What we learned about resilience from Y Combinator
What does it take to build something that survives? In episode one of the Disasterproof Podcast, hosts Kat Mañalac and Bill Clerico sat down with Y Combinator co-founders Paul Graham and Jessica Livingston to find out.
From the 2008 financial crash to COVID-19 to the current AI moment, Paul and Jessica share how YC has weathered uncertainty, why they look for "cockroaches" in their portfolio, and how the founders who thrive are the ones who learn to get stronger from the chaos.
"There's always some kind of disaster going on. It's almost a rule of thumb at Y Combinator — just like in a hospital, there's always somebody who's coding." - Paul Graham.
"Adaptability is a really key trait to have always as a founder, but especially in these sort of unknown times when you don't know what the future holds" - Jessica Livingston.
Thanks to our partners the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
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Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Disasterproof
01:35 How to be an expert in a changing world
06:35 Building resilient companies: what YC looks for
16:00 What keeps YC resilient after 20+ years
24:03 Bill's wildfire origin story
27:45 Climate investing and the hard tech opportunity
35:38 Guilt vs. greed
39:55 Personal resilience and sticking to your North Star
47:00 Are you a prepper?
48:10 What do you hope for in the next 10 years?
51:32 What keeps you up at night? AI and climate change
Disasterproof Hosts: Kat Manalac and Bill Clerico
Co-Directors: Maya Craig & Nick Stone Schearer
Camera Operator: Isara Krieger
Sound Mixer: Myriam Boisselle
Editor: Nick Stone Schearer