The Social Radars Podcast
Two Y Combinator veterans interview Silicon Valley's most influential founders about their origin stories and pivotal, often-unseen moments.
This is an oral history of the modern startup era, told through the eyes of Y Combinator's key players. The hosts act as both interviewers and primary sources, using their shared history with guests to unearth stories that wouldn't surface in a typical interview. It's less about tactical advice and more about the pivotal moments, personal struggles, and serendipity behind major tech companies like Twitch, Soylent, and Segment.
“The hosts' status as YC insiders gives them unparalleled access and rapport. Unlike standard tech interviews, these are conversations between old friends reminiscing, leading to more candid and detailed origin stories that often include the hosts' own memories of the events.”
Who hosts this show
Jessica Livingston and Carolynn Levy, who have worked together at Y Combinator for nearly two decades, host The Social Radars. Livingston is a co-founder of Y Combinator, while Levy is a Managing Director who was formerly a partner and the firm's general counsel. They leverage their deep history and personal connections within the tech industry to have candid, in-depth conversations with successful founders, many of whom they funded and mentored through YC.
Credentials & credits
- Jessica Livingston: Co-founder of Y Combinator
- Carolynn Levy: Managing Director, Legal at Y Combinator
- Jessica Livingston: Author of "Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days"
- Carolynn Levy: Former corporate attorney at Gunderson Dettmer
- Jessica Livingston: B.A. in English from Bucknell University
Other ventures
- Y Combinator
- Founders at Work (book)
- Startup School
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01John Coogan, Co-Founder & Host at TBPNMay 21, 2026 · 1h 07m
- 02Justin Kan, Cofounder, TwitchApr 15, 2026 · 1h 05m
- 03Paul Graham, Founder, Y CombinatorMar 19, 2026 · 1h 03m
- 04Peter Reinhardt, CEO & co-founder, Charm Industrial; CEO & co-founder, SegmentMar 3, 2026 · 1h 08m
- 05Tom Blomfield, Partner, Y Combinator; Co-Founder, MonzoFeb 17, 2026 · 1h 10m
- 06Spenser Skates, Founder & CEO, AmplitudeFeb 3, 2026 · 1h 17m
- 07Christina Cacioppo, Founder & CEO, VantaJan 20, 2026 · 1h 08m
- 08David Kirtley, Founder & CEO of Helion EnergyJan 7, 2026 · 1h 12m
Notable episodes
- 01Justin Kan, Cofounder, Twitch
Features the story of the very first YC batch (S05), the competitive threat from Google Calendar, and the unusual decision to sell the first company, Kiko, on eBay.
- 02Paul Graham, Founder, Y Combinator
An inside look at YC's growth, the stress of running Hacker News, and candid anecdotes about early speakers like Mark Zuckerberg, told by YC's co-founder.
- 03John Coogan, Co-Founder & Host at TBPN
Details the famous 'pivot of all time' from a failed EdTech startup into Soylent, born out of financial necessity in a house with another YC team.
What you'll be asked on this show
The interviews are built on pre-existing, long-term relationships between the hosts and guests. Jessica Livingston, in particular, often opens by establishing a timeline or prompting the guest with a shared memory, using phrases like "Do you remember...?" They probe by layering their own recollections onto the guest's narrative and asking clarifying questions that come from a place of deep context, such as "Did you formally merge...?" There's little to no pushback; the goal is to collaboratively reconstruct a story. The style is recognizable for its warmth and familiarity, making the listener feel like a fly on the wall at a reunion of old colleagues.
A two-host interview show with a conversational, nostalgic, and highly personal tone. The hosts, Jessica Livingston and Carolynn Levy, often act as participants in the story, sharing their own memories to prompt guests and add context for listeners about YC-specific history. The nickname "Social Radar" was given to Livingston for her ability to read people, a skill that informs the show's focus on character and relationships.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
11 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
2- Q.01
“Tell us the story of what you were working on in [year/YC batch].”
This is a common opening move to get the guest to narrate their origin story from the beginning.
- Q.02
“How old were you when you first did YC?”
The hosts often ask this to establish the guest's experience level and mindset at the start of their journey.
process
4- Q.01
“Do you remember your YC interview?”
A frequent question that taps into a specific, shared memory and often reveals the earliest impressions of the founders.
- Q.02
“How was YC different the second time around?”
Asked to founders who have been through the accelerator multiple times to compare the experiences.
- Q.03
“How much did [technology like Twitter or Hacker News] impact your growth?”
This explores the role of specific platforms and communities in a startup's trajectory.
- Q.04
“Who decided it was a good idea to [unconventional business decision]?”
This question targets memorable, unusual strategic choices to get the story behind them.
personal
2- Q.01
“What are some of your best memories from that first summer batch?”
This question is used to elicit personal anecdotes and capture the feeling of the early YC experience.
- Q.02
“Why and when did you decide to leave [previous company]?”
This question explores the difficult decision-making behind founder transitions and pivots.
controversy
1- Q.01
“Do you remember when [major competitor or event] happened?”
Used to pinpoint a pivotal moment of external pressure or competition that tested the startup.
industry
1- Q.01
“What was the secret to your success, in your opinion?”
A direct question that asks the guest to reflect on the core reasons for their company's growth.
advice
1- Q.01
“Do you remember any advice you gave that really helped them?”
A question directed at Paul Graham to surface specific, impactful advice given to founders.
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show almost exclusively books highly successful, often iconic, founders from the Y Combinator ecosystem. Guests typically have a long-standing personal relationship with the hosts, dating back to their company's earliest days in a YC batch.
- John Cooganon John Coogan, Co-Founder & Host at TBPN
- Justin Kanon Justin Kan, Cofounder, Twitch
- Paul Grahamon Paul Graham, Founder, Y Combinator
- Peter Reinhardton Peter Reinhardt, CEO & co-founder, Charm Industrial; CEO & co-founder, Segment
- Tom Blomfieldon Tom Blomfield, Partner, Y Combinator; Co-Founder, Monzo
- Spenser Skateson Spenser Skates, Founder & CEO, Amplitude
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Based on the episodes reviewed, the podcast does not appear to feature third-party sponsors. The intimate, high-trust format would best suit brand advertising from companies targeting a sophisticated audience of tech founders, investors, and operators.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of The Social Radars?
- The hosts are Jessica Livingston, a co-founder of Y Combinator, and Carolynn Levy, a Managing Director at Y Combinator.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It's a long-form interview show where the hosts have nostalgic, in-depth conversations with successful founders from the YC community about their origin stories.
- Is The Social Radars podcast still active?
- Yes, it appears to release new episodes on a monthly basis.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on its official website, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
- What makes this podcast different from other tech interview shows?
- The hosts were personally involved in the early stories of the companies and founders they interview, allowing for a uniquely candid and historically rich conversation.
- Who gets invited as a guest?
- Guests are typically iconic founders of major companies that went through Y Combinator, with whom the hosts have a long-standing personal relationship.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]The Social Radars Official Websitethesocialradars.com
- [02]The Social Radars Podcast - Y Combinator Libraryycombinator.com
- [03]Jessica Livingston - Y Combinator People Pageycombinator.com
- [04]Carolynn Levy - Y Combinator People Pageycombinator.com
- [05]Jessica Livingston - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [06]Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [07]Carolynn Levy: Profile, Experience & Investmentssignal.nfx.com
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