In this session from Startup School Paris, YC partners field questions from the audience on how founders should be operating in the AI era.
Apply to Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply
Work at a startup: https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs
Chapters:
00:00 — AI Costs vs. Engineer Costs
00:55 — Intelligence Is Getting 10x Cheaper
01:42 — How to Build a Startup Ecosystem
02:18 — GoCardless and the London Origin Story
03:58 — Where Should AI Judgment Stop?
06:18 — What’s the Hard Bit Now?
08:13 — When AI Becomes a Better Partner Than You
10:18 — Why Founder-Partners Are Irreplaceable
10:50 — Research vs. Selling: When to Switch
13:09 — Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
14:02 — US Export Restrictions on Frontier AI
15:08 — Solo Founder or Co-Founder?
17:47 — Pick a Co-Founder for This Reason
19:35 — Is the VC Funding Path Still Relevant?
21:58 — What Are the Real Moats Now?
24:13 — Will Anyone Care Which Model They Use?
25:05 — AI Wrapper vs. Real Wedge
27:11 — Deep Tech Founder vs. Vibe Coder
28:24 — European Builder, No Budget, No Visa
29:48 — Early Decision Applications
31:38 — Habits of Top YC Startups
34:38 — Metrics for AI-Native Companies
36:10 — How to Actually Build an AI-Native Loop
38:04 — The Last Thing You’d Ever Automate
39:05 — When and How to Pivot
42:28 — Is High Agency a Muscle?
44:27 — Standing Out When Everything Is Easy to Build
source
