“Wikipedia people want to take my entry off of Wikipedia all the time.”
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More from Jessica Livingston
Opinion
Critics erase Livingston from YC history to maintain diversity narratives
“The people that, that sort of don't want me to be part of the narrative are the ones that think that Y Combinator only invests, it's run by white men, only invests in white men. And gosh, if there was a woman on the founding team making choices of who to fund,…”
Jessica LivingstonJun 27, 2024▶ 4:50The social radar: Y Combinator’s secret weapon | Jessica Livingston (co-founder of YC, author)
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Zenefits orchestrated a paid smear campaign and legal threats against Parker Conrad
“There was a smear campaign. You know, paid for. By someone still at Zenefits. There were legal threats made to force him to sign an, you know, not, sign this doc, sign this legal document that would allow them to have a non-compete in California so that he cou…”
Jessica LivingstonJun 27, 2024▶ 1:04:54The social radar: Y Combinator’s secret weapon | Jessica Livingston (co-founder of YC, author)
AssertionNot checkable as stated
No founder Livingston strongly opposed at YC became a super success
“There's no one. That I had a strong dislike for that. I sort of said we should not fund them. That has gone on to be a super success.”
Jessica LivingstonJun 27, 2024▶ 44:56The social radar: Y Combinator’s secret weapon | Jessica Livingston (co-founder of YC, author)
Insight
Founders with corporate day jobs consistently abandon startups when obstacles arise
“You have to burn the boat because we found that founders who are still getting a paycheck and health insurance
Once the going got tough they did not quit their job. And you need that deterrent, like you sort of need that desperation. Like I have to make this s…”
Jessica LivingstonJun 27, 2024▶ 35:23The social radar: Y Combinator’s secret weapon | Jessica Livingston (co-founder of YC, author)
Insight
Co-founders lacking personal or professional history are a massive red flag
“It's really scary when two founders get together just to start the startup and don't have any history. That, that massive red flag. Sometimes it works out. Like in the case of Dropbox, Drew and Arash, you know, both went to MIT, but I think they didn't know ea…”
Jessica LivingstonJun 27, 2024▶ 37:23The social radar: Y Combinator’s secret weapon | Jessica Livingston (co-founder of YC, author)
Disclosure
Livingston admits missing red flags in Bitfinex hacker Ilya Lichtenstein
“I definitely don't remember thinking anything, you know, bad about him, you know, or thinking he could be that kind of person. So that definitely, there've been some doozies like that where did not see that one coming.”
Jessica LivingstonJun 27, 2024▶ 46:31The social radar: Y Combinator’s secret weapon | Jessica Livingston (co-founder of YC, author)
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