🚀 From Yaba to YC: What They Don’t Tell You About Getting In
The real story behind our journey to Y Combinator — visa rejections, late-night emails, surprise demolitions, and what I wish every founder knew.
7:45 AM, Lagos — October 2019.
I had just wrapped a new funding round with Microtraction and was preparing my team for Q4 when I got a message from Dayo:
“Guy, have you applied for Y Combinator Winter Batch 2020?”
I replied: “No.”
He replied:
“Do it now. I mean now!”
🤷🏾 Pre-YC: I Never Even Dreamt About It
Unlike most Nigerian founders, I didn’t aspire to Y Combinator. I didn’t believe it was “for people like me.”
I had just closed a seed round. I was grateful. That was enough.
Silicon Valley? That was a show I watched on HBO. Not a place I imagined building a business from. I was just a founder in Yaba, Lagos — with zero Valley network and no spare cash lying around.
But Dayo’s nudge stuck with me. So I applied.
The truth? I had no clue what I was doing.
I reached out again, and Dayo sent me a blog post from Iyinoluwa Aboyeji (YC alum) on how to apply. I studied that thing like a JAMB textbook. Watched every video. Reviewed sample applications. Then I wrote my own.
📩 5:31 AM — YC Replied
On October 17th, I got the email:
We were invited for an in-person interview in Mountain View, California.
Gratitude quickly turned to logistics. How would we afford to go? Would we even get visas? Was I really ready?
💰 How We Made It Work
Our Microtraction funding had to be managed wisely. So I reached out to Laura and Vincent from Future Hub, who had shown interest in our company. Within weeks, they sent a check — just in time to fund the YC trip.
But then came another obstacle: the visa.
🛂 Visa Wahala
My first visa application was rejected.
I laughed and cried. I blamed “village people.”
But the truth was: I applied alone, without team documents. Rookie mistake.
We re-applied as a team. My wife and I started a prayer marathon (well, not literally… but close 😅). Dayo and Yele stepped in again, connecting us with the right contacts. Official documents were submitted. Visa granted. Flights booked. ✈️ Touchdown — Mountain View, we arrived in California and stayed at an Airbnb in San Jose.
🎤 The Interview
YC interviews are intense. Fast-paced, no room for fluff.
What helped wasn’t rehearsed answers. It was knowing our business, our customers, and being honest. YC partners are former founders — they know when you’re bluffing.
Two hours later, a YC partner emailed, then called my U.S. number (Pro Tip: have one ready). He made the offer, and I said yes before he could finish the sentence. 😂
🏕️ The Bootcamp
Returning to the U.S. for the program, I prepped like a founder on a mission:
Rented a $1,000–1,800/month Airbnb in San Jose
Took $20–$40 train trips twice a week to YC’s office
Bought groceries at African Caribbean stores to avoid eating burgers for 4 months 😅
Handled incorporation, banking, and legal fees
People told me I’d need $25K+ to start.
I spent less than that — if you plan, you can too.
🔁 Then Everything Changed (Again)
One month before Demo Day, we woke up to cranes outside our apartment.
The building was being demolished. No joke. Our Airbnb host helped us relocate and covered our hotel stay. Then COVID hit.
We scrambled.
Brex supported us early on before YC disbursement came.
Demo Day was done remotely. But we made it.
🧠 What I Learned
Y Combinator was never my dream.
But it became a door I didn’t know I needed.
What made the difference?
Grace
Real support (Microtraction, Future Hub, Iyin, Dayo, Yele)
Knowing my business
Being open to more than what I thought was "enough"
💡 Final Thoughts
If you're reading this and you're building something from Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, or anywhere “outside the Valley,” this is your reminder: it’s possible.
Apply even if you think you don’t qualify.
Ask even when it feels awkward.
Pray and don’t stay silent when the next opportunity knocks.
I believe in resilience.
I believe in grace.
And I believe 3 months is enough to change your business — and your life.
— Emmanuel Gbolade
Give God big dreams to multiply🚀🚀🚀🚀