What is Y Combinator now? Critics say the famed accelerator is having an identity crisis

In December, Y Combinator’s first-ever Fall batch got their own Demo Day. The Silicon Valley-based startup accelerator—which has produced big hits like Airbnb, Doordash, and Stripe—had doubled the number of startup classes that could enter its program. The showing was mixed: 87% were AI companies, and

AI Companions: the future of friendship or a dangerous illusion?

Loneliness is no longer just an emotion—it’s a growing public health crisis in the U.S.

A 2024 Harvard study found that 21% of U.S. adults regularly experience loneliness, while the American Psychological Association reports that nearly half of young workers feel isolated at work. Capitalizing on the recent tech boom, AI

These fantastic sites will save you from ever getting a bad seat again

When you’re booking travel, scoring a ticket to a sporting event, or securing yourself a spot at some other sort of show, you’re frequently faced with the impossible-seeming task of committing to a specific seat—on the spot.

It may seem simple. But, well—which is the best seat on the plane? Which areas of the arena will give you an unobscured view of the action? Is that concert seat going to be behind a speaker? And are the more expensive options really w

Kai Cenat plans to launch a ‘streaming university’ to teach aspiring creators

Kai Cenat is launching a “streaming university.”

Cenat announced his plans during a February 13 stream, explaining how he wants to help streamers both big and small learn from his success. “I’m going to rent out a university over a course of a weekend. It will be streaming university. Okay? I’m going to rent it out,” Cenat said during his Twitch stream. “I’m going to put out enrolls and applications of people to enroll into the un

Lessons in sustainability: What colleges can teach workplaces

The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.


When you factor in home, school, work, and other public spaces, the average person spends 90% of their time

Apple may be launching a new iPhone this week. It could sport a radical redesign

If you’re on the cusp of buying a new iPhone, you might want to hold off until this Wednesday, February 19. That’s the day Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company will be launching “the newest member of the family.”

But what does that cryptic tease mean, exactly? Is Cook talking about a new iPhone, a new computer, or even just a new accessory? Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s upcoming product launch.

<bloc

How to use AI to find new movies, music, and books

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here.

Imagine turning your reading history into a treasure map. By feeding a list of your favorite books and movies to an AI assistant, you can uncover hidden patterns in what you love. From your subconscious att

Gen Z isn’t worried about China having access to their data. They should be

With TikTok and DeepSeek, young people are forking over sensitive personal data to the Chinese government. We should be worried. 

Among Gen Z, there’s a certain

5 free time-saving Windows apps every PC should have

Whether you’re setting up a new Windows PC or looking to enhance your current setup, there are some life-changing apps you can grab for free that will transform how you use your computer.

From screen grabbing to file searching to quick launching and more, these essential apps will supercharge your productivity—all for the low, low price of nothing.

We give safety ratings to cars and restaurants. Why not do the same to protect our digital lives?

The American economy runs on what are known as heuristics, a diverse array of mental short-cuts that help consumers make a dizzying number of choices to navigate the wild complexity of everyday life. These shortcuts help us select the restaurants we may choose to patronize, the cars we drive, the food we purchase, and the schools we attend and to which we send our children. We rely on scoring systems, certifications, and ranking methodologies to consider what movies to see, what music to lis


Chercher