{"generated_at": "2026-08-28T10:26:43.060861Z", "slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "episode_count": 24, "avg_signal": 79.1, "median_signal": 81.0, "top_signal": 91.3, "latest_episode_at": "2026-08-13T16:53:05Z", "earliest_episode_at": "2026-05-08T14:42:40Z", "category_mode": "ai", "cover_image_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1786635459908-4d70f07311f4b.jpg", "rank_score": 214.768, "episodes": [{"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_3c26da773590", "episode_title": "Chelsea Finn: This is the State of the Art in Robotics", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-08-13T16:53:05Z", "overall_score": 89.7, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 79.7, "originality": 49.0, "hype_penalty": 0.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1786635459908-4d70f07311f4b.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Chelsea-Finn-This-is-the-State-of-the-Art-in-Robotics-e3nc492", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/124178146/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-13%2F429782123-44100-2-cab930f0a7ef2.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Chelsea-Finn-This-is-the-State-of-the-Art-in-Robotics-e3nc492", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of like, model, data, including: And in particular, two years ago, I founded a company called Physical Intelligence.", "summary": "Today I'm going to be talking about the state of the art of physical intelligence. And I actually spoke at this event a year ago last year, and at the event last year I shared some of our progress at the company at Physical Intelligence where we could do things, really complicated tasks like folding, unloading and folding laundry, and I also talked about how for the first time we showed how robots can do useful tasks"}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_342248aa5124", "episode_title": "Peter Steinberger: \"Fun Is Velocity\"", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-08-11T19:53:56Z", "overall_score": 80.7, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 54.2, "originality": 44.4, "hype_penalty": 3.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1786477611348-20aa499bb3f13.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Peter-Steinberger-Fun-Is-Velocity-e3n9eat", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/124090141/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-11%2F429659619-44100-2-294fb99113552.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Peter-Steinberger-Fun-Is-Velocity-e3n9eat", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of like, know, people, including: These days, the polls say I got mocked by an anime girl.", "summary": "Six months ago, I was the future. You know, I get questions like this almost every day."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_d907d5ad4cf6", "episode_title": "Max Hodak: How Startups Build Speed", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-08-10T21:41:38Z", "overall_score": 81.8, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 44.0, "originality": 60.2, "hype_penalty": 3.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1786397693931-160118749202e.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Max-Hodak-How-Startups-Build-Speed-e3n8178", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/124043944/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-10%2F429595889-44100-2-a070af848a476.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Max-Hodak-How-Startups-Build-Speed-e3n8178", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of like, think, really, including: I'm the CEO of a company called Science.", "summary": "My name is Max Hodak."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_c33c020ffbe1", "episode_title": "How To Design In The Agent Era", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-08-07T18:40:00Z", "overall_score": 81.3, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 57.1, "originality": 44.6, "hype_penalty": 3.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/23401959/23401959-1715188660604-894894aeaa81c.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-To-Design-In-The-Agent-Era-e3n42jd", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/123914285/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-7%2F429419166-44100-2-5b7b650740ab6.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-To-Design-In-The-Agent-Era-e3n42jd", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of like, it's, really, including: They can save you a lot of work and they can do tasks like translation or resizing for you.", "summary": "The agents can speed you up. They can save you a lot of work and they can do tasks like translation or resizing for you."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_e8501bb09870", "episode_title": "Garry Tan: Own Your Intelligence", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-08-06T19:28:24Z", "overall_score": 83.2, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 66.2, "originality": 44.9, "hype_penalty": 3.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1786044493780-9c6135490eda.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Garry-Tan-Own-Your-Intelligence-e3n2rc1", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/123874113/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-6%2F429363789-44100-2-e2c4dd8914daf.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Garry-Tan-Own-Your-Intelligence-e3n2rc1", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of every, people, it's, including: His name was Baruch Spinoza.", "summary": "So, the internet calls me one of the most AI psychotic people online, so it's only right that I start my talk with a story about one of the most cancelled men in history."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_c297d9f6dff8", "episode_title": "Building the First Data Centers in Space", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-08-05T16:57:31Z", "overall_score": 86.3, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 65.9, "originality": 60.4, "hype_penalty": 3.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1785948783215-3620695ea8356.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Building-the-First-Data-Centers-in-Space-e3n13ek", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/123816852/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-5%2F429283987-44100-2-43ac4a2874969.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Building-the-First-Data-Centers-in-Space-e3n13ek", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of like, space, yeah, including: Before they built the thing that they're going to launch.", "summary": "First thing every space company should do is book the first available launch they can. Before they built the thing, before they probably even know what they're going to launch."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_065285069c92", "episode_title": "Waymo Co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov: \"Move Fast And Ship Safely\"", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-08-04T16:55:08Z", "overall_score": 78.3, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 56.0, "originality": 60.7, "hype_penalty": 9.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1785862226403-5a660799be862.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Waymo-Co-CEO-Dmitri-Dolgov-Move-Fast-And-Ship-Safely-e3mvft2", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/123764066/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-4%2F429211619-44100-2-80c61c5d2a7a4.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Waymo-Co-CEO-Dmitri-Dolgov-Move-Fast-And-Ship-Safely-e3mvft2", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of world, that's, physical, including: It's great to be here.", "summary": "Good afternoon, everyone. We talk a lot about AI that lives on your screen, lives in the digital world."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_319f4b9dcd27", "episode_title": "Patrick Collison: \"What If You Succeed?\"", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-08-03T16:43:22Z", "overall_score": 90.0, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 81.2, "originality": 48.7, "hype_penalty": 0.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1785775023800-6a5cf88653b21.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Patrick-Collison-What-If-You-Succeed-e3mtper", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/123708315/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-3%2F429138468-44100-2-8806da84c4f95.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Patrick-Collison-What-If-You-Succeed-e3mtper", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of think, know, like, including: So it's really fun to do this.", "summary": "okay patrick thanks so much for being here welcome to startup school great to be here um harj and i first met 20 years ago and um uh he um we started a company together sorry am i giving away the introduction yeah i thought this was my interview but sure keep going We started a company together many, many years ago, and I learned a huge amount from Harch. So it's really fun to do this."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_2f037149cdb3", "episode_title": "Jeff Dean: The 1% Rule for Building in AI", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-08-01T14:00:00Z", "overall_score": 85.9, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 51.6, "originality": 57.8, "hype_penalty": 0.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1785514200270-72a7d09aaff28.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Jeff-Dean-The-1-Rule-for-Building-in-AI-e3mq28a", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/123586250/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-31%2F428976415-44100-2-4750afd8ab692.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Jeff-Dean-The-1-Rule-for-Building-in-AI-e3mq28a", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of know, think, really, including: All right, Jeff, welcome.", "summary": "All right, should we get started, Jeff?. Yeah, I'm afraid I've lost my voice."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_5fec38ca5118", "episode_title": "Alexandr Wang: \u201cThis is a Once-in-a-Civilization Opportunity\u201d", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-07-31T16:05:25Z", "overall_score": 75.5, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 80.6, "originality": 52.1, "hype_penalty": 15.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1785513180684-4e5ad1ec9f84.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Alexandr-Wang-This-is-a-Once-in-a-Civilization-Opportunity-e3mq1mh", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/123585681/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-31%2F428975476-44100-2-60b67de499775.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Alexandr-Wang-This-is-a-Once-in-a-Civilization-Opportunity-e3mq1mh", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of like, know, think, including: So why don't we start out backstage?.", "summary": "Full rock star treatment for Alexander Wang, everyone. We were saying, you know, one of the cool ways to think about this event is, like, you know, this room is actually full of people who are just like us, But when we were 18 or 20, you know, there's some 16 year olds in this audience, you know."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_9ae7bf2e451d", "episode_title": "Blake Scholl: Breaking the Supersonic Ban", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-07-29T21:56:23Z", "overall_score": 79.9, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 48.9, "originality": 60.5, "hype_penalty": 6.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1785358916838-0beff08d6bf18.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Blake-Scholl-Breaking-the-Supersonic-Ban-e3mngh9", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/123502569/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-29%2F428862376-44100-2-99591f9c333df.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Blake-Scholl-Breaking-the-Supersonic-Ban-e3mngh9", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of think, like, things, including: In 1969, we landed on the moon for the first time.", "summary": "I want to start by saying, Houston, we have a problem."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_bb7e7d8d965b", "episode_title": "Sam Altman: \"Never a Better Time to Do a Startup\"", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-07-28T16:17:44Z", "overall_score": 72.4, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 61.0, "originality": 56.1, "hype_penalty": 15.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1785248913238-a281dc89acc89.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Sam-Altman-Never-a-Better-Time-to-Do-a-Startup-e3mld12", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/123433442/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-28%2F428769142-44100-2-5c82673dfc0a.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Sam-Altman-Never-a-Better-Time-to-Do-a-Startup-e3mld12", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of like, think, people, including: This is like a lot bigger than the earlier startup schools.", "summary": "Sam, thanks for joining us. I think this is going to be the best time in the world to do a startup, and it's going to be quite amazing to see."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_9621e0295d4f", "episode_title": "Boris Cherny: Building Claude Code", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-07-28T05:17:01Z", "overall_score": 86.2, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 55.0, "originality": 55.8, "hype_penalty": 0.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1785215800912-50cf564ae7dbf.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Boris-Cherny-Building-Claude-Code-e3mkr7g", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/123415216/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-28%2F428743828-44100-2-eb65dd355d011.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Boris-Cherny-Building-Claude-Code-e3mkr7g", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of like, model, it's, including: It's great to be here.", "summary": "All right, Boris, we're so excited to have you here, the creator of Plot Code. It's great to be here."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_5943e534ac5a", "episode_title": "Jensen Huang: The Mindset That Built NVIDIA", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-07-27T21:29:00Z", "overall_score": 67.3, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 44.1, "originality": 47.5, "hype_penalty": 15.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1785187720414-b2fa4a47062c8.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Jensen-Huang-The-Mindset-That-Built-NVIDIA-e3mkd1q", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/123400698/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-27%2F428723985-44100-2-b1d7f98df8a9c.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Jensen-Huang-The-Mindset-That-Built-NVIDIA-e3mkd1q", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of know, like, going, including: Now let's get started.", "summary": "Now let's get started."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_e621b301d6b4", "episode_title": "World Models, Explained", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-07-17T14:43:48Z", "overall_score": 77.6, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 68.3, "originality": 44.6, "hype_penalty": 9.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1784299405551-7435882bf9e7e.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/World-Models--Explained-e3m73bf", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/122964783/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-17%2F428135155-44100-2-ab08c297ef593.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/World-Models--Explained-e3m73bf", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of like, yeah, it's, including: That is, how do you get models to quickly learn new tasks or skills from relatively small amounts of training data?.", "summary": "One of the biggest open problems in AI right now is how to solve sample efficiency. That is, how do you get models to quickly learn new tasks or skills from relatively small amounts of training data?."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_3a2fdf2f8a10", "episode_title": "How To Better Understand Your Users", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-07-09T20:25:45Z", "overall_score": 73.4, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 81.2, "originality": 50.8, "hype_penalty": 2.4, "actionability": 91.0, "technical_depth": 61.0, "information_density": 75.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1783628700235-0ae5042268b8c.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-To-Better-Understand-Your-Users-e3lsjos", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/122621148/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-9%2F427673015-44100-2-d7db7520dd49d.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-To-Better-Understand-Your-Users-e3lsjos", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of users, user, product, including: In my last video, I talked about cohort retention curves and how you can use those to separate groups of users and track what they do over time throughout using your products.", "summary": "One of the biggest mistakes I see founders make is relying on aggregate user metrics instead of understanding how any individual users use their product. In my last video, I talked about cohort retention curves and how you can use those to separate groups of users and track what they do over time throughout using your products."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_ee1b468e77bb", "episode_title": "Why Domain Experts Are Winning In The Age Of AI", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-06-19T15:00:00Z", "overall_score": 89.1, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 80.3, "originality": 60.3, "hype_penalty": 3.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/23401959/23401959-1715188660604-894894aeaa81c.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Why-Domain-Experts-Are-Winning-In-The-Age-Of-AI-e3l08ia", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/121692170/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-19%2F426428445-44100-2-cc6fbd2bc5962.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Why-Domain-Experts-Are-Winning-In-The-Age-Of-AI-e3l08ia", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of like, know, it's, including: And I think this is where folks with experience, folks that have spent a decade plus in this industry, they know how to create something like this because they can leverage the mod.", "summary": "You need to have a certain amount of expertise to know what to do with this boundless intelligence that's imbued in the model. And I think this is where folks with experience, folks that have spent a decade plus in this industry, they know how to create something like this because they can leverage the model's underlying capability to create something that's just world-class."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_e0a0f7ef414c", "episode_title": "How To Pick A Startup Idea", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-06-17T15:48:19Z", "overall_score": 82.1, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 63.2, "originality": 51.2, "hype_penalty": 1.2, "actionability": 91.0, "technical_depth": 91.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1781711066324-c1a706ae1ad4c.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-To-Pick-A-Startup-Idea-e3ktvca", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/121617226/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-17%2F426327051-44100-2-d0987302df15f.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-To-Pick-A-Startup-Idea-e3ktvca", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of idea, actually, you're, including: I often meet founders who have lots of ideas about what to work on and can't decide between them.", "summary": "Hi, I'm John and I'm a partner at YC. I often meet founders who have lots of ideas about what to work on and can't decide between them."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_3e795dd32951", "episode_title": "\"The CEO Must Be the Chief AI Officer\"", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-06-10T15:27:11Z", "overall_score": 81.2, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 56.3, "originality": 59.7, "hype_penalty": 6.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1781104838868-cad8a0375b5b5.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/The-CEO-Must-Be-the-Chief-AI-Officer-e3kju57", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/121288295/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-10%2F425886734-44100-2-da292e1c6d619.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/The-CEO-Must-Be-the-Chief-AI-Officer-e3kju57", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of like, think, know, including: And just like start there.", "summary": "You wake up, whatever problem you have in your life, why can't you solve it with AI?. And just like start there."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_d5e4dfd343fd", "episode_title": "How to Build an AI-Native Services Company", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-06-03T16:00:00Z", "overall_score": 91.3, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 73.1, "originality": 63.6, "hype_penalty": 0.0, "actionability": 100.0, "technical_depth": 100.0, "information_density": 100.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/23401959/23401959-1715188660604-894894aeaa81c.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-to-Build-an-AI-Native-Services-Company-e3k8dj5", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/120910885/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-2%2F425382042-44100-2-c297bc5c34c0a.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-to-Build-an-AI-Native-Services-Company-e3k8dj5", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of product, you're, these, including: They'll be services companies like insurance carriers and law firms, rebuilt from scratch with AI doing most of the work.", "summary": "Some of the biggest companies of the next decade won't be software businesses at all. They'll be services companies like insurance carriers and law firms, rebuilt from scratch with AI doing most of the work."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_4b57302117aa", "episode_title": "How To Build Superintelligence Inside Your Company", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-05-27T15:00:00Z", "overall_score": 79.4, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 75.0, "originality": 92.0, "hype_penalty": 5.0, "actionability": 65.0, "technical_depth": 88.0, "information_density": 82.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/23401959/23401959-1715188660604-894894aeaa81c.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-To-Build-Superintelligence-Inside-Your-Company-e3jur1o", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/120596984/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-27%2F424962817-44100-2-669c81bab6e9.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-To-Build-Superintelligence-Inside-Your-Company-e3jur1o", "verdict": "must_listen", "why_listen": "Discover how to architect internal AI systems that amplify organizational intelligence by combining real-time data access, skill registries, and context engineering.", "summary": "Building superintelligence inside a company involves creating AI agents that can access internal data and tools, effectively connecting organizational knowledge in a way akin to brain-to-brain linkage. YC has developed internal AI agents\u2014like those with read-only SQL access\u2014that augment human capabilities by enabling just-in-time software and collective intelligence. The key is not just technical infrastructure but context engineering, where processes like pitch refinement and meeting analysis become upgradable skills in a company-wide agent system."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_82ac093a9cc0", "episode_title": "How The Best Companies Defend Against Mediocrity And Rot", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-05-25T16:15:11Z", "overall_score": 69.4, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 92.0, "originality": 0.0, "hype_penalty": 2.0, "actionability": 85.0, "technical_depth": 85.0, "information_density": 75.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1779725262469-a0ede84ed0cf1.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-The-Best-Companies-Defend-Against-Mediocrity-And-Rot-e3jsegp", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/120518617/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-25%2F424857770-44100-2-13252d234815c.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/How-The-Best-Companies-Defend-Against-Mediocrity-And-Rot-e3jsegp", "verdict": "must_listen", "why_listen": "You'll learn how to structurally protect a company\u2019s mission from investor pressure and governance rot using legal, financial, and cultural tools that favor long-term value over short-term gains.", "summary": "The episode argues that 'best practices' in corporate governance\u2014like independent boards and shareholder primacy\u2014actively erode company mission and enable mediocrity. It presents evidence that founder-controlled, mission-driven companies with structures like dual-class shares and public benefit corporations (PBCs) outlive and outperform traditional firms. The framework 'Ethos + Integrity = Incorruptible' is offered as a defense against institutional decay, especially in AI companies facing external pressure."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_fa9d691ab877", "episode_title": "Paul Graham: Should you move to Silicon Valley?", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-05-13T16:29:19Z", "overall_score": 52.5, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 59.3, "originality": 46.4, "hype_penalty": 6.0, "actionability": 59.0, "technical_depth": 46.0, "information_density": 61.8}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/23401959/23401959-1715188660604-894894aeaa81c.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Paul-Graham-Should-you-move-to-Silicon-Valley-e3jalm2", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/119936130/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-13%2F424080697-44100-2-94feb70f6501b.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Paul-Graham-Should-you-move-to-Silicon-Valley-e3jalm2", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It goes beyond the title with direct discussion of valley, it's, silicon, including: The first one is about you.", "summary": "I'm going to talk about two questions today that many of you have probably wondered about. Should you go to Silicon Valley?."}, {"episode_id": "ep_y_combinator_startup_podcast_747707b8f99d", "episode_title": "Tokenmaxxing: How Top Builders Use AI To Do The Work Of 400 Engineers", "podcast_name": "Y Combinator Startup Podcast", "podcast_slug": "y_combinator_startup_podcast", "source_id": "src_y_combinator_startup_podcast", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2026-05-08T14:42:40Z", "overall_score": 64.8, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 75.0, "originality": 94.0, "hype_penalty": 5.0, "actionability": 60.0, "technical_depth": 42.0, "information_density": 58.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/23401959/23401959-1778251297848-37109b64c72b3.jpg", "source_link": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Tokenmaxxing-How-Top-Builders-Use-AI-To-Do-The-Work-Of-400-Engineers-e3j2r9s", "audio_url": "https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/119679740/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-8%2F423738858-44100-2-3788947d1a18f.mp3", "listen_url": "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ycombinator/episodes/Tokenmaxxing-How-Top-Builders-Use-AI-To-Do-The-Work-Of-400-Engineers-e3j2r9s", "verdict": "must_listen", "why_listen": "Learn how to build a fully autonomous AI engineering team that can ship products in hours, not years, using token maxxing and agentic workflows.", "summary": "Gary Tan demonstrates how leveraging AI agents in a system he calls GStack enables a single builder to achieve output equivalent to hundreds of engineers by automating research, coding, testing, and design. He emphasizes 'token maxxing'\u2014spending heavily on compute tokens to maximize productivity\u2014as a strategic lever for founders with deep technical taste. The framework relies on agentic workflows, meta-prompting, and full-stack AI autonomy, reducing development cycles from years to hours."}], "category_breakdown": [{"category": "ai", "count": 24}]}