What we learned about resilience from Y Combinator

What does it take to build something that survives? In episode one of the Disasterproof Podcast, hosts Kat Mañalac and Bill Clerico sat down with Y Combinator co-founders Paul Graham and Jessica Livingston to find out. From the 2008 financial crash to COVID-19 to the current AI moment, Paul and Jessica share how YC has weathered uncertainty, why they look for "cockroaches" in their portfolio, and how the founders who thrive are the ones who learn to get stronger from the chaos. "There's always some kind of disaster going on. It's almost a rule of thumb at Y Combinator — just like in a hospital, there's always somebody who's coding." - Paul Graham. "Adaptability is a really key trait to have always as a founder, but especially in these sort of unknown times when you don't know what the future holds" - Jessica Livingston. Thanks to our partners the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Subscribe for new episodes. Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Disasterproof 01:35 How to be an expert in a changing world 06:35 Building resilient companies: what YC looks for 16:00 What keeps YC resilient after 20+ years 24:03 Bill's wildfire origin story 27:45 Climate investing and the hard tech opportunity 35:38 Guilt vs. greed 39:55 Personal resilience and sticking to your North Star 47:00 Are you a prepper? 48:10 What do you hope for in the next 10 years? 51:32 What keeps you up at night? AI and climate change Disasterproof Hosts: Kat Manalac and Bill Clerico Co-Directors: Maya Craig & Nick Stone Schearer Camera Operator: Isara Krieger Sound Mixer: Myriam Boisselle Editor: Nick Stone Schearer