What useful feedback looks like.
A fictional company. A rough draft. A clearer direction.
A fictional application with illustrative feedback, not an actual model result.
01Founders
Founders
Who writes code, or does other technical work on your product? Was any of it done by a non-founder? Please explain.
Are you looking for a cofounder?
02Company
Company name
Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.
Company URL, if any
Please provide a link to the product, if any.
SuggestionWe encourage you to add a direct product link when available.
What is your company going to make? Please describe your product and what it does or will do.
What worksYou have identified customer feedback as the problem space.
What to improve“Revolutionizes” and “actionable insights” do not tell the reader what your product does. Name the user, their task, and your concrete output.
SuggestionWe help product teams turn customer feedback into product decisions. At our last company, this meant reading support tickets and copying requests into a spreadsheet every Friday. We are building a tool to speed up that workflow.
Where do you live now, and where would the company be based after YC?
Use the format City A, Country A / City B, Country B
Explain your decision regarding location.
03Progress
How far along are you?
What worksA clear timeframe, weekly usage, and paying customers make your progress concrete.
What to improveExplain what “using it weekly” means. What do these teams actually do in the product?
SuggestionKeep these numbers. Add one sentence describing the recurring task your teams complete and the evidence you have that it helps them.
How long have each of you been working on this? How much of that has been full-time? Please explain.
What tech stack are you using, or planning to use, to build this product? Include AI models and AI coding tools you use.
Are people using your product?
Do you have revenue?
If you are applying with the same idea as a previous batch, did anything change? If you applied with a different idea, why did you pivot and what did you learn from the last idea?
If you have already participated or committed to participate in an incubator, "accelerator" or "pre-accelerator" program, please tell us about it.
04Idea
Why did you pick this idea to work on? Do you have domain expertise in this area? How do you know people need what you’re making?
What worksA specific, firsthand problem and a cofounder who built a solution explain why this team is working on it.
What to improveWhat did building the internal tool teach you that an outsider might miss?
SuggestionAdd one insight from using the internal tool that influenced how you are building Fieldnote.
Who are your competitors? What do you understand about your business that they don’t?
How do or will you make money? How much could you make?
(We realize you can’t know precisely, but give your best estimate)
If you had any other ideas you considered applying with, please list them. One may be something we’ve been waiting for. Often when we fund people it’s to do something they list here and not in the main application.
05Equity
Have you formed ANY legal entity yet?
This may be in the United States, in your home country or in another country.
Have you taken any investment yet?
Are you currently fundraising?
06Curious
What convinced you to apply to Y Combinator? Did someone encourage you to apply? Have you been to any YC events?
How did you hear about Y Combinator?
Your next steps
Your progress and firsthand experience are compelling. The opening answer hides those strengths behind broad language. Start with the actual workflow you understand.
- 1Replace the broad product description with the specific task you help product teams do.
- 2Explain what the eight teams do weekly and what keeps them coming back.
- 3Connect your internal tool experience to the product you are building today.