First YC founders breakthrough dinner

No slides. No pitches. Just founders, pizza, and honesty.

In under 24 hours, Xavier Pladevall and Marie Schneegans went from idea to hosting an unforgettable YC Founders Breakthrough Dinner with Bryan Onel of Oneleet at 14.ai HQ.

Huge thanks to Bryan for leading a refreshingly candid, insight-packed night on what it really takes to build in this climate.

Being a founder can feel lonely, like no one truly gets it. Nights like this are a reminder: you’re not crazy, you’re just building something hard. Not your uncle-at-Thanksgiving “I ran a landscaping biz for 4 months in college” kind of advice: this was actual founder therapy.

Big shoutout to Pinkie Temcharoen, our chef intern, for the life-giving burrata pizza. More on her soon. 🍕

Grateful for all the Y Combinator founders Ali Haghani, Tim Suchanek, Upeka Bee, Nicholas Khami, Raghav Pillai, (Marcus Storm-Mollard)[https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-storm-mollard-a0514aa1/] who showed up!

Key takeaways that hit home:

• Outbound over inbound: Proactive outreach is key to standing out.
• Bookface works: YC supports YC
• Honesty builds trust: Be upfront about benefits, even if you can’t match the big players yet.
• Engage with the competition. Publicly challenge and offer debates to showcase your edge.
• Virality matters: Content is table stakes now.
• Hype vs. substance: Investors may chase flashy AI trends, but stay grounded in what actually works for your vision.
• Pivot fast if the moment calls for it
• Rejection = data. Use it.

We’ll do more of these. If you’re a founder who craves real talk, come through! 🚀