Every argument clarity score on this site is built from rows on this page. Each
question and answer was assessed with names hidden, the host's own answers included, on
four things from 1 to 5:
directness (does it answer the question asked), coherence (do the ideas follow),
precision (concrete details and clear references), compression (says a lot per word). The weighted
mix (30/30/25/15) is the exchange score. A person's published score averages their exchange
scores on raw tape only, at least 8 of them, shrunk toward the cohort mean.
Full method →
Answered raw tape
D 5 · C 5 · P 5 · Cm 4 4.85
Q Okay. And according to the Y Combinator blog, Y Combinator currently has a three percent success rate of getting funded. Leading me to ask, what, what's the selection process for choosing which to back and which not to? Do you have a series that you Go through in order to choose.
A We do. So many, many companies apply. Um, very many companies. And so, um, there's basically a three phase process. The first, uh, phase is kind of a general review of the applications. And that basically sorts the applications, um, into ones that we should be considering and ones that we shouldn't really even consider. Um, then the second phase is Involves each partner, um, uh, I'm sorry. Involves each application being read and graded by at least three partners. And from that process, we create a stack ordering, um, stack ranking of approximately 450, um, applications. Uh, at the top. And then we take those 450 best ranked applications and we offer them all interviews. And the interviews are 10 minutes long and they're done over the course of a week, um, in Mountain View. And then, um, of those interviews, um, you know, approximately one in four companies will be offered a spot in YC.
AI assessment note: “there's basically a three phase process. The first, uh, phase is kind of a general”
Answered raw tape
D 5 · C 5 · P 5 · Cm 4 4.85
Q And what do you most like to see in those interviews? Is there, is there anything in particular from the founders that you most like to see and is there anything that you really don't like to see?
A Um, there are four things that I like to see. Um, one, I like to see strong, technically talented teams who are working on their company full time, and who are splitting their equity equally, or close to equally, um, and who've known each other, um, for at least six months, but I like teams that have known each other for much longer. Um, I like to see them going after large markets. Um, I don't I don't particularly care what the idea is, but I do care that either a lot of people have this problem, or the people or companies that have these problems are willing to pay a lot of money for these solutions. So really big markets are important. And then the last thing, the third thing is traction. Um, the way I describe this is, um, you know, companies enter YC at all different phases. Um, some of them have already launched, some of them are imminently launching, some of them are building things that take slightly longer. What we look for are companies that do 12 months worth of work in six months. We have to feel like you are pushing the envelope in terms of the amount of work and the amount of progress that you're, that you have. Um, because basically speed is one of a startup's number one allies. So you have to see that. And then I think the last thing, and this is something that, uh, one of our partners, Paul Blue Height taught me, Um, when I was doing my first interviews years a…
AI assessment note: “there are four things that I like to see. Um, one, I like to see”
Answered raw tape
D 5 · C 5 · P 5 · Cm 4 4.85
Q Okay. And according to the Y Combinator blog, Y Combinator currently has a three percent success rate of getting funded. Leading me to ask, what, what's the selection process for choosing which to back and which not to? Do you have a series that you Go through in order to choose.
A We do. So many, many companies apply. Um, very many companies. And so, um, there's basically a three phase process. The first, uh, phase is kind of a general review of the applications. And that basically sorts the applications, um, into ones that we should be considering and ones that we shouldn't really even consider. Um, then the second phase is Involves each partner, um, uh, I'm sorry. Involves each application being read and graded by at least three partners. And from that process, we create a stack ordering, um, stack ranking of approximately 450, um, applications. Uh, at the top. And then we take those 450 best ranked applications and we offer them all interviews. And the interviews are 10 minutes long and they're done over the course of a week, um, in Mountain View. And then, um, of those interviews, um, you know, approximately one in four companies will be offered a spot in YC.
AI assessment note: “We do. ... there's basically a three phase process.”
Answered raw tape
D 5 · C 5 · P 4 · Cm 4 4.60
Q Fantastic. And, and Airbnb, Reddit, Script, Dropbox, naming a few of the amazing companies that have come out of Y Combinator, which leads me to ask, in particular, what is it that Y Combinator does which brings about these companies? Is, is there a formula almost for the production of such incredible companies?
A So I would say first and foremost, the founders bring, uh, make these companies happen, and we just kind of help out on the edges. I would say that, um, What YC really does for companies, I think, can be easily divided into three categories. Um, the first is that we'd like to give companies good advice, advice from the perspective of founders, oftentimes, almost all of the time, from former founders. So, um, instead of kind of generalized or academic-style advice, you're actually hearing straight from the trenches someone who's had your exact same experience. Um, and all of the partners provide that level of advice. The second thing is the alumni community, which is massive. Now I think it's over 2000 people have gone through YC. And so there's just a wide range of people you can reach out to, whether it's to do a deal, whether they're potential customers, or whether you want to ask them for advice. And so, um, that network is extremely strong and everyone has been helped by another YC founder. So everyone feels the urge to give back.
AI assessment note: “What YC really does for companies, I think, can be easily divided into three categories.”
Answered raw tape
D 5 · C 5 · P 4 · Cm 4 4.60
Q Okay. And according to the Y Combinator blog, Y Combinator currently has a three percent success rate of getting funded. Leading me to ask, what, what's the selection process for choosing which to back and which not to? Do you have a series that you Go through in order to choose.
A We do. So many, many companies apply. Um, very many companies. And so, um, there's basically a three phase process. The first, uh, phase is kind of a general review of the applications. And that basically sorts the applications, um, into ones that we should be considering and ones that we shouldn't really even consider. Um, then the second phase is Involves each partner, um, uh, I'm sorry. Involves each application being read and graded by at least three partners. And from that process, we create a stack ordering, um, stack ranking of approximately 450, um, applications. Uh, at the top. And then we take those 450 best ranked applications and we offer them all interviews. And the interviews are 10 minutes long and they're done over the course of a week, um, in Mountain View. And then, um, of those interviews, um, you know, approximately one in four companies will be offered a spot in YC.
AI assessment note: “there's basically a three phase process.”
Answered raw tape
D 5 · C 5 · P 4 · Cm 4 4.60
Q Fantastic. And, and Airbnb, Reddit, Script, Dropbox, naming a few of the amazing companies that have come out of Y Combinator, which leads me to ask, in particular, what is it that Y Combinator does which brings about these companies? Is, is there a formula almost for the production of such incredible companies?
A So I would say first and foremost, the founders bring, uh, make these companies happen, and we just kind of help out on the edges. I would say that, um, What YC really does for companies, I think, can be easily divided into three categories. Um, the first is that we'd like to give companies good advice, advice from the perspective of founders, oftentimes, almost all of the time, from former founders. So, um, instead of kind of generalized or academic-style advice, you're actually hearing straight from the trenches someone who's had your exact same experience. Um, and all of the partners provide that level of advice. The second thing is the alumni community, which is massive. Now I think it's over 2000 people have gone through YC. And so there's just a wide range of people you can reach out to, whether it's to do a deal, whether they're potential customers, or whether you want to ask them for advice. And so, um, that network is extremely strong and everyone has been helped by another YC founder. So everyone feels the urge to give back.
AI assessment note: “What YC really does for companies, I think, can be easily divided into three categories”
Answered raw tape
D 5 · C 5 · P 4 · Cm 4 4.60
Q Fantastic. And, and Airbnb, Reddit, Script, Dropbox, naming a few of the amazing companies that have come out of Y Combinator, which leads me to ask, in particular, what is it that Y Combinator does which brings about these companies? Is, is there a formula almost for the production of such incredible companies?
A So I would say first and foremost, the founders bring, uh, make these companies happen, and we just kind of help out on the edges. I would say that, um, What YC really does for companies, I think, can be easily divided into three categories. Um, the first is that we'd like to give companies good advice, advice from the perspective of founders, oftentimes, almost all of the time, from former founders. So, um, instead of kind of generalized or academic-style advice, you're actually hearing straight from the trenches someone who's had your exact same experience. Um, and all of the partners provide that level of advice. The second thing is the alumni community, which is massive. Now I think it's over 2000 people have gone through YC. And so there's just a wide range of people you can reach out to, whether it's to do a deal, whether they're potential customers, or whether you want to ask them for advice. And so, um, that network is extremely strong and everyone has been helped by another YC founder. So everyone feels the urge to give back.
AI assessment note: “What YC really does for companies, I think, can be easily divided into three categories.”
Answered raw tape
D 5 · C 5 · P 4 · Cm 4 4.60
Q And what do you most like to see in those interviews? Is there, is there anything in particular from the founders that you most like to see and is there anything that you really don't like to see?
A Um, there are four things that I like to see. Um, one, I like to see strong, technically talented teams who are working on their company full time, and who are splitting their equity equally, or close to equally, um, and who've known each other, um, for at least six months, but I like teams that have known each other for much longer. Um, I like to see them going after large markets. Um, I don't I don't particularly care what the idea is, but I do care that either a lot of people have this problem, or the people or companies that have these problems are willing to pay a lot of money for these solutions. So really big markets are important. And then the last thing, the third thing is traction. Um, the way I describe this is, um, you know, companies enter YC at all different phases. Um, some of them have already launched, some of them are imminently launching, some of them are building things that take slightly longer. What we look for are companies that do 12 months worth of work in six months. We have to feel like you are pushing the envelope in terms of the amount of work and the amount of progress that you're, that you have. Um, because basically speed is one of a startup's number one allies. So you have to see that. And then I think the last thing, and this is something that, uh, one of our partners, Paul Blue Height taught me, Um, when I was doing my first interviews years a…
AI assessment note: “there are four things that I like to see. Um, one, I like to see”
Answered raw tape
D 4 · C 5 · P 5 · Cm 4 4.55
Q And what do you most like to see in those interviews? Is there, is there anything in particular from the founders that you most like to see and is there anything that you really don't like to see?
A Um, there are four things that I like to see. Um, one, I like to see strong, technically talented teams who are working on their company full time, and who are splitting their equity equally, or close to equally, um, and who've known each other, um, for at least six months, but I like teams that have known each other for much longer. Um, I like to see them going after large markets. Um, I don't I don't particularly care what the idea is, but I do care that either a lot of people have this problem, or the people or companies that have these problems are willing to pay a lot of money for these solutions. So really big markets are important. And then the last thing, the third thing is traction. Um, the way I describe this is, um, you know, companies enter YC at all different phases. Um, some of them have already launched, some of them are imminently launching, some of them are building things that take slightly longer. What we look for are companies that do 12 months worth of work in six months. We have to feel like you are pushing the envelope in terms of the amount of work and the amount of progress that you're, that you have. Um, because basically speed is one of a startup's number one allies. So you have to see that. And then I think the last thing, and this is something that, uh, one of our partners, Paul Blue Height taught me, Um, when I was doing my first interviews years a…
AI assessment note: “there are four things that I like to see”
Answered raw tape
D 5 · C 4 · P 4 · Cm 3 4.15
Q Why did you not? Why did you not?
A You know, I don't know. I think that, um, I think about that a lot, and I think that I was so focused on school and doing well in school, and because computer science and software engineering isn't, uh, you know, one of the primary subjects taught at school, I just figured I would focus on those things that I had to focus on to get good grades at school, which, um, I don't know, it's sad looking back. I really wish there was a CS or programming, um, Track in school along with math and science. Um, I think it would make people so much, so much smarter. Um, so anyways, uh, then I graduated from high school. I went to Yale and, um, became friends, um, with this guy named Justin Kahn. And, uh, we were in the same dorm together. And, um, after school, about a year after school, um, Justin told me that he was going to start a company, um, on the east, on the west coast in San Francisco. And he told me about it. And it was this online reality TV show.
AI assessment note: “I was so focused on school and doing well in school”
Answered raw tape
D 4 · C 4 · P 4 · Cm 3 3.85
Q Why did you not? Why did you not?
A You know, I don't know. I think that, um, I think about that a lot, and I think that I was so focused on school and doing well in school, and because computer science and software engineering isn't, uh, you know, one of the primary subjects taught at school, I just figured I would focus on those things that I had to focus on to get good grades at school, which, um, I don't know, it's sad looking back. I really wish there was a CS or programming, um, Track in school along with math and science. Um, I think it would make people so much, so much smarter. Um, so anyways, uh, then I graduated from high school. I went to Yale and, um, became friends, um, with this guy named Justin Kahn. And, uh, we were in the same dorm together. And, um, after school, about a year after school, um, Justin told me that he was going to start a company, um, on the east, on the west coast in San Francisco. And he told me about it. And it was this online reality TV show.
AI assessment note: “I think that I was so focused on school and doing well in school”
Answered raw tape
D 4 · C 4 · P 4 · Cm 3 3.85
Q Why did you not? Why did you not?
A You know, I don't know. I think that, um, I think about that a lot, and I think that I was so focused on school and doing well in school, and because computer science and software engineering isn't, uh, you know, one of the primary subjects taught at school, I just figured I would focus on those things that I had to focus on to get good grades at school, which, um, I don't know, it's sad looking back. I really wish there was a CS or programming, um, Track in school along with math and science. Um, I think it would make people so much, so much smarter. Um, so anyways, uh, then I graduated from high school. I went to Yale and, um, became friends, um, with this guy named Justin Kahn. And, uh, we were in the same dorm together. And, um, after school, about a year after school, um, Justin told me that he was going to start a company, um, on the east, on the west coast in San Francisco. And he told me about it. And it was this online reality TV show.
AI assessment note: “I was so focused on school and doing well in school”
