About Y Combinator Startup School

Throughout the course, we aim to accomplish the following:

1. Encourage and inspire people to consider starting a company as a way to positively impact the world
2. Teach people about how to start a startup, and equip them with the resources and tools to help prepare them now and in the future
3. Build a community of entrepreneurs who can encourage and teach each other

Lectures

Lectures will be taught by a diverse group of entrepreneurs and industry leaders.

Week 1: How and Why to Start A Startup
By Sam Altman (YC), Dustin Moskovitz (Asana)

Week 1: Startup Mechanics
By Kirsty Nathoo (YC)

Week 2: How to Get Ideas and How to Measure
By Stewart Butterfield (Slack) and Adam D’Angelo (Quora)

Week 2: Office hours with Yuri Sagalov (Amium)

Week 3: How to Build a Great Product I
By Emmett Shear (Twitch) Steve Huffman (Reddit), Michael Seibel (YC)

Week 3: How to Build a Great Product II
By Aaron Levie (Box)

Week 4: How to Build a Great Product III
By Tracy Young (PlanGrid), Jason Lemkin (SaaStr), Harry Zhang (Lob), Solomon Hykes (Docker)

Week 4: How to Build a Great Product IV
By Jan Koum (WhatsApp)

Week 5: How to Get Users and Grow
By Alex Schultz (Facebook)

Week 5: Office hours with Adora Cheung (YC)

Week 6: How to Invent the Future I
By Alan Kay

Week 6: How to Invent the Future II
By Alan Kay

Week 7: How to Find Product Market Fit
By Peter Reinhardt (Segment)

Week 7: How to Think About PR
By Sharon Pope (YC)

Week 8: Diversity + Inclusion at Early Stage Startups
By Kat Manalac (YC)

Week 9: How to Build and Manage Teams
By Vinod Khosla (Khosla Ventures)

Week 9: Office hours with Kevin Hale

Week 10: How to Raise Money, and How to Succeed Long-Term
By Ali Rowghani (YC) Jess Lee (Sequoia), Aaron Harris (YC)

Participation in the course will follow two tracks:

Spectator

If you would like to learn but are not actively working on your startup.

You can follow along and have full access to all 10 lectures and class office hours, released once a week, here: https://www.startupschool.org/. No sign-up required.

Startup Founder

If you or your team are actively pursuing your startup and are interested in participating, sign up here: https://www.startupschool.org/.

In addition to having full access to all the lectures and class office hours, you will also:

1. Be assigned to a group of students and a group Advisor. Advisors are members of the Y Combinator alumni community who are currently running their own startup.
2. Have advisory sessions once every week via online video, and as needed via email
3. Have access to a Mattermost room with the other students in your group
4. Be responsible for updating your advisor on progress once a week