Hub · Index
The YC Library — every free Y Combinator resource, organized by what you're trying to do.
Y Combinator publishes its library at ycombinator.com/library — hundreds of essays, videos and templates with no index worth using. This is that material re-sorted by founder job-to-be-done, plus the open databases YC doesn't publish.
Applying to YC
The Y Combinator Application →
Pillar guide — questions, video, interview, odds.
YC Application Questions →
Every question, with good vs bad answers.
Accepted Application Examples →
Airbnb, Stripe, Reddit — decoded.
YC Interview Questions →
The 10 questions partners ask.
YC Acceptance Rate →
1–2% overall, ~20% post-interview.
Application Deadlines →
Every 2026 batch date.
Ideas & RFS
Team & co-founders
Fundraising
Building & growth
Databases & research
FAQ
What is the YC Library?
The YC Library is Y Combinator's collection of free founder resources — essays, videos, Startup School lectures, templates and guides published at ycombinator.com/library. It covers everything from talking to users to fundraising, pricing, hiring and growth.
Is the YC Library free?
Yes. Every YC Library resource is free, with no login and no YC affiliation required. YC publishes it as a public good because most of the advice partners repeat in office hours is the same advice, batch after batch.
What are the most-read YC Library resources?
The most cited are 'How to Talk to Users' (Gustaf Alströmer), 'How to Get Startup Ideas' (Paul Graham), the SAFE documents and primer, 'Default Alive or Default Dead', 'Do Things That Don't Scale', and the YC application and interview guides.
Where can I find the official YC Library?
At ycombinator.com/library. This page is an independent, organized index of that material plus our own sourced databases — rejection case studies, founder stories, and RFS playbooks — that the official library doesn't publish.
Is YC Startup School part of the YC Library?
Startup School is a separate free program with its own curriculum, but the lecture videos and written companions are indexed in the YC Library. You can take Startup School without applying to YC.
Keep reading
Hub
All Databases →
Every open database we publish — free to read, free to download.
Q&A
Q&A Library →
Direct, sourced answers to the questions founders actually ask.
Stories
Founder Stories →
70+ deeply-reported founder journeys from YC alumni.
Database
YC Rejection Database →
32+ founders who got rejected — then built billion-dollar companies.
Guide
How Y Combinator Works →
The $500K deal, 3-month program, and acceptance rate — in plain English.
Database
List of YC Companies →
Searchable database of YC alumni by batch — Airbnb to Cursor.