Proving You're Human: founder validation breakdown
Original RFS by Max Kolysh. Source: Y Combinator Requests for Startups.
The RFS in plain English
YC is asking for new identity and verification layers that help people and institutions know when they are dealing with real humans instead of synthetic media or automated agents.
Why now
Deepfakes, voice clones, and agentic automation are making old trust signals less reliable in finance, hiring, customer support, and communication.
IdeaCheck angle
A focused wedge is better than a universal identity layer: pick one high-stakes workflow where false trust is already expensive.
Founder trap to avoid
Identity products run into privacy concerns, network effects, integration drag, and buyer hesitation unless the immediate loss case is obvious.
A concrete idea to test
A verification layer for high-value business video calls that confirms participant identity before wire approvals or sensitive decisions.
Test your version
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