So, you’re thinking about applying to Y Combinator. That is a big deal. It means you believe in your idea enough to want to take it to the highest level.
But here is the reality: Y Combinator gets thousands of applications every single cycle. They read through a lot of text. But when it comes to the video? That is your chance to stop being a business plan on a screen and start being a human being.
The YC application video is often the most stressful part for founders. People worry about their lighting, their background, or stumbling over their words. But honestly? You are worrying about the wrong things.
Let’s talk about how to create a video that feels natural, honest, and shows the partners exactly who you are.
Why the Video Matters More Than You Think
YC partners are not just looking for a good idea. Ideas change. In fact, they expect them to change. What they are really looking for is clarity and determination.
The video is the only part of the application where they can see your energy. They want to see if you can communicate clearly under pressure. They want to see if you and your co-founder actually get along. They want to see if you are the type of person who figures things out.
If you are building a startup, you are going to have to sell your vision to investors, customers, and future employees, often with very little preparation. The video is a small test of that ability.
What You Actually Need to Record
You do not need a cinema camera. You do not need a professional microphone. You do not need a fancy studio.
If you have a smartphone made in the last five years, you have enough gear.
Here is the simple checklist:
Good Lighting: Natural light from a window is perfect. Just don’t sit with a bright window behind you, or you will look like a shadowy figure. Let the light hit your face.
Clean Audio: The microphone on your phone is fine if you are in a quiet room. Turn off the fan, close the window, and put your phone on do not disturb.
A Steady Surface: Prop your phone against a stack of books or use a cheap tripod. Shaky, hand-held footage is distracting.
That is it. Production quality matters far less than the quality of your thinking.
The 3 Questions You Must Answer
Y Combinator asks you three simple questions in the video. They seem easy, but they require real thought.
1. What is your company?
This is not your pitch deck. Do not use buzzwords. Do not say we are the “Uber for dogs” or the “AI-powered blockchain solution.”
Explain it like you are talking to a friend at a coffee shop.
Bad: “We are a disruptive SaaS platform leveraging machine learning to optimize B2B logistics.”
Good: “We help small businesses figure out the cheapest and fastest way to ship their products to customers.”
Be clear. Be short. If you can’t explain what you do in one or two sentences, you probably need to simplify your idea.
2. What progress have you made?
This is where you prove you are a builder. YC loves founders who just get things done.
Have you built a prototype? Do you have your first 10 customers? Are you making your first $100 a month? Say that.
If you don’t have users yet, talk about what you have built. If you haven’t built anything yet, talk about who you have talked to. Show that you are moving forward.
3. What do you want to get out of Y Combinator?
Be honest. Do you need help finding product-market fit? Do you need to learn how to sell to enterprise customers? Do you need the network to raise your next round?
If your answer is just “I want the money and the logo,” that is okay, but try to go deeper. Show that you are eager to learn.
Common Mistakes That Hurt Founders
Over the years, watching applications, I have noticed a few things that immediately make a video less effective. Avoid these.
Reading from a Script
I can always tell when someone has written a script on their laptop just below the camera lens. Their eyes move back and forth. They sound robotic.
Instead, write down three bullet points on a sticky note and put it right next the camera. Just talk to us. It is okay to pause and think. It is okay to say “um.” That is real.
The “Co-founder” Problem
If you have a co-founder, you should be in the video together. If you are in different cities, hop on a Zoom call and record that. YC wants to see the chemistry between the founders. Do they let each other talk? Do they build on each other’s ideas? This tells them a lot about your working relationship.
Trying to Look Like a CEO
You don’t need to wear a suit. You don’t need to use big words. Trying to look “professional” often makes you look fake. YC invests in people. They want to see the real you, not the “corporate” you.
How Charisol Helps Founders Build
At Charisol, we understand this journey because we work with founders every single day. Our founder, Dolapo Olisa, comes from a background of solving real problems. He built Charisol to bridge the gap between great ideas and the technical skill needed to bring them to life.
When you are making your YC video, one of the hardest questions to answer is “What progress have you made?” If you are a non-technical founder, getting that progress can feel impossible. You have the idea, but you don’t have the product.
That is where we step in. We help small businesses and startups build the digital products they need. We want you to be able to look into that camera and say, “We have a working prototype,” or “We just launched our MVP.”
Our mission is to help you accomplish your growth objectives. If YC is part of your plan, we want to make sure the tech side of your business is ready.
Keep It Short and Sweet
YC says the video can be up to one minute long. Do not feel like you have to fill the entire minute.
If you can say everything clearly in 45 seconds, that is great. If you need a full minute, that is fine too. Just don’t ramble.
A good structure looks like this:
0:00 – 0:20: Who you are and what you do.
0:20 – 0:40: What you have built or achieved.
0:40 – 1:00: Why you are applying and what you hope to learn.
FAQs About YC Videos
What if I mess up? Should I start over?
Small mistakes make you human. Unless you completely blank out or say something wrong, keep going. A little stumble shows you aren’t reading a script.
Should I edit the video with fancy transitions?
No. Just record one take. If you need to stop and restart, record a new video file. Fancy editing looks like you are trying to hide something or sell something. Keep it raw.
I am a solo founder. Is that okay?
YC prefers teams, but they fund solo founders too. If you are solo, just be honest about why you are solo and show that you know how to get things done without someone holding your hand.
My English is not perfect. Should I worry?
Absolutely not. Some of the most successful startups in the world have been founded by people who speak English as a second language. Speak clearly and confidently in the language you are comfortable with. Passion translates.
Final Thoughts
Your YC application video is not a Hollywood audition. It is a conversation.
It is your chance to show the partners that you are a thinker, a builder, and someone who is worth backing. Stop worrying about your hair or your shirt. Worry about being clear. Worry about being honest. Worry about showing how passionate you are about the problem you are solving.
If you need help building the product that you will be talking about in that video, we are here to help. We work with founders to turn their ideas into reality. You can check out how we work and see if it is a good fit for your project.
If you are ready to build something worth applying with, let’s start a conversation.
And if you want more tips on building and launching, feel free to explore the Charisol blog for more insights.
Now, here is the question I want to leave you with: If you had to explain your company to a stranger in one minute, right now, without preparing, what would you say?