President & CEO, Y Combinator

President & CEO of Y Combinator, the world’s leading startup accelerator. YC funds hundreds of companies annually through a highly selective process with a 1% acceptance rate. YC has backed 90 billion-dollar startups, funding them at the earliest stage, often before launch. Each year, 10–20 companies achieve product-market fit and become Unicorns, contributing to over $600B in market value. Previously, I was a YC partner (2011–2015), building key software like Bookface and Demo Day’s real-time video platform. I’m also the founder of Initialized Capital, an early-stage VC fund that was an early backer of Coinbase and Instacart. As Managing Partner, we grew AUM to $3.2B with startups valued at $200B+. I’ve been named to the Forbes Midas List (2019–2023), ranking #6 globally in 2023. Earlier, I co-founded Posterous (acquired by Twitter) and helped build Palantir’s quant finance platform, designing its iconic logo. I’m a designer, PM, engineer, and passionate builder.