Scout is an early-stage project that helps engineers discover Y Combinator startups and reach out to founders with highly personalized cold emails — all from one place.
The goal is simple: reduce randomness in cold outreach and help engineers connect with founders in a more thoughtful, targeted way.
Getting an internship at a YC startup is harder than it should be.
- Startup information is scattered across multiple platforms
- Cold emails require significant research and personalization
- Generic outreach has low response rates
- Founders often receive irrelevant or low-quality applications
This creates friction on both sides.
Scout solves this by combining startup discovery with intent-based, personalized outreach.
- Browse YC startups with structured company information
- Engineers explicitly choose which startups they want to apply to
- Cold emails are generated with context (company, role, and resume)
- Outreach is targeted, not broadcasted
Quality over volume is the core principle.
Scout focuses on improving response rates through:
- Highly personalized emails instead of mass outreach
- Clear intent signaling (engineers select specific startups)
- Continuous iteration based on open and reply signals (future)
Early versions prioritize low volume and high relevance to avoid spam.
Resumes are not blindly shared.
- Founders only receive applications from engineers who selected their company
- Outreach is role-specific and skill-aware
- Initial filtering is done by relevance, not automation
As the product evolves, lightweight filters (role, skills, availability) can be added to help founders quickly assess fit.
Scout is currently in active development and experimentation.
- Early UI and data pipelines are in place
- Outreach flows are being tested manually
- Feedback-driven iteration is the main focus
This is not a finished product — it is an experiment built in public.
Scout aims to become the place where:
- Engineers discover founder-led opportunities
- Founders receive fewer but better applications
- Cold outreach becomes intentional, human, and effective
Scout is an independent project and is not affiliated with Y Combinator.
YC and Y Combinator are trademarks of their respective owners.