Hi all,
Here is the Directory to all of my notes from the Y Combinator Startup School lecture series. This free program was easily one of the best investments of my time I’ve ever made, and I wish I had this information 2 years ago when I was trying to get my first startup off the ground. You have 2 options of accessing my notes for your convenience. If you have any questions feel free to DM me on Twitter.
**Disclaimer**: All of this information in my notes are ownership of Y Combinator. I do not claim ownership of any of this information. If you would like this information removed kindly let me know and I will remove it.
Ways to Access my Notes:
1. Individual Lecture Notes
Keep scrolling below
2. Notion (entire notebook) + PDF — Recommended
Free access to my entire Notion notebook, the ability to duplicate it, as well as a PDF of all the notes.
Why you should join YC Startup School:
- It’s taught by some of the smartest, most successful entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley.
- It’s free
- This information does NOT just apply to startups — These concepts are universal to entrepreneurship.
How I approached the course:
Since I’m a physician, learning this information was like learning a new language. Therefore, I wouldn’t absorb much information on my first pass and would need to go through this material 2-3 times. I watched 1 video and read 1 article per day and finished in about 2 weeks. While there is so much good information to learn, the biggest ROI for me was applying the information. While I don’t intend to create my own startup for at least 6 months, I tried to apply the information for other creative and entrepreneurial pursuits.
After each video or article, I asked myself “How can I apply this information to something I’m working on right now? (ex: How can I ask better questions to my friends about their experience reading my newsletter?)”. Again, applying this information to seemingly different facets of your life is the best form of immersion into startup school. It will shift the way you think about your everyday activities and potentially help you observe and solve problems around you.
Course Syllabus:
Lecture Videos:
1. How to evaluate startup ideas
2. How to split equity among co-founders
3. How to plan an MVP
4. How to talk to users
5. How to launch (again and again)
6. Startup Pricing 101
7. How to set KPIs and Goals
8. Growth for Startups
9. How to improve conversion rates
10. Modern Startup Financing
11. Understanding SAFEs and Priced
12. How to work together
13. How to prioritize your time
14. All about pivoting
15. How to pitch your startup
16. Building culture: Your first 20 employees
17. How to lead
Articles:
1. YC’s essential startup advice
2. Idea generation
3. How to Find a Technical Co-Founder
4. Do things that don’t scale
5. Startup = Growth
6. Getting press for your startup
7. How to hire your first engineer
8. Product development cycle fundamentals
9. If your product is great, it doesn’t need to be good
10. Finding product-market fit
11. Competition (startup playbook)
12. Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule
Final Thoughts
This program is something I would gladly have spent a few thousand dollars learning. They teach exactly what you need to know and do it as efficiently as possible. I encourage everyone to go through this course. If you have any questions feel free to DM me on Twitter. And if you found this helpful you might also enjoy my newsletter.
I’m Abhishek, a Physician obsessed with way too many things at once. Every Monday I share an email newsletter with some thoughts and interesting finds related to Entrepreneurship, Productivity, and Happiness. Located in NYC.
@Abhia90 // YouTube // Newsletter // Contact