founders
some people enjoy their work so much, they’d do it for free. when it comes to helping founders, you couldn’t pay me to stop. it’s probably the most fulfilling work i’ve ever done.
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“Eliam has this incredible way of giving us energy and conviction. He makes founders feel like they’re the next big thing, and that kind of belief is so underrated, but it’s exactly what keeps us motivated to build something amazing.”
Arnau Ayerbe, Throxy (YC X25)
”Eliam personally changed my life. He was the sole mentor that helped me go from a 2.0 GPA college kid, worried about job prospects and titles while "balancing" a startup, to getting into YC, reaching 7 figures in annual contracts, and helped me execute on pivoting out of it. The foresight he's able to provide is incredible. Everyone that works with him repeatedly has "damn it, Eliam was right all along" moments, and it's because of the sheer volume of data points from startups that he's worked closely with (much closer than YC partners). Eliam is the playbook to "winning the tech lottery" - if you can work with him, do it.”
Ethan Hilton, Caseflood (YC W25)
”As a startup founder, I get tons of advice from friends, investors, customers, and former coworkers, often with varying levels of depth and credibility. Eliam's feedback is consistently top-tier—he's both able to cut through BS to help us prioritize tactically and also push us toward better long-term strategic thinking. I can point to multiple conversations with Eliam that have made a meaningful impact on Promptless.”
Prithvi Ramakrishnan (YC W25)
”Nobody has helped us cut through our own bullshit better than Eliam. He sees things we don't across many dimensions of the business, and has been an incredible source of energy as we navigate the path to PMF.”
Dexter Horthy, HumanLayer (YC F24)
“Eliam has been an incredible help to us at Weave. He has a blunt and caring approach that helps us navigate through uncertainty. He does this while keeping things incredibly easy to understand. Most importantly, he always brings us back to what matters most, making our customers obsessed with our product.”
Adam Cohen, Weave (YC W25)
”Eliam embodies everything I believe makes a top tier founder. Meeting with him is exactly like office hours at YC. He has a way of helping you focus on what's most important and motivating you to get after it. Helping founders is clearly what he loves to do.”
Matthew Kerrigan, Toothy (YC W25)
“If you’re a young founder, Eliam is who you want in your corner. He always picks up, doesn’t sugarcoat, and brings the most contagious energy. That combo is rare, and it’s helped me through both the best and toughest moments.”
Chloe Samaha, Bond (YC X25)
"Eliam's advice has completely changed the trajectory of our company. His no-bullshit approach makes every conversation a hard look in the mirror. Him telling us to ‘get the fu** out of our apartment and go talk to customers’ is one of the best things we’ve ever heard."
Zyad Elgohary, CopyCat (YC W25)
“As a first time founder who has gone through YC, working with Eliam has been like doing YC again. He gives great, specific advice that has really helped us during the early stages.”
Josh Park, Cosmic (YC F24)
"Eliam is the type of mentor who will tell you the harshest things you'll hear but with all the love in the world. He's been involved in every big decision we've made from starting a startup to pivoting (many times), and it makes all the rough patches a little better to know we are always supported by someone who genuinely cares."
Isabelle Ilyia, Cedar (YC W25)
“Love working with Eliam. He gets to the truth fast and he gives you clear, honest thoughts on the decisions you’re making.”
Tom Invernizzi, Combinely (YC X25)
”Talking to Eliam is the closest thing I get to the energy of going through YC. He's intense, understands my problems firsthand, and is always willing to give tough but true advice. He's supportive when I need it and tough when I'm getting too comfortable. He's the person I call whenever I have a big decision to make.”
Eric Cho, Trata (YC W25)
”Eliam is one of the best advisors we’ve ever worked with.
When we were building our first business, his guidance helped us close our first dollars of revenue. As we grew, he supported us through a major pivot -and he’s continued to be an invaluable resource and friend ever since.
Any team lucky enough to work with Eliam has a higher probability of success.”
Aman Garg, GradeWiz (YC W25)