Ex-YC reader of ~10,000 applications: over half of this batch makes the same new mistake
rickasaurus · x · 2026-11-01
Jason Freedman, who has read roughly 10,000 YC applications (8,000 for admissions years ago plus 2,000 informally as an alum), warns of a new and growing mistake: of the 200 applications he read this batch, over half fall into it. His core point: the YC application evaluates founder potential far more than any specific business — Airbnb's pivot succeeded because the founders never gave up and kept listening to users — so founders must let themselves shine through the writing.
Related event: Ex-YC Partner Warns AI-Written Applications Are Losing Founders' Voice(2 posts)→
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