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cover of episode Y Combinator Alum: College Campus Inspiration to Conviction | Ep 212 with Brian Le Founder of Need

Y Combinator Alum: College Campus Inspiration to Conviction | Ep 212 with Brian Le Founder of Need

2025/5/5
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Founder's Story

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@Brian Le : 我从小在工程师家庭长大,一直以为自己会读研深造,从事工程技术方面的工作。但我的内心渴望独立探索,开辟属于自己的人生道路。我偶然进入创业领域,最初是注意到校园里的Bird滑板车,然后是通过应用程序解决学生最后一刻的零食和用品危机。这让我意识到校园里存在着对便捷服务的巨大需求。在大学期间,我积累了技术经验,并尝试了快速送货服务,这为我的创业打下了基础。Y Combinator的经历对我来说非常宝贵,它让我接触到风险投资、创业和顶尖创业者,这对于一个年轻的创业者来说非常有价值。成功的融资取决于一个好的销售推介,它需要讲故事、引发情感共鸣,并展现出对公司未来发展的坚定信念。疫情期间,公司收入归零,但这反而成为巩固基础和超越慢速发展者的机会。年轻的“盲目”野心是20多岁创业者的超级力量,因为他们不知道事情的难处。我希望能建立一个积极向上、互相鼓励的社区,并通过公司为年轻一代提供就业机会和创业平台。大学的真正价值在于社区、实践和领导力培养,而不是传统的教育本身。人工智能是一种工具,应该用来增强人类能力,而不是取代人类。 @Daniel : (无核心论点,主要为引导访谈和总结)

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After engineering stints and an immigrant-family push toward a PhD, Brian Le accidentally fell into entrepreneurship, first by noticing Bird scooters on campus, then by solving students’ last-minute snack and supply crises with app-powered micro-convenience. A Y Combinator alum, Brian tells how COVID tested Need’s model, why blind ambition is a superpower in your twenties, and how he sees college (and AI) shaping the next generation of founders.

Key Discussion Points

Engineering Roots → Accidental Startup: How Bird scooters at UCLA sparked a “Why not?” moment.

YC Crash Course: The plunge from no-name founders into the world’s top accelerator—and why every twenty-something should consider it.

Pandemic Pivot: When campus shutdowns zeroed out revenue, why doubling down on your mission becomes your strongest play.

Pitching 101: The art of “selling” your startup: story-driven conviction and painting a vivid vision five-to-ten years out.

College’s True Value: It isn’t just classes—it’s community, hands-on experiments, and leadership labs for budding founders.

AI as a Tool, Not a Threat: Why aspiring entrepreneurs should harness AI to supercharge impact, not replace human ingenuity.

Key Takeaways

  1. Ignorance Is Bliss: Youthful “delulu” ambition fuels moonshot ventures that grizzled veterans second-guess.
  2. Sell the Vision: A great pitch isn’t a slide deck—it’s an emotional story backed by unwavering conviction.
  3. Embrace Crisis: A downturn isn’t a dead end—it’s a moment to build your foundation and outpace slow movers.
  4. College = Sandbox: Beyond tuition, campus life offers accelerators, orgs, and friendships that forge real-world entrepreneurs.

Check them out https://wefunder.com/need

Closing Thoughts

 Brian Le’s journey proves that true founders are often “accidental”—ignited by frustration, honed by trial, and scaled by audacious positivity. Whether you’re racing a scooter or racing a market, the college decade remains the ultimate launchpad for ventures that dare to deliver.

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