
Y Combinator funds startups in twice-yearly batches on standard terms, currently $125,000 for 7 percent plus a further $375,000 on uncapped terms, and runs them through three months of weekly office hours ending in Demo Day. Paul Graham, Jessica Livingston, Robert Morris and Trevor Blackwell started it in 2005; the returns follow a power law, with Airbnb, Stripe, Dropbox, Coinbase and DoorDash carrying a portfolio of thousands. Its Safe note replaced the convertible note as the standard seed instrument, so YC set terms for the whole market as well as investing in it. Randall Stross embedded with a batch, Livingston's interviews record how earlier founders actually started, and Graham's essays supply the thinking the programme teaches.
Subtitled 'Big Ideas from the Computer Age'; collects early essays
Recommended by: Brian Armstrong, Ev Williams, Keith Rabois and 3 others
Recommended by: Ryan Holiday, Alexis Ohanian, Andrew Chen and 6 others
Inside Y Combinator in the years before Altman ran it.
Recommended by: Garry Tan, Paul Graham
Paul Grahamrecommends 2 books here
Ryan Holidayrecommends 2 books here
Brad Feldrecommends 1 book here
Alexis Ohanianrecommends 1 book here
Brian Armstrongrecommends 1 book here
Drew Houstonrecommends 1 book here
Ev Williamsrecommends 1 book here
Fred Wilsonrecommends 1 book here
Garry Tanrecommends 1 book here
Keith Raboisrecommends 1 book here
Nir Eyalrecommends 1 book here