The Y Combinator Interview in 2026: The 10 Minutes, the Questions, the Rubric, and What Changed

What actually happens in the Y Combinator partner interview in 2026 and how to prepare: the verified format (a 10-minute Zoom call with 2 to 3 partners, four batches a year, same-day decisions), the questions partners ask in YC's own wording, the rubric behind them (clarity of thought, founders over traction, 40 percent of accepted companies pre-idea), the red flags and mistakes, YC's…