Every billion-dollar YC company survived a brutal first year after Demo Day. Year One captures those twelve months as they happen, tracking one founder's make-or-break decision per episode: the pivot that saved the company, the co-founder fight that almost killed it, the fundraising round that closed at 2am on a Thursday. Two hosts (one former YC founder, one startup reporter) sit down with recent batch founders while the wounds are still fresh, then bring in YC partners to dissect what went right, what went wrong, and what the founder couldn't see from inside the fog. If you're an aspiring founder, an early startup employee, or an investor trying to understand why 90% of startups stall while a handful become Stripe or Airbnb, this is the show that replaces hindsight polish with the version founders tell each other at 1am on Bookface.
Podcast Overview
Every billion-dollar YC company survived a brutal first year after Demo Day. Year One captures those twelve months as they happen, tracking one founder's make-or-break decision per episode: the pivot that saved the company, the co-founder fight that almost killed it, the fundraising round that closed at 2am on a Thursday. Two hosts (one former YC founder, one startup reporter) sit down with recent batch founders while the wounds are still fresh, then bring in YC partners to dissect what went right, what went wrong, and what the founder couldn't see from inside the fog. If you're an aspiring founder, an early startup employee, or an investor trying to understand why 90% of startups stall while a handful become Stripe or Airbnb, this is the show that replaces hindsight polish with the version founders tell each other at 1am on Bookface.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
5/6/2026
2 verified contact emails on file for Year One
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Recent Episodes
June 16, 2026
Jorge: Turning BrainHi’s GTM Into an Engineered Machine
Host Alex Lieberman interviews Jorge B. Macías, who shares how he engineered BrainHi's go-to-market strategy using industrial engineering principles to scale B2B sales.
June 16, 2026
S26: The $2M Token Trap
YC Partner Kirsty Nathoo and founders discuss OpenAI's $2M token offer, revealing how uncapped SAFEs impact cap tables and the long-term costs of infrastructure partnerships in this interview.
June 9, 2026
The S26 Email: What Getting In (and Not) Actually Means
Host Miles and Host Grant interview two founders about their YC S26 application outcomes, revealing key signals for acceptance and rejection.
10 total episodes available
Recent guests on Year One
Guests from recent episodes — sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.
Jorge B Macías
Guest
YC partner
Guest
accepted founder
Guest
rejected founder
Guest
Alex Benz
Guest
Jon Yoo
Guest
W26 founder
Guest
Deep-dive analytics for Year One
Frequently asked questions
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- What is Year One?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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