Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Y-Combinator VS Startup School

Compare Y-Combinator VS Startup School and see what are their differences

Y-Combinator logo Y-Combinator

Y Combinator provides seed funding for startups.

Startup School logo Startup School

How to start a startup, by Y Combinator
  • Y-Combinator Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-25
  • Startup School Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-22

Y-Combinator features and specs

  • Funding
    Y Combinator provides seed funding, typically $500,000, to help startups get off the ground.
  • Mentorship
    Access to experienced mentors and advisors who offer guidance on product development, business strategy, and growth.
  • Network
    Entrepreneurs get access to a vast network of successful alumni, investors, and industry connections.
  • Reputation
    Being backed by Y Combinator adds significant credibility and can attract further investments and partnerships.
  • Resources
    Access to various resources, including office space, legal advice, and operational support.
  • Demo Day
    An opportunity to pitch in front of influential investors, which can lead to additional funding and media attention.

Possible disadvantages of Y-Combinator

  • Equity Dilution
    Startups must give up a percentage of their equity (typically 7%) in exchange for the seed funding and support.
  • Intensive Program
    The 3-month program is extremely demanding and can be stressful for founders, requiring intense focus and long hours.
  • Not Guaranteed Success
    Despite the support, many startups fail to achieve long-term success after the program.
  • Highly Competitive
    The selection process is extremely competitive, with thousands of startups applying and only a small percentage being accepted.
  • Geographic Relocation
    Founders are usually required to relocate to the Bay Area for the duration of the program, which may be inconvenient or costly.

Startup School features and specs

  • Free Enrollment
    Startup School is free to join, which lowers the barrier to entry for aspiring entrepreneurs who may have limited resources.
  • Expert Guidance
    Participants receive advice and mentorship from successful entrepreneurs and experts affiliated with Y Combinator, one of the top startup accelerators.
  • Extensive Resources
    The program provides a wealth of resources, including lectures, articles, and tools that cover a wide range of topics relevant to building and scaling a startup.
  • Networking Opportunities
    Participants get the opportunity to interact with other startup founders, fostering a community where they can share ideas, challenges, and solutions.
  • Startup Launch-Ready
    By the end of the program, startups are usually more prepared for launch, having gone through rigorous validation, feedback, and iteration processes.

Possible disadvantages of Startup School

  • No Financial Support
    Unlike traditional Y Combinator accelerators, Startup School does not provide direct financial investments to participating startups.
  • Limited Interaction
    Given its online nature, participants might find the interaction less personal and engaging compared to in-person incubators or accelerators.
  • Competitive Admission
    Despite being free, the program is competitive, and not all applicants are admitted, which may limit access for some aspiring entrepreneurs.
  • Self-Driven
    The program requires a high level of self-motivation, as much of the work and learning are self-directed, which might be challenging for those needing more structured guidance.
  • Variable Outcome
    Success varies widely among participants, and completion of the program does not guarantee startup success or follow-on investment.

Y-Combinator videos

No Y-Combinator videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Startup School videos

STARTUP SCHOOL 2019 REVIEW

More videos:

  • Review - I signed up for Y Combinator's Startup School
  • Review - Y Combinator Startup School week 1 progress

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Y-Combinator and Startup School)
Startups
47 47%
53% 53
Startup Community
39 39%
61% 61
Startup Accelerator
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
35 35%
65% 65

User comments

Share your experience with using Y-Combinator and Startup School. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Startup School might be a bit more popular than Y-Combinator. We know about 26 links to it since March 2021 and only 18 links to Y-Combinator. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Y-Combinator mentions (18)

  • FOSDEM 2025: The state of Rust trying to catch up with Ada [video]
    Exactly T is that's probably "really" a machine address in a CPU register, and so None is the same CPU register with an all-zeroes bit representation. My favourite non-standard library use of this feature is CompactString. CompactString is the SSO (Small String Optimisation) made famous in C++ but applied to Rust's strings. Rust's native String type is as simple as possible, thus no SSO, it's actually... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • How to Make Money From Coding: A Beginner-Friendly Practical Guide
    Y Combinator: Provides funding and mentorship for early-stage startups. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • Ask HN: It Was Better with Www
    We all act like writing www. Is lame and for dads/grandparents, but the truth is: 1. You never know when you need to write https:// 2. It looks a lot uglier 3. Literally means "hypertext transfer protocol (secure)" (I had to look it up, and I am a hacker news user.) 4. Just happened to me: in a youtube description you cant just put ycombinator.com, you have to write https://ycombinator.com. This is not a problem... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • demo of an AI driven RPG
    I found the link originally at ycombinator.com and they have some discussion around it. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Did Twitter die, Elon?
    I said this on ycombinator.com, if Elon spent more time on his business rather than arguing online about covid (which is what he was doing at the time of the outage btw), I feel like less twitter outages would happen and perhaps the Twitter Status would be properly updated. Of course, he would rather spend his time conversing online like a 14 year old on MW2 instead of actually doing his job. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Startup School mentions (26)

  • Ask HN: Great startup idea, but cannot solo
    Start by trying the idea out manually, the school of hard knocks (and some reading) will be a better edu. Watch the https://startupschool.org videos for what the other schools would teach you. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Where should I look for young entrepreneurs like myself looking to build something
    Try the Y Combinator school : startupschool.org. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Any tips, strategy, or framework on how you folks identify what competitors you have in your space?
    Not sure, but they do have their https://startupschool.org with free resources so I’d suggest to start there. Source: about 2 years ago
  • How do I pick and focus on what I want to do to turn it into a business?
    Y Combinator has a lot of good advice, check startupschool.org. Source: about 2 years ago
  • How to get started
    Y Combinator give the best advice. They're the biggest startup incubator. Check their program https://startupschool.org or the bite-sized tips newsletter https://yc-tips.com. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Y-Combinator and Startup School, you can also consider the following products

Techstars - Startup Accelerator Programs & Funding

Indie Hackers - Connect with fellow entrepreneurs, developers, and bootstrappers who are sharing the strategies and revenue numbers behind their companies.

Wellfound - Where the startup world goes to find what’s next.

The Y Combinator Database - The definitive database of YC companies with all the metrics

Pioneer.app - We fund projects and startups built by ambitious outsiders around the world

Female Switch App - Startup game for first time entrepreneurs that takes you from idea to first customer and beyond. Get help from your AI co-founder and build your startup without any risk.