# Picking a good startup  : YC Startup Job Guide

**Author:** Paige Omura
**Type:** Essay
**URL:** https://www.ycombinator.com/library/Eo-picking-a-good-startup

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Table of Contents

[**Table of Contents**](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/Eo-picking-a-good-startup#)

[- What is the startup’s stage?](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/Eo-picking-a-good-startup#what-is-the-startup-s-stage)

[- What is the core technology?](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/Eo-picking-a-good-startup#what-is-the-core-technology)

[- What can you learn from the founders?](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/Eo-picking-a-good-startup#what-can-you-learn-from-the-founders)

[- Are you genuinely excited?](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/Eo-picking-a-good-startup#are-you-genuinely-excited)

Picking a good startup

# Picking a good startup

by Paige Omura

There are a few key questions that you can ask to narrow down which startups are most exciting for you to join. While
finding a “good startup” isn’t completely objective, as it will be dependent on your personal skills, goals, and
constraints, these questions can be a helpful starting point:

## **What is the startup’s stage?**

You can likely figure out the stage of a startup by looking at their latest news and funding announcements on the
startup’s website or LinkedIn. Additionally, [Work at a Startup](http://workatastartup.com/companies/?utm_source=sjg) –
YC’s jobs platform for portfolio companies – lists company stage under a given company (and allows candidates to view
and filter by company stage when looking at open roles).

As you start talking to founders, you can also ask them directly! This will be important in figuring out the readiness
of the product/technology and how your skill set might slot into the current development stage.

A word of caution: more money raised does not necessarily equal “better startup.” While it is critical that a startup
has enough runway to hire you and continue operating, you should do your own research and ask questions about the
business, product, and technology to understand the stage of a startup (vs. just looking at total money raised).

_(More about startup stages & definitions here:_ [_Stages of_\\
_startups_](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/Ek-stages-of-startups) _.)_

## **What is the core technology?**

As you browse jobs, do some soul searching to figure out what you actually find interesting. Ask yourself if this
startup in particular has an interesting technology for you to work on – then make sure you channel that interest and
excitement for the tech when you talk with the team.

![YC Logo](<Base64-Image-Removed>)

# What is Y Combinator?

We're an accelerator that funds startups — like Coinbase, Instacart, Reddit, Doordash — at their earliest stages. Starting a company? Even if it feels early, 40% of our companies joined with just an idea.

[Apply](https://www.ycombinator.com/apply)

There is likely little public information available about the startup’s core technology, especially if the company is
seed or Series A stage. Thus, during your interviews, you should take the opportunity to ask good questions about their
technology and what aspects of it you would be working on in this role. Picture yourself in that role, and see if you
find it interesting.

Think about what aspects of your background, previous work experiences, and skill set would be a great fit for the
startup and role. As much as you can, while still being authentic, tie your previous work experiences and skills into
the startup’s job description. Look for fit between your technical skills and the technology the startup is building.

## **What can you learn from the founders?**

When doing research about the founders, ask yourself if you’d be excited to work alongside and learn from them. Many YC
founders actually have a lot of experience – from starting their own startups, to working at startups, to working at
FAANG companies. You should find founders that you can learn from, whether it’s on the business side, technical side, or
even to learn how to start your own company one day. (The YC admissions process encourages applicants who worked at a YC
startup to get a recommendation from their founders.)

The interview process is an opportunity for you to get to know the founders, and have your questions answered. We tell
YC founders to be very transparent with candidates during the interview stages, because they should know what they’re
getting themselves into. So be open about your areas of interest and concerns, and look for answers to your questions
that are thoughtful and balanced — revealing both the pros and the cons of any scenario.

_If you want to learn more about YC founders specifically, we recently launched the_ [_YC Founder_\\
_Directory_](https://www.ycombinator.com/blog/the-yc-founder-directory?utm_source=sjg) _! It includes reasons why the_
_founders chose to start their company._

## **Are you genuinely excited?**

Starting a new job is a big change, so you should make sure you’re actually excited about the company and team. Do you
leave the interviews wanting to learn more? Are you ready to dive into the deep end? Be real with yourself and trust
your gut.
