Jessica Livingston
Co-founder, Y Combinator; author of "Founders at Work"
Co-founded Y Combinator and wrote "Founders at Work"; focuses on founder resilience and backing people rather than metrics.
Key arguments & positions
- Emphasizes the human side of founders — resilience and "social radar" for picking teams — over purely metrics-driven evaluation.
- Argues early-stage investing is fundamentally about backing people.
- Has pushed for greater visibility and support for women founders.
Accomplishments
- Co-founded Y Combinator in 2005.
- Wrote "Founders at Work" (2007), a widely cited oral history of startup founders.
- Launched the Female Founders Conference in 2013.
- Co-hosts "The Social Radars" podcast.
Papers & key writings
- "Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days" (2007)
- Her blog at foundersatwork.posthaven.com
Links
In the library
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