Y Combinator argues universities should prepare students for startups by focusing on building skills rather than entrepreneurship curricula. The hard part of startups is product development—knowing what to build and being able to build it. This comes from studying computer science, mechanical engineering, or molecular biology, not management or finance.

The best way to prepare undergraduates is to teach them computer science, mechanical engineering, and molecular biology—the subjects that develop building expertise. Customers don't care what founders studied, so they're free to study whatever helps them build well.

YC recommends only two changes: make students feel starting a startup is possible, and encourage work on personal projects. Harvard alumni apply to YC at twice the rate of Yale and Princeton alumni, suggesting cultural factors drive startup activity.

Seeing real founders inspires students by showing they seem human and relatable, especially when discussing early mistakes. This demystifies entrepreneurship and makes it seem achievable.