There’s something about talking to investors that makes even the most seasoned entrepreneurs quake in their boots. With your company, you take bold risks—you literally created something from nothing.

Everyone loves to complain about how competitive their market is. But I hate to break it to you, it’s not just you. Technology has made it easier than ever to create game-changing products and every single industry is only going to get more competitive.

Many founders lose confidence when they meet with investors. On the quest for validation, their entrepreneurial courage goes right out the window.

Why do most startup pitches suck? Because they follow a flawed formula.

When your car has an alignment issue, it’s difficult to stay on course. The same is true for your company. If everyone isn’t working toward a common goal—if one tire is tilted even slightly—you might just end up in a ditch.

This is it: Demo day. The day you’ve been waiting for, and the day every moment in your incubator was preparing you for. Are you ready?

Is Y Combinator worth it? It’s funny: You can ask two totally different YC alumni that question and get two totally different answers, even if they both attended the same batch.

So you’ve hit the 1,000 customer mark: Congratulations! You’ve made it further than many startups ever dream of going. But you and I both know you’re not done yet, so what’s next?