Startup School for Aspiring Founders

A free, 6-week online course for aspiring startup founders.

Learn how to start a company with help from the world's best accelerator - Y Combinator. Sign up now to join us!
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Why Founders Love Startup School

We've created the best lessons and advice on how to start a startup and curated the most relevant pieces for aspiring founders.
View Startup School curriculum

Meet with other aspiring founders through weekly live video chats and discuss curriculum content or just bounce ideas off each other. You may even meet a co-founder!

Course Preview
ModuleCurriculum
Module 1
Should You Start A Startup?Harj Taggar, YC Partner & Co-Founder of Triplebyte (S15)
Why You Should Leave Your FAANG JobDalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel
Why to Not Not Start a StartupPaul Graham
Before the StartupPaul Graham
Module 2
How to Get and Evaluate Startup IdeasJared Friedman, YC Partner & Co-Founder of Scribd (S06)
Pivoting Out of a Tarpit IdeaDalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel
How to Get Startup Ideas (Paul Graham)Paul Graham
All About PivotingDalton Caldwell
Where Do Great Startup Ideas Come From?Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel
Module 3
All About Co-FoundersCatheryn Li, Startup School Lead at YC, and Divya Bhat, YC Visiting Partner & Co-Founder of Rickshaw (W14)
Co-Founder Mistakes That Kill Companies & How To Avoid ThemDalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel
How to Split Equity Among Co-FoundersMichael Seibel
How to Work TogetherKevin Hale
Module 4
How to Talk to UsersGustaf Alstromer, YC Partner & Former Head of Growth at Airbnb
How to Build an MVPMichael Seibel
Product Development Cycle FundamentalsMichael Seibel
Module 5
How to Launch (Again and Again)Kat Manalac, YC Partner & Head of Outreach
How to Get your First CustomersGustaf Alstromer, YC Partner & Former Head of Growth at Airbnb
Do Things That Don't ScalePaul Graham
Module 6
How to set KPIs and Prioritize Your TimeDivya Bhat, YC Visiting Partner & Co-Founder of Rickshaw (W14)
Startup Business Models and PricingAaron Epstein, YC Partner & Co-Founder of Creative Market (W10)
Growth for StartupsGustaf Alströmer
Module 7
How Startup Fundraising Works in 2022Brad Flora, YC Partner & Cofounder of Perfect Audience (S11)
How to Apply and Succeed at Y CombinatorDalton Caldwell, YC Partner & Head of Admissions
How to LeadAli Rowghani
Module 8
The Founding Story of FacebookMark Zuckerberg
The Founding Story of 23andMeAnne Wojcicki
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