Startup School

Ralston describes Startup School as an open online course intended to help more people start companies around the world. Cheung says the 10-week course offers lectures and materials to auditors, while accepted founders also get an advisor, a peer group, and a community forum. She emphasizes access to mentorship and founder community for people outside Silicon Valley.

Founders can audit the course or apply for the official track, which includes advising, the forum, and partner offers such as cloud credits and Stripe Atlas. One hundred companies may receive a $10,000 equity-free grant, based on their participation, advisor feedback, and progress. The course is aimed mainly at early-stage founders, from those with an idea to companies with users.

Ralston outlines a curriculum spanning startup basics, product, finding product-market fit, user growth, hiring, and company operations. Later sessions cover fundraising, cap tables, applying to YC, and the emotional challenges of building a company. The course was scheduled to begin the week of August 27, with lectures and slides posted online after each session.

Ralston says group office hours focus on practical problems founders faced that week, including whether they met their goals and what blocked progress. Advisors facilitate the discussion while founders share experience and help one another. To qualify for presentation day and the grant, participants need to attend nine of ten advisor meetings and consume at least nine of ten course sessions.

Ralston says YC founders volunteer as advisors, giving their time to help companies they may not know. He and Cheung describe the group structure as a way to keep founders engaged: 56% of the prior year's participants finished the course, and they hoped to improve that figure. Cheung says the network is a central part of what YC wants to bring to Startup School.