Draft This post is still being written. The part about what Jared and I talked about is coming soon.
YC office hoursDuke, Durham NC24 Sep 2026

20 minutes with YC's Jared Friedman at Duke

In July, a jumbotron at YC Startup School offered an AI version of a YC partner. In September, I got 20 minutes with a real one.

Jaideep Aher · Blog
Three people standing in front of a glass and stone wall at Duke after YC office hours
Office hours with Jared Friedman at Duke, 24 September 2026.

Thursday, 24 September, 11:20am. My calendar said "YC Office Hours with Jared Friedman." The slot ended at 11:40.

Two months earlier I was at YC Startup School in San Francisco. More than 30,000 people applied, I was selected, and YC paid for my flights. Between talks, the arena screen advertised an "Office Hours Simulator: chat 1:1 about what you're building." An AI stand-in for the thing YC is known for, a partner sitting across from a founder.

Figure Α · Simulated partner to real partner

Arena at YC Startup School with the Office Hours Simulator on the big screen
July 2026 · San Francisco
Office Hours Simulator on the arena screen
Calendar invite: YC Office Hours with Jared Friedman, Thursday 24 Sep
Thu 24 Sep · 11:20 to 11:40
Office hours with Jared Friedman, Duke

The practice version came first. The real one, two months later.

The real one came to Duke, where I'm doing my MEng in AI. The invite was short and had two instructions.

If you have a cofounder or someone you are working with, please bring them with you.
Please come with questions! The best office hours are ones where we are helping you with whatever you're working on.
Calendar invite: YC Office Hours with Jared Friedman, Thursday 24 Sep, 11:20 to 11:40 AM, Duke, Durham NC
The invite. Venue line blurred.

Twenty minutes is a third of an hour, from the 4 to the 8 on the clock face.

Figure Β · The whole meeting on one dial

11:40
20 minutes · 1/3 of the hour
Coming soon What I was building, the questions I brought, and what Jared said.

In July, the YC partner was a simulation on a screen. In September, I got a photo with the real one.

Draft, still in progress · More posts