Lessons From Doing YC Twice

After his first startup, Automatic, was acquired, Taggar worked as a YC partner before co-founding Triplebyte and joining the 2015 batch. Triplebyte assesses engineers without relying on resumes, then matches them with companies based on technical fit. By the time of the interview, about 15,000 engineers had completed its screening process.

Taggar says many software companies value product engineers who connect technical work to users, growth, or revenue. He sees interviews shifting toward practical coding tasks that reveal how candidates work with real tools. Take-home projects can show skills that timed interviews miss, but some candidates may opt out because they take extra time.

Triplebyte joined YC in 2015 with an idea but no prototype, so the batch gave the team a deadline and focus to launch. Its other value was access to potential business customers and feedback from fellow companies. Compared with his 2007 batch, Taggar found the 2015 group more focused on building substantial companies, and group office hours helped enterprise startups share relevant advice.

Taggar knew from his time as a YC partner that founders who spoke most loudly about progress were not necessarily the ones who succeeded. He says startups should track the activity that fits their stage, such as customer conversations or engineers screened, rather than chase revenue before it can arrive. His broader lesson is that users and traction matter more than fundraising, hiring, or appearances.

Taggar warns that a strong network can make it easy for repeat founders to pursue ideas that sound impressive but solve no real problem. He suggests building expertise in an area of genuine interest, then using clear criteria such as personal experience, business model, and distribution to assess ideas. For co-founders, he recommends building relationships through shared work and trying small projects together.