YC's actual requirements are short. You can apply solo or with co-founders, you must be full-time, and companies outside the US, Canada, Singapore, or Cayman must form a parent entity in the US, Singapore, or Cayman. There's no revenue, stage, or credential requirement. Most "requirements" you'll read elsewhere are folklore, not YC's words.
Search "YC requirements" and you'll find long lists of traits YC supposedly demands: a technical co-founder, a certain amount of traction, a specific pedigree. Almost none of it comes from YC. So this page does something different: it states what YC actually requires, sourced to YC, and is honest that the rest is invented.
What YC actually requires
- Founders: You can apply solo or as a team. YC regularly accepts solo founders, while noting that one-person startups are tough and you're more likely to succeed with a co-founder.ycombinator.com/faq
- Commitment: Full-time. YC funds founders who are all-in on the company.ycombinator.com/faq
- Incorporation: Companies outside the US, Canada, Singapore, or the Cayman Islands must form a parent entity in the US, Singapore, or Cayman.ycombinator.com/faq
That's the sourced list. Notably absent: any revenue threshold, any required stage, any demand for a technical co-founder or a prior exit. About 40% of accepted companies are just an idea, which tells you how low the eligibility bar really is.ycombinator.com/faq
Eligible and drafting? Pressure-test your answers.
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Requirements vs. folklore
Here's the honest part most competitors skip: YC does not publish an official trait checklist. So when an article tells you YC "requires" a certain kind of founder or a certain metric, it's inferring, usually from survivorship bias, and presenting a guess as a rule. The eligibility requirements are the three above; everything else is advice about how to be competitive, which is a different thing from being eligible.
Solo founders, specifically
Because it's the most common eligibility worry: yes, you can apply and get in as a solo founder. YC accepts them every batch. The realistic framing is that being solo is a headwind, not a wall. You'll want to show you can ship and make progress without a partner, since that's the specific doubt a solo application has to answer.ycombinator.com/faq The application guide shows how to make that case in each answer.
Module 1 · How YC Works and Who Gets In · “Who should apply”
The course's opening module helps you honestly assess eligibility and fit, including how solo founders and idea-stage teams should frame their application.
International founders, specifically
The incorporation rule is the one hard requirement with real cost attached. If your company is formed outside the US, Canada, Singapore, or the Cayman Islands, accepting YC means creating a parent entity in the US, Singapore, or Cayman, and the program itself runs in San Francisco.ycombinator.com/faq Neither is a reason not to apply; both are costs to price in early rather than discover after an acceptance. Talk to counsel about the restructuring before the interview stage so a "yes" never catches you unprepared.
Meeting the bar is step one
Being eligible is easy; being compelling is the work. Now that you know you qualify, the leverage is in the writing: walk the application question by question, and if you're weighing whether the whole thing is worth it, read is YC worth it before you invest the time.