Blog
What to build, and how to know
Data on what Y Combinator funds, and practical writing on testing demand before you build. For the step-by-step method, start with the guides.
· YC data · 8 min read
What Y Combinator funds in 2026: data from every recent batch
1,378 companies across eight batches, compared with 1,357 from 2021 and 2022: what share mention AI, which industries grew, and where the companies are.
By Usman Wadood
· Idea validation · 10 min read
Is my startup idea good? 10 questions that decide it
The ten questions an investor-grade score is built from, what separates a strong answer from a weak one, and a cheap way to check each before you write code.
By Usman Wadood
· Product-market fit · 7 min read
Early signs of product-market fit, before you have revenue
Revenue is a lagging signal. These are the leading ones, how to measure each with a handful of users, and the false positives that fool most early teams.
By Usman Wadood
· User research · 8 min read
Synthetic user research: what AI personas can and can't tell you
AI personas are a good rehearsal partner and a bad source of evidence. Here is where the line sits, and what the research says about it.
By Usman Wadood
· Market research · 8 min read
How to find real customer pain points on Reddit, reviews and forums
The best evidence that a problem exists was written before you showed up. Here is how to find it, judge it and keep it honest.
By Usman Wadood
· Security · 10 min read
Security checklist for apps built with Lovable, Bolt, Cursor and v0
Twelve checks to run before real users and real data arrive, and which of them no outside scanner can do for you.
By Usman Wadood
· Idea validation · 9 min read
How to run a fake door test to validate demand
Build the entrance before the building. How to set the pass mark first, how much traffic it takes, and how to stay honest with the people who knock.
By Usman Wadood
Guides
- How to evaluate a startup idea: score it on ten dimensions
- Startup idea validation tools, honestly compared
- How to benchmark your startup idea against YC companies
- How to run customer interviews when you have no users yet
- How to do competitor analysis for a startup idea
- How to size the market for a startup idea