Y Combinator (YC)

Definition

A startup accelerator that funds, mentors, and networks early-stage companies for 3 months. Getting into YC is simultaneously a blessing and the quickest way to become overconfident.

Example Usage

We got accepted to Y Combinator, which means we'll now have '2023 Y Combinator batch' on every document forever.

Origin

Founded by Paul Graham in 2005

Fun Fact

Y Combinator's acceptance rate is lower than Harvard's, yet founders who get in are only marginally more likely to succeed

Source: Startup ecosystem terminology

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zombie fund

A venture fund that's technically alive but has stopped making new investments, usually because performance is so bad that raising a follow-on fund is impossible. It shambles along, managing existing investments until the limited partnership agreement expires.

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transaction

Any exchange of goods, services, or money, elevated to sound more important when preceded by 'business' or followed by 'cost.' In startup world, it's the holy grail metric that proves people are actually using your product for its intended purpose rather than just kicking the tires. VCs obsess over transaction volume, transaction value, and transaction frequency as if counting exchanges of value will somehow predict the future.

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capitalist

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incubate

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🚀 Startup / VC

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