Free tool · No signup
Startup Matcher
Describe your startup in a few sentences. We'll match you to the YC databases, founder answers, deep dives and free tools that fit your market, your stage and the problem in front of you right now.
0/2000 · the more concrete, the better the match
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How to use this tool
Step 1
Describe your startup
Say what you build, who pays for it, and where you are today.
Step 2
Pick stage and focus
Tell it what you're working on so the match fits this week, not last year.
Step 3
Open your shortlist
Each recommendation links straight to the database, answer, post or tool.
Free YC databases
Everything behind this page is in our open databases
Batch lists, rejection case studies, RFS playbooks and launch guides — all free to read, no signup.
Playbook
RFS Playbook 2026 →
All 15 YC Request for Startups ideas, each turned into a customer, wedge and 90-day plan.
Database
YC Rejection Database →
Airbnb, Stripe, Reddit — founders who got rejected first, with every source linked.
Database
YC Solo Founder Database →
20+ verified solo founders, their pre-YC traction and the exact application framing they used.
Browse all free YC databases → · or start on the YCInsight homepage
FAQ
What does the startup matcher do?
You describe your startup in a few sentences and it reads the description, then points you to the YC Insights databases, Q&A answers, deep dives and free tools that match your market, stage and current problem.
Is the startup matcher free?
Yes. It needs no signup and no card. Some of the databases it recommends have a free sample on the page and the complete version inside Pro.
Do you store my startup description?
No. Your description is used to generate one set of recommendations and is not saved to your account or shared.
How specific should my description be?
The more concrete, the better the match. Name what you build, who pays for it, roughly where you are (idea, users, revenue) and the decision you're stuck on right now.
Can it recommend anything outside YC Insights?
No. It only selects from pages that already exist on this site, so every recommendation links to a real database, answer, post or tool.
Will it tell me whether YC will accept me?
No, and nothing can. It points you to the research on how comparable companies applied, pivoted, priced and found their first customers so you can judge for yourself.
Keep reading
Questions
YC Application Questions →
Every question on the YC application, what reviewers want, and good vs bad answers.
Ideas
YC Request for Startups →
All 15 RFS ideas YC actively wants funded in 2026.
Playbook
YC Application Examples →
Airbnb, Stripe, Reddit — real accepted YC applications, decoded.
Interview
YC Interview Questions →
The 10 questions partners ask, and what each one is really testing.
New here? Start on the YCInsight homepage — every YC database, founder story and Q&A in one place. Or jump straight to the free YC databases.