New The Builders episode with Garry Tan released Nov. 3, covering YC interviews and AI access

Y Combinator president and CEO Garry Tan appears on a Nov. 3 episode of Walter Isaacson’s The Builders about choosing founders and the power of large technology companies. The episode description says the interview was taped June 19, 2026. Tan posted on Nov. 3 that the podcast was out that morning.

In the episode transcript, Tan estimates that YC receives 80,000 to 90,000 applications a year for about 800 spots. He says perhaps 8% to 10% of applicants get an interview, and the final-stage meeting lasts 10 minutes. In that time, he wants to hear what problem a founder’s product solves and why that founder is the person to build it.

Asked whether YC had overcome privileged access, Tan said it “would be a mistake” to call the program a meritocracy: “We aspire to be.” He said YC gives founders $500,000, arguing that the funding lets people participate without rich parents.

Tan also that big tech is too powerful. He called for limits on platforms favoring their own products and for open markets, citing Europe’s Digital Markets Act, portability and reverse engineering. He worries AI companies “may gatekeep” access to the latest models. The casts a future controlled by five AI “kings” as his fear and says personal AI could put people back in control of their social media feeds.