The author, a founder of Repl.it, a website that allows users to learn how to code and build software, has a personal connection with Paul Graham's startup Y Combinator. The author learned about YC through Graham's essays and Scheme programming language. After working at Codecademy, a YC company, the author applied for open office hours but was rejected due to an online REPL being considered just a "fun toy." Undeterred, the author and their cofounder Haya quit their jobs and started Repl.it with $20k in funding. They faced challenges, including struggling to raise capital, but eventually secured funding from Bloomberg Beta. The author applied to YC multiple times before finally getting accepted after a late application. During the interview process, the author made a mistake by Rick Rolling the partners, but was still accepted into the program. Despite initial doubts, the author believes that their experience at YC will be beneficial in helping them achieve their vision of making computing more accessible.