Lightcone Podcast

Y Combinator•podcasters.spotify.com

Technology

Techno optimism for technical founders

Last refreshed: May 26th, 2026 at 12:40 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

Why This Is The Perfect Time To Start A Startup

Last month, YC hosted Startup School East, a one-day event in Boston for university students. As part of the event, the Lightcone Podcast did their first live stage recording specifically tailored for the students. When you're young and there are seemingly endless directions you could pursue in life, the hosts of the Lightcone Podcast make the case for why right now is the perfect time to start a start up.

May 17, 2024•20 min

Consumer is back, What’s getting funded now, Immaculate vibes

What's happening in startups right now and how can you get ahead of the curve? In this episode of the Lightcone podcast, we dive deep into the major trends we're seeing from the most recent batch of YC using data we've never shared publicly before. This is a glimpse into what might be the most exciting moment to be a startup founder ever. It's time to build.

Apr 30, 2024•42 min

Inside The Hard Tech Startups Turning Sci-Fi Into Reality

YC has become a surprising force in the hard tech world, funding startups building physical products from satellites to rockets to electric planes. In this episode of Lightcone, we go behind the scenes to explore how YC advises founders on their ambitious startups. We also take a look at a number of YC's hard tech companies and how they got started with little time or money.

Apr 30, 2024•49 min

How To Build Generative AI Models Like OpenAI's Sora

If you read articles about companies like OpenAI and Anthropic training foundation models, it would be natural to assume that if you don’t have a billion dollars or the resources of a large company, you can’t train your own foundational models. But the opposite is true. In this episode of the Lightcone Podcast, we discuss the strategies to build a foundational model from scratch in less than 3 months with examples of YC companies doing just that. We also get an exclusive look at Open AI's Sora! ...

Apr 30, 2024•34 min

Where Is The REAL Cerebral Valley?

In this episode of the Lightcone Podcast, YC Group Partners chart the evolution of San Francisco as the center of the startup world and how AI has brought everyone back to the city. They also talk about why YC chose to open our new HQ in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco and share their advice for new founders moving to the city for the first time.

Apr 30, 2024•33 min

Apple Vision Pro: Startup Platform Of The Future?

In this episode of the Lightcone Podcast, YC Group Partners discuss the launch of the Apple Vision Pro and the potential of this new platform for new startups. This is a deep dive into the technical innovations Apple has made for this product, how this compares to the launch of the iPhone, and advice for founders interested in building in this space.

Apr 30, 2024•28 min

The Truth About Building AI Startups Today

In the first episode of the Lightcone Podcast, YC Group Partners dig into everything they have learned working with the top founders building AI startups today. They share the ideas that are working particularly well, mistakes to avoid, and take a look at the competitive landscape among the current AI giants.

Apr 29, 2024•32 min

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