YC was worth it, but not for the reasons you might think

Hahnbee Lee, co-founder of Mintlify, shares her transformative experience in the Y Combinator (YC) W22 batch, highlighting the invaluable mindset shifts, community support, and investor dynamics that played a crucial role in the startup's success. While acknowledging the intense and growth-focused environment of YC, she emphasizes that the benefits, such as the guidance and confidence gained, far outweighed any drawbacks. Lee reflects on how the YC experience taught her essential business principles, such as focusing on growth, launching quickly, and building products that users genuinely want, which were instrumental in Mintlify's evolution into the most popular YC product. She underscores the importance of the YC network, noting the optimism and willingness to help among fellow founders, which provided crucial insights and support throughout the startup journey. Investor dynamics and YC's Demo Day were also pivotal, offering founders leverage in negotiations and allowing them to concentrate on product development. Despite the challenges of maintaining a high-growth mindset post-YC, Lee concludes that the overall experience was invaluable for Mintlify's success and her personal development as a founder.