Dalton & Michael

At YC, we're seeing more and more people in their 20s taking the leap and starting their own companies.In this episode, Dalton & Michael share their advice on how young founders can get a head start and hit the ground running in their startup journey.

When it comes to building a successful startup, focus is critical. But how do you know if you’re spending time on the right things? In this episode, Dalton and Michael share advice for how to break through the noise and zero in on solving the problems that matter most for your business.

How should you navigate your 20s - the most important decade in your life? For many people, it’s an age with fewer responsibilities: no kids, no mortgage, no restrictions. And so it’s actually the best possible time to go hardcore: to take risks, invest in yourself, and surround yourself with like-minded people. In this episode, Dalton & Michael share their thoughts on how to live your 20s - founder or not.

Thanks to advances in AI, we're currently living through one of the biggest technological shifts in a generation. And things aren't slowing down anytime soon. So now the question is, what should you do about it? In this episode, Dalton and Michael break down several steps you can take right now to leverage the latest tools and set yourself up for success in the age of AI.

You know what they say, to understand the future, look to the past. Since the early 2000s, Apple and Facebook (now Meta) have been battling over who controls the consumer market. Facebook arguably dominated the web era, while Apple took over during the mobile era starting in the late 2000s. Now, as we enter the AI era, Dalton + Michael discuss who's pulling ahead, and what that means for startups trying to break into the crowded consumer market.

Thanks to a recent talk by Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky and a follow up essay by Paul Graham, the concept of "founder mode" is everywhere. But what does it mean and who does it really apply to? In this episode, Dalton and Michael break through the noise to find out what lessons can be learned from going all in on "founder mode."

As Dalton & Michael have discussed before, ZIRP stands for “Zero Interest Rate Policy” which refers to when the Federal Reserve sets interest rates around 0% and banks were able to borrow money for almost nothing. This phenomenon had a profound impact on tech throughout the pandemic and many companies are still readjusting. In this episode, Dalton & Michael examine how to know whether your company is recovering from a bad case of ZIRP (aka Zirpes) and how to know if it may be time to leave and do something else.

Space travel, the Internet, cryptocurrency — these huge leaps in technology were fueled at least in some part by distrust and fear of others. In this episode, Dalton & Michael discuss the origins of some of the biggest innovations over the last 75 years.

Remember how in "The Matrix," Neo found out that human beings were really just being used as batteries to power the machines that enslaved them? In a sense, social media companies are now the machines, and we, the users, have become the batteries. With that in mind, Dalton and Michael discuss what to be aware of as we engage online and how we can leverage the social media matrix to our benefit.

Whether it's career advancement, leaving a positive mark at an org, or raising funds for your startup, the ability to convince and influence decision-makers is a vital skillset to develop. In this video, Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss actions you can take to be more persuasive and create more favorable outcomes for yourself.

Despite the most successful tech founders being centralized in the Bay Area, there are founders, accelerators, and investors located around the world. In this video, Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the phenomenon of local startup experts and why they may be doing a disservice to your entrepreneurial journey.

The long awaited follow-up to their original tarpit ideas video, Dalton and Michael dispel some misconceptions about what a tarpit idea actually is and how it applies to current technology trends like artificial intelligence. Don't get stuck!

ZIRP stands for “Zero Interest Rate Policy,” and it refers to a stretch of time — most recently throughout the pandemic — in which the Federal Reserve sets interest rates around 0% and commercial banks are able to borrow money for next-to-nothing. In this episode of Dalton & Michael, we’ll talk about some of the downstream side effects we saw during this stretch of time: an explosion of unicorns, a surge of new investors, and the impact it had on the way founders think. We’ll share the advice we gave YC founders to brace them for the future, and how some companies made the right move in the middle of an unusual/unsustainable moment. Join us as we look back at how it all played out.

When a major new technology comes out, huge new opportunities open up for founders that get in on the ground floor. Fortunes were made when the app store came out, when online payments became easy, and when the web itself was brand new. In this episode of Dalton and Michael we’ll talk about why this is that moment for AI, who will find those opportunities, and where to look for the people that’ll help you find them faster.

When you’re making important decisions as a founder — like what to build, or how it should work — should you spend lots of time gathering input from others or just trust your gut? The answer: it depends. It depends on who you are, what you’re building, and what you know. In this episode of Dalton + Michael we talk more about this, and how to know when you should spend time validating and when to just commit.

It’s easy to analyze your way out of taking the first step. It’s something we see a lot, particularly when founders try to choose what to build based on what they think VCs and investors will like. In this episode of Dalton & Michael, we’ll talk about the risks of “thinking like an investor”, how to know when you’re stuck in this mindset, and how to unlearn it. We’ll also cover a short list of things that we’ve found actually matter when starting a company — it’s simpler than a lot of people think.

Startups need to innovate to succeed. But not all innovation is made equal and reinventing some common best practices could actually hinder your company. In this episode, Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the common innovation pitfalls founders should avoid so they can better focus on their product and their customers.

Within the world of startups, you'll find lots of discourse online about the experiences of founders bootstrapping their startup versus the founders who have raised venture capital to fund their company. Is one better than the other? Truth is, it may not be so black and white. Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the virtues and struggles of both paths.

Whether or not you need a co-founder is always a hotly debated topic — but going one level deeper, founders often wonder what kind of co-founder they need. It’s also common for technical founders to be told by investors and advisors that they would benefit from a co-founder with non-technical expertise in things like business or marketing. Are they correct? Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel dive into exactly that question.

Social media often promotes a doom and gloom outlook about our future society. But is that worldview accurate? In this episode, Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the best ways for founders and aspiring founders to think about weighing optimism and pessimism in their day to day lives.

Based on the thousands of companies YC has funded over the years, the biggest common element between all successful startups is having technical talent on the founding team. But what do you do if you don't know how to code? You may think you can get by using no-code tools, part-time consultants, or dev shops to bring your startup idea to life. But that thinking is wrong. In this episode of Dalton & Michael, we’ll discuss exactly why that is and why recruiting a technical co-founder is the single biggest way to create value as someone trying to start the next big thing.

If you’re an employee of a late stage company right now, how would you know when it’s time to move on vs. time to double down? The fact is there isn't an easy answer — it can really vary from person to person and situation to situation. In this video, YC Partners Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell share some suggestions on what sort of things an employee of a late stage startup should be looking for — the good signs and the bad — to best make this decision.

The stories are true: technical founders (and early technical employees!) often end up with the short end of the stick when starting a company. In this episode of Dalton & Michael, we’ll discuss the questions and best practices that an aspiring technical founder should think about — whom to start a company with, and how to think about things like equity split and division of responsibilities. Know what you are worth and act accordingly!

Do famous founders give advice they didn't follow themselves? How seriously should you consider the advice of people like Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Peter Thiel? It’s hard not to give advice when you’re successful, but context matters. In this episode, Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell dig into why some advice givers might be tempted to say “Do as I say, not as I did” and how we try to avoid doing that within YC.

Demo day is right around the corner. What do VC firms think of Y Combinator? Dalton and Michael reveal what's really going on behind the scenes with firms like a16z, Sequoia, Founders Fund, and the hundreds of others that invest in YC companies. The data reveals the truth - top investors have stakes in the biggest YC successes. Discover why Y Combinator is a secret weapon for VCs to find promising startups. This video will also teach you to recognize the hidden dynamics that fuel VC motivations so you can make informed decisions when fundraising for your startup.

Should you and your startup live in San Francisco? Y Combinator Partners, Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell, debate their different opinions on whether startups are more likely to succeed in the Golden City or elsewhere. Where do they find common ground?

How will the rise of AI impact startups and entrepreneurs? Join Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell for a discussion on the opportunities and challenges AI brings for founders. Through the lens of history and other technological leaps, Michael and Dalton explore the difference between just cargo culting AI versus using it to solve real problems. Will AI usher in a new generation of startups or is this the beginning of the end? These are insights and predictions for startups in this new AI age.

When it comes to building a startup you’re never doing it entirely from scratch. Inspiration and ideas can come from a variety of places, including other successful startups. But there’s a thin line between borrowing smart ideas and copying them blindly - otherwise known as Cargo Culting. In this episode Dalton and Michael break down the problem with Cargo Culting and offer advice on the right way to draw inspiration from other successful companies.

The core secret to startup success isn't fundraising or growth hacking - it's solving your customer's biggest problems. But most founders are afraid to really understand those problems. What if that fear is holding your startup back? In this video, YC Partners Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel share how companies like Google, Twitch, and Microsoft succeeded by first giving more value than they captured - and how you can too. Learn why your MVP might suck on purpose, how to change your customer outreach, and why you should understand exactly how your customers make money. Because when you solve the right problems, fundraising and scaling become the easy parts.

YC partners Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell discuss how spending real time with your users can unlock insights and growth. Hear the stories of how Airbnb and Brex built billion-dollar companies by forging genuine connections with customers. Learn why having too much money and too many people can actually slow down learning. And discover how to accelerate insight into your product by making your users feel special. Successful startups don’t just build technology – they solve human problems. The key is listening to the people who really matter: your customers.

If you're a high school or college student with big dreams of starting your own company, this video is for you. Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel, two startup founders who started in the early 20s and are now top investors, sit down to share the hard-won advice they wish they had known back in high school. Whether you're already running your own startup or just have an idea you can't stop thinking about, Caldwell and Seibel will discuss the skills you need to learn now and how to set yourself up for success after graduating school. Their stories will give you a glimpse of what's truly possible at the intersection of ambition and opportunity in in today's world. This is a masterclass in entrepreneurship for the next generation.

In this first in-person episode, Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell reveal how startups can gain a competitive advantage by doing something deceptively simple. They share compelling stories of companies that built loyal relationships and achieved success by making personal connections with users. In contrast, they discuss the traps early-stage founders make by trying to emulate big tech. If you want to build a business that customers love and that thrives in the long run, this advice on why caring deeply about your customers is key.

Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell discuss the importance of having honest and difficult conversations with startup founders. While having hard conversations can be uncomfortable, Seibel and Caldwell argue that this transparency is essential for founders to grow and ultimately, these experiences help founders have their own hard conversations that they've been avoiding with the people around them.

What happens when the unconventional becomes conventional? Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell discuss how the startup world has changed from being dominated by outsiders and nonconformists to now attracting more mainstream conformists looking for status and money. They share stories of what the tech scene was like when they were in school - and how radically different it is today. Dalton and Michael offer advice about navigating a world that doesn't always reward nonconformists embarking on risky entrepreneurial journeys. Don't just think different, act different.

If you're looking to maximize your startup's potential, start by setting the right goals. Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell provide tips and strategies for setting goals that will help keep you and your new business focused on success—plus provide examples of bad goals to avoid as a startup.

Thinking of a new startup idea? Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the types of ideas to stay away from—what we commonly refer to as "tarpit ideas."

Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the qualities that make a founder overly optimistic or far too pessimistic about their startup. Where is the right middle ground?

Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the best approaches to developing a healthy lifestyle that ultimately helps you run and grow a successful startup. Take care of yourselves out there.

Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel take a look at Paul Graham's essay "Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule" and share tips on how to be more effective and productive on the journey to creating a billion dollar business.

Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the problems with zero sum games within tech culture. Is your startup making a positive impact on the world or are your business practices a net negative in society? Apply to Y Combinator: https://yc.link/DandM-apply

Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss Paul Graham's essay "Default Alive or Default Dead." They share strategies to cut your company's burn rate and keep your startup alive to see another day. Paul Graham's essay: http://www.paulgraham.com/aord.html Trevor Blackwell's startup growth calculator: http://growth.tlb.org

Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the best approaches to managing the many setbacks startup founders can face over the lifetime of starting and running a business. Apply to Y Combinator: https://yc.link/DandM-apply Work at a Startup: https://yc.link/DandM-jobs

Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the struggles of working at FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) and how to strategize leaving a big tech job to become a founder at a startup. Apply to Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/ Work at a startup: https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs