SimpleCitizen YC Application

Summer 2016Acquired

SimpleCitizen went through Y Combinator in the Summer 2016 batch as a Consumer company. Below: what the company does, who founded it, and its application to YC, reconstructed question by question in the real YC form.

YC batch: Summer 2016
Industry: ConsumerHome and Personal
Team size: 23
Status: Acquired
Launched: 2016

Founders

Sam StoddardFounder/CEO
Ayde SotoFounder/CTO
Brady StoddardFounder/CMO

What SimpleCitizen does

SimpleCitizen is here to make applying for citizenship in the United States as simple as filling out an online application for a job. Taking 20 minutes to answer just 20 questions can save you thousands in lawyer fees. SimpleCitizen is here to help you make the most important decision in your life SIMPLE.

SimpleCitizen's YC application, reconstructed

Y Combinator application

SimpleCitizen, Summer 2016 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.

Founders2
Company7
Progress7
Idea4
Equity3
Curious2
Batch Preference1

Company

Company name

SimpleCitizen

Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.

Guided online citizenship application

What is your company going to make? Please describe your product and what it does or will do.

We built SimpleCitizen to make applying for US citizenship as simple as filling out a job application online. Users answer about 20 questions in 20 minutes, and we guide them through the entire process, helping them avoid thousands in lawyer fees. The product is focused on clarity, simplicity, and cutting through complex legal paperwork that usually confuses immigrants.

Where do you live now, and where would the company be based after YC?

We all currently live in Salt Lake City, UT, and the company will be based there after YC.

Explain your decision regarding location.

Salt Lake City is where the founders live and work, and it's where the team is based. It's an affordable location that lets us build without huge overhead and stay focused on the product and users.

21 more answers in the full application

Founders, Progress, Idea, Equity, Curious, Batch Preference are in the full version. Create a free account to open it in YC Insights, next to every other YC batch.

See full application

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the real SimpleCitizen YC application?

No. Y Combinator keeps submitted applications private. This is a reconstruction: the real YC form questions, answered from SimpleCitizen's public data (launch notes, founder backgrounds, product description). It shows how a company like SimpleCitizen would present itself to YC, not the text they submitted.