Pinterest

YC design lead Ev shares how she uses coding agents and small custom tools to design websites, interactive experiences, and event branding. She presents Paxel, a tool for exploring coding-agent transcripts, and explains how detailed project context, mood boards, and rapid iterations help agents produce more distinctive designs. She also describes using Paper Design shaders and disposable tuning tools to refine visual details. The talk argues that designers can use agents to build both products and the tools that help them shape those products.

Ron Conway describes how he evaluates founders and supports companies through early growth and fundraising. He explains that SV Angel invests in people first, then looks for product focus, persistence, decisiveness, and the ability to build a team. Examples from Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, Airbnb, and Square show how user growth, iteration, and founder development shape a company’s prospects. He also shares practical fundraising advice: prioritize investors who add value, keep the process moving, and confirm agreements in writing.

Ben Silbermann describes how Pinterest grew from an earlier shopping app, Tote, into a service for collecting and discovering inspiration. He explains that building something worthwhile can take years, and that committing, shipping something people value, and learning from real users matter more than following conventional startup advice. He recounts early fundraising challenges and how Pinterest found its first community through meetups and focused outreach. He closes by emphasizing adaptability, building a product the team believes in, sharing ownership, and finding support from other founders.