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YC Application Scorecard
Rate each YC application question 1–5. Get a verdict and a rewrite priority list before you submit.
Question 1
What is your company going to make? Please describe your product and what it does or will do.
Okay, but could be more concrete
Question 2
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?
Okay, but could be more concrete
Question 3
What's new about what you're making? What substitutes do people resort to because it doesn't exist yet (or they don't know about it)?
Okay, but could be more concrete
Question 4
How do or will you make money? How much could you make?
Okay, but could be more concrete
Question 5
If you've already started working on it, how long have you been working and how many lines of code (if applicable) have you written?
Okay, but could be more concrete
Question 6
Tell us something surprising or amusing that one of you has discovered.
Okay, but could be more concrete
Score
18 / 30
Solid — rewrite the weakest 2–3 answers
Rewrite these first
- Question 1 — 3/5: What is your company going to make? Please describe your product and what it does or will do.
- Question 2 — 3/5: 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?
- Question 3 — 3/5: What's new about what you're making? What substitutes do people resort to because it doesn't exist yet (or they don't know about it)?
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FAQ
How should I score my answers?
Be honest. A 5 means a partner would quote it as an example. A 1 means it's vague or generic. Most first drafts land between 2 and 3.
What if my total is low?
Rewrite the lowest-scoring questions first. YC reads every answer, but the founder, product, and progress questions carry the most weight.
Can I use this instead of a reviewer?
No. This is a self-check. Get a founder friend or advisor to read your final draft before submitting.
Is the YC application scorecard free?
Yes, completely free and no signup. Scoring happens in your browser.
What score should I aim for before submitting?
Aim for 80%+ of the maximum. Below 60% usually means several answers are still generic and need concrete numbers, user names, or dates.
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