Fireside Chat, Interview
We fund smart founders, irrespective of what they want to work on.
- Approximately 50% of Y Combinator's Summer 2023 startup batch is currently developing large language models.
- A common public perception is that YC prioritizes funding AI companies specifically due to a dedicated AI investment thesis.
- This perception is attributed by YC partners to the idea that AI startups have an easier path to admission.
- YC founders dispute this, noting that over 90% of observers hold this view despite it being inaccurate.
- The actual selection criteria focuses on the intelligence of founders rather than their specific subject matter.
- YC funds founders based on their capabilities regardless of their chosen project domain.
- The high concentration of AI companies in the batch is characterized as an emergent phenomenon.
- This trend reflects the specific interests of the most qualified founders rather than partner bias toward the technology.