logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
14m 49s

Secrets You Can Learn From Your Customer...

Y Combinator
About this episode

Successful startups don’t just build technology – they solve human problems. The key is listening to the people who really matter: your customers.


In this episode, Michael and Dalton discuss how spending real time with your users can unlock insights and growth. Hear the stories of how Airbnb and Brex built billion-dollar companies by forging genuine connections with their customers and learn why having too much money and too many people can actually slow down learning.


Apply to Y Combinator: https://yc.link/DandM-apply Work at a Startup: https://yc.link/DandM-jobs

Up next
Nov 20
Cursor Head of Design Reviews Startup Websites
<p>Cursor Head of Design Ryo Lu has spent his career at the intersection of design and engineering—from building fan sites as a kid to designing products at Stripe, Asana, and Notion. Now he&#39;s rethinking how software itself gets made.</p><p><br></p><p>On this episode of Desig ... Show More
35m 34s
Nov 13
Inside The Startup Launching AI Into Space
Starcloud recently made history by launching a satellite with an NVIDIA H100 into orbit — the first time a GPU that powerful has ever operated in space. It's the first step toward building AI data centers in orbit, powered by continuous sunlight and cooled by radiating heat into ... Show More
12m 55s
Nov 7
How To Recruit The Best Engineers And Sales Reps
Most founders think hiring is about interviewing. But it's actually about selling.For Startup School, Juicebox co-founder & CEO David Paffenholz joins YC's Harj Taggar to share how early-stage founders can find, pitch, and close top engineering and sales talent— from crafting bet ... Show More
43m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
Do We Need Humans Anymore in Customer Journeys?
<p>Customers are demanding speed and convenience in their interactions with companies. Technology, especially artificial intelligence, is often better at&nbsp;meeting customer needs than humans. Karen Lellouche Tordjman, leader of BCG’s customer experience work, explains how comp ... Show More
22m 18s
Oct 2023
The Strategy Mistake Too Many Startups Make
Many founders try to emulate startups that have already become successful. But Thales Teixeira says that approach, which often involves trying to do too much, too quickly, can lead to failure. In this episode, you’ll learn how to find customers who aren’t being served by existing ... Show More
24m 39s
Nov 2021
Creating Super Call Center Agents with Umesh Sachdev, Co-founder and CEO of Uniphore
<p>Disruption is a word that gets thrown around a lot in business. It’s curious because most people don’t want their day to day to be disrupted in regular life. People don’t just casually offer up the phrase, “I can’t wait for some disruption today.” But that’s why it’s absolutel ... Show More
40m 59s
Mar 2023
Lessons from working with 600+ YC startups | Gustaf Alströmer (Y Combinator, Airbnb)
<p>Brought to you by <strong>Linear</strong>—The new standard for modern software development. | <strong>Eppo</strong>—Run reliable, impactful experiments. | <strong>Pando</strong>—Always-on employee progression.</p><p>—</p><p><strong>Gustaf Alströmer</strong> is a Group Partner ... Show More
1h 25m
Feb 2021
Y Combinator's Michael Seibel & Dalton Caldwell - Lessons from 5000 Entrepreneurs
Miguel Armaza is joined by Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell, Managing Directors and Group Partners at Y Combinator (YC). YC is one of the most successful startup accelerators and venture capital funds, and since March 2005 has helped over 5,000 startup founders build and launch ... Show More
39m 1s
Mar 2023
TechStuff Tidbits: How Tech Startups Get Funding
How do tech entrepreneurs go from having an idea to turning it into a successful business? We look at the process of funding a tech startup and what might convince someone to invest in a long shot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
33m 36s
Jun 2023
SaaStr 670: CRO Confidential: Why The First Rule You Know About Building Software is Wrong. Rippling CEO Parker Conrad's Theory of the Compound Startup. Hosted by Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund
<p>The First Rule You Know About Building Software is Wrong.</p> <p> </p> <p>Discover why with Rippling CEO and Co-Founder, Parker Conrad, and Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund. In this session, Parker will explain step-by-step his theory of the compound startup and how it can ... Show More
39m 48s
Jun 2023
SaaStr 669: From 2 Weeks of Runway to a $1.5B Valuation: The Founder Playbook with Loom Co-Founder and CEO Joe Thomas
<p>June 2016: Loom was on its last legs. With more than one failed launch + fundraising attempt behind them, the co-founders were maxing out credit cards and had about two weeks of runway left before calling it quits. One idea changed everything: they took a chance on a single pi ... Show More
27m 2s
Sep 2021
Infrastructure Lays the Foundation for Developer Artistry with Tony Minessale, Founder and CEO of SignalWire
<p>In general, creative-types fall into two camps. The first camp loves the excitement of creating something flashy — things that people can identify, experience, and viscerally respond to. The second camp is made up of those who care about building a foundation so that other peo ... Show More
34m 33s
Feb 2020
3. When Knowing Too Much Can Hurt Your Communication: How to Make Complex Ideas Accessible
<p>As communicators, we often need to take complex information (e.g., financial, technical, or scientific) and make it more understandable for our audience – we’re experts and they likely aren’t. But having so much knowledge on the topics we discuss can often make the job more di ... Show More
16m 25s