight, not execution promises

YC publishes Dropbox’s Summer 2007 application.

Sources: Dropbox’s YC application (published by YC)

“Dropbox launches on the TechCrunch stage in 2008” by TechCrunch · Watch on YouTube
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Advice

Startup School talk by a YC partner (Kevin Hale)

Why it works: How partners read the “what do you make” answer. Be legible, simple and obvious; no jargon, no preamble, no vague pronouns. A clear description lets the reader start asking the right questions about traction and team.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Use a known reference when it helps · Cut every word you don’t need

“Kevin Hale - How to Pitch Your Startup” by Y Combinator · Watch on YouTube
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Interview prep

Startup School talk on applying and interviewing (Dalton Caldwell)

Why it works: How the application is read and what the short video interview is like. Know your numbers and risks, answer the question asked, and talk naturally rather than reciting a script.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Name the obstacles and flaws yourself · Someone on the team can build it

Sources: YC interview guide

“How to Apply And Succeed at Y Combinator | Startup School” by Y Combinator · Watch on YouTube
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Interview prep

Live pitch practice at Startup School 2016 (Paul Buchheit, Sam Altman)

Why it works: Founders pitch cold to an investor who knows nothing about them, then the business is re-pitched. Watch how fast the questions go to “what do you do, for whom, and why you”. That is the opening you need to nail.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Prove people want it

Sources: YC blog post on this session

“Pitch Practice with Paul Buchheit and Sam Altman at Startup School SV 2016” by Y Combinator · Watch on YouTube
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Interview prep

Mock interview with a YC-backed founder (GitLab channel)

Why it works: A rehearsal of the short, fast-question interview format. Note how answers that lead with a fact (users, revenue, who builds what) survive follow-up questions better than general claims.

Rubric: Be specific; show magnitude · Someone on the team can build it

“YC Mock Interview: Macus Hoh, Klarke Wang (OpenDryWall) & Sid Sijbrandij (GitLab)” by GitLab Unfiltered · Watch on YouTube
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Interview prep

Interview tips from a former YC partner (Garry Tan)

Why it works: Answer first, then support it (an inverted pyramid). Use plain English, tell a specific customer story, and know your numbers cold.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Be specific; show magnitude · Prove people want it

“3 Tips to Nail the Y Combinator Interview” by Garry Tan · Watch on YouTube
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Advice

Application tips from a former YC partner (Garry Tan)

Why it works: Show, don’t tell: lead with the real problem, the real product and real users or revenue; write in plain English without buzzwords.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Prove people want it · Cut every word you don’t need

“Applying to Y Combinator? 3 tips from a former YC partner” by Garry Tan · Watch on YouTube
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Advice

Talk on seed pitches by YC’s Michael Seibel (SaaStr)

Why it works: A simple seed-deck order: what you do in two sentences, traction with dates, unique insight, market, team, and the ask. Keep slides boring and legible; put your strongest evidence first.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Prove people want it · Show insight, not execution promises

Sources: YC blog: How to Pitch Your Company (Seibel)

“How To Perfectly Pitch Your Seed Stage Startup With Y Combinator's Michael Seibel” by SaaStr AI · Watch on YouTube
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Advice

“How to Start a Startup” lecture 19: talking to investors (YC partners)

Why it works: Includes a section on pitching and an investor-meeting role-play by YC partners, a useful look at how a first meeting actually goes and which answers lose the room.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Name the obstacles and flaws yourself

“Lecture 19 - Sales and Marketing; How to Talk to Investors (Tyler Bosmeny; YC Partners)” by YC Root Access · Watch on YouTube
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Advice

Startup School lecture: Fundraising Fundamentals (Geoff Ralston)

Why it works: How to shape the story, research investors and run pitch meetings at the seed stage. The story you tell investors is the same clear one your application should tell.

Rubric: Say what it is in the first sentence · Prove people want it

Sources: YC blog: Fundraising Fundamentals by Geoff Ralston

“Fundraising Fundamentals By Geoff Ralston” by Y Combinator · Watch on YouTube
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Advice

Michael Seibel on fundraising in Silicon Valley

Why it works: Context for what investors are listening for in a pitch, and why clarity and traction matter more than polish.

Rubric: Prove people want it

“Why Fundraising Is Different In Silicon Valley - Michael Seibel” by Y Combinator · Watch on YouTube
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Advice

YC podcast: fundraising mistakes (Dalton Caldwell & Michael Seibel)

Why it works: Common mistakes founders make when they raise. Useful before you write the progress and fundraising answers, so you lead with customers rather than hype.

Rubric: Prove people want it · Name the obstacles and flaws yourself

“YC Founders Made These Fundraising Mistakes” by Y Combinator · Watch on YouTube
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Advice

Startup School office hours on pivoting and pitching (Eric Migicovsky, Dalton Caldwell)

Why it works: Pitch concrete value and a specific first market; validate with real usage and payment, not enthusiasm. Market size supports the story; it isn’t the story.

Rubric: Prove people want it · Show insight, not execution promises

“YC SUS: Eric Migicovsky & Dalton Caldwell discuss pivoting & pitching” by Y Combinator · Watch on YouTube
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Advice

Startup School: How Startup Fundraising Works (Brad Flora)

Why it works: A primer on how a seed round works. Watch it before you explain your raise or your traction, so your numbers answer the questions investors will actually ask.

Rubric: Prove people want it

“How Startup Fundraising Works | Startup School” by Y Combinator · Watch on YouTube
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