# Inside The New YC Website Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5JoLAauzq4 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/K5JoLAauzq4 Generated: 2026-01-30T15:33:26.583+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The Y Combinator website redesign, led by Product Designer Eve Bouffard and General Partner Aaron Epstein, focused on better storytelling, emphasizing founder journeys, and improving visual engagement across the site, particularly by using more emotive imagery and animations. **Key Points:** - The new YC website design aimed to move away from static text and logos to emphasize storytelling, showing the 'before and after' of successful companies like OpenAI, Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, and DoorDash. - Key visual changes included incorporating dynamic elements like subtle animations and using photos that focused on founders' faces and interactions rather than just company logos. - The design process involved exploring various aesthetic directions, including highly minimal and B2B SaaS-style layouts, before settling on a design that felt more 'airy and breathable.' - A core message retained from the old site was Paul Graham's quote defining a 'formidable person,' which was kept central to the hero section. - The team utilized tools like Figma and possibly AI tools (like an image generator named 'One') to quickly prototype and iterate on the new design direction. - The design intentionally focused on showcasing the community aspect, exemplified by the 'Be in the room with...' section featuring photos of founders interacting at YC events. - The presenters expressed pride in the final result, noting that the new site effectively communicates the high-achieving, urgent environment of YC to prospective applicants. ![Screenshot at 00:11: Aaron Epstein and Eve Bouffard introduce the design review by showing the old YC homepage layout, which featured stark side-by-side comparisons of companies 'During YC' \(like the early Airbnb founders\) versus 'Now' \(like Airbnb's later public listing\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/K5JoLAauzq4/00-00-11.jpg) **Context:** Aaron Epstein, a General Partner at Y Combinator (YC), and Eve Bouffard, a Product Designer at YC, host this design review episode to walk through the changes and rationale behind the recently launched redesign of the Y Combinator homepage. They compare elements of the old website design, dating back about 10-15 years, with the new, focusing on how the visual changes better communicate YC's core message of turning builders into formidable founders. ## Detailed Analysis Aaron Epstein and Eve Bouffard detail the design process for the new YC website, emphasizing a shift from static logo displays to strong storytelling. They show the old homepage, which used dual columns to compare companies 'During YC' (like the early Airbnb founders or the DoorDash team in 2013) against their 'New' status (like OpenAI's valuation or DoorDash's IPO). The goal of the new design was to make the presentation more emotive and engaging. Bouffard explains that they consciously moved away from showing only logos and static text, instead focusing on 'founders' faces' and capturing the feeling of being 'in the room with...' the community, which is highlighted in a photo grid section. They iterated through several styles, including B2B SaaS templates, before settling on the current airy, breathable design. Key messaging, like Paul Graham's definition of a 'formidable person,' was retained but integrated with richer visuals. The presenters credit tools like Figma and potentially AI image generation for speeding up the prototyping process. The new design aims to communicate the intense, high-bar environment of YC—where founders feel an infectious sense of urgency—more effectively than the previous version, which they felt was too sterile and text-heavy. ### Introduction to the Design Review - Aaron Epstein welcomes Eve Bouffard to review the brand new YC website design - The project was enjoyable and labor of love for both - They plan to compare the old site vs. the new site. ### Reviewing the Old Homepage - The old site featured stark 'During YC' vs. 'Now' comparisons using company logos (OpenAI, Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, DoorDash) - The founders' photos in the old design were often static and less emotive. ### Design Philosophy & Goals - The key goal was to shift focus from static text/logos to storytelling and conveying the YC experience - They wanted to avoid being constrained by the old site's structure or looking like a typical B2B SaaS template. ### Key Visual Changes - The new design emphasizes founder stories, uses more emotive imagery, and incorporates subtle animations - The 'Be in the room with...' section showcases community interaction using photos of founders engaging with each other. ### Messaging and Copy - Paul Graham's quote defining a 'formidable person' remains central - They consciously removed design elements that felt unnecessary or distracting to keep the focus on the founders' journeys. ### Conclusion and Impact - The new design successfully communicates the high-bar, urgent environment of YC, making applicants feel that applying is never too early. ![Screenshot at 00:04: Aaron Epstein introduces the design review, with Eve Bouffard ready to discuss the changes to the YC website.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/K5JoLAauzq4/00-00-04.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:11: The comparison section of the old website is displayed, contrasting early photos of companies like Airbnb \('During YC'\) with their current success \('Now'\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/K5JoLAauzq4/00-00-11.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:10: The Hero section of the old YC website is shown, featuring the main tagline 'YC turns builders into formidable founders' alongside Paul Graham's definition.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/K5JoLAauzq4/00-01-10.jpg) ![Screenshot at 02:08: The 'Top YC companies' section on the old site, featuring a grid of company logos.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/K5JoLAauzq4/00-02-08.jpg) ![Screenshot at 03:36: The 'We put founders' interests first' section of the old site, outlining YC's commitment to founders, which they aimed to retain in the new design.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/K5JoLAauzq4/00-03-36.jpg)