WITH ONE WEEK UNTIL THE JANUARY KICKOFF OF Y COMBINATOR'S WINTER 2024 STARTUP BATCH, THERE'S A HUSH IN THE PRESTIGIOUS ACCELERATOR PROGRAM'S CAVERNOUS NEW SAN FRANCISCO HEADQUARTERS.
THE ONLY SOUND, ASIDE FROM STEADY RAIN STREAKING THE WINDOWS, is the muffled labor of two YC partners in a makeshift subterranean kitchen, where they are practicing a chicken and dumplings recipe to serve to a group of incoming founders. Like thousands of hopefuls before them, these founders will have 12 weeks to sprint toward product-market fit and notch the kind of growth metrics that wow investors on Demo Day, laying the foundation for unicorn status and possible Silicon Valley glory-no pressure. The gentle aroma of garlic drifts upward.
Garry Tan, a YC alum (summer 2008) who was named president and CEO just over a year ago, enters a glass-enclosed meeting room at one end of the banquet hall-size space, a former shipyard powerhouse. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Tan is known for his swaggering techno-optimism and sharpelbowed politics (San Francisco's lefty establishment is a frequent target). But in person, his voice invokes ASMR vibes. Only the latent energy in his posture, as he sits forward in his seat, hints at the intensity of his online persona.
Tan traveled to Taiwan over the holidays, but he didn't exactly escape the YC community. "It turns out everyone was in Taipei," he says, mentioning that he ran into Coinbase cofounder and CEO Brian Armstrong "in a $5 noodle shop." (Tan's $300,000 investment in Coinbase, a 2012 YC participant that he personally backed through his venture firm, Initialized, was worth $2.4 billion at the time of Coinbase's public listing in 2021, an estimated 6,000 times return.) Look around San Francisco these days, and YC's community of startup founders, now 10,000 strong, is just as ubiquitous.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE NEW RULES OF BUSINESS TRAVEL
In the era of hybrid teams, everyone is a road warrior-not just sales teams and C-suite execs. It's part of why business travel spending is expected to finally reach, and perhaps surpass, pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year, according to Deloitte. But, as with everything, work trips are not what they were in 2019. From airlines to banks, companies are finding new ways to make business travel easier-and even a little fun.
INTELLIGENT IMPACT
BUSINESS LUMINARIES SHARE HOW AI CAN INTERSECT WITH SOCIAL MISSION.
REDDIT'S REVENGE
IN AN ERA OF AI UPHEAVAL. THE CACOPHONOUS SOCIAL HUB EMERGES AS THE HUMAN-DRIVEN INTERNET'S LAST GREAT HOPE.
SO MANY WAYS TO LOSE
In the Ozempic era, Weight-Watchers is remaking itself to be something for everyone meal-plan program and a tele-health prescription service. But have consumers already lost their appetite?
10/10 - THE 10 MOST INNOVATIVE PEOPLE OF THE LAST 10 YEARS
In honor of Fast Company's 10th Innovation Festival in September, we identified 10 industrious leaders whose groundbreaking efforts defined the past decade in business. We spoke to them about their extraordinary achievements in tech, medicine, entertainment, and more. And we explored how the impact of their work has withstood passing fads, various presidential administrations, a pandemic, and many, many quarterly reports.
The Mysterious Reappearance of the Reggie Bar
How a beloved 1970s candy got called back up to the major leagues.
Gabriella Khalil
Gabriella Khalil, creative director, answers our career questionnaire.
The Fast and the Furious
High prices at McDonald's, Taco Bell, and other chains are sparking consumer revolt.
Lost in Truncation
Lost in Truncation Generative AI was supposed to unleash our creativity. Instead, it became our cultural trash compactor. Welcome to the age of summarization.
Campus Radicals
Welcome to UATX, Austin's new well-funded and controversial anti-woke university.
