From Hackathon to YC

This story is being published in the Product Hunt Weekly Newsletter. If you'd like to read more stories like this, subscribe here. 🌟

Hey everyone, I’m Neha, the founder of @April — an AI executive assistant that keeps your inbox, calendar, and meeting prep under control so you can finally get your time back. April exists because of a hackathon I almost skipped, my car crashing into a pillar… and a YC interview I never saw coming.

The Hackathon That Changed Everything

It's the end of May 2025. By this point, I’ve applied to Y Combinator loads of times, but have always gotten the same answer: “No.” So when my co-founder, Akash, and I sign up for the MCP Hackathon, getting into YC is the furthest thing from our minds. We just want to build something we’d actually use, and see what happens.

We call the resultant product Inbox Zero. It’s an AI assistant that can answer emails by voice. I’m stuck in traffic most mornings, and so is Akash, so the idea of clearing our inboxes without touching a screen feels like magic. We record a demo and dent Akash’s car while recording, just minutes before the deadline. Judges love the demo. Then they announce the winner… us. And the prize? A direct YC interview.

Seven Days to Prove Ourselves

We have one week before the call. No product polish, no user base, nothing. We throw up a landing page, slap a $10 early-access button on it, and cross our fingers. Four days later, 150 users from multiple countries have signed up. We suddenly have proof people want this.

From Inbox Zero to April

Inbox Zero works, but we can see the bigger picture. Why stop at email? What if this assistant could run your calendar and give you context before you walk into the room? Thus, April is born.

People start telling me April changes how they work because it isn’t about automating life — it’s about making space for it. Parents stay productive while their kids nap. Professionals plan their whole week in the time it takes to cook dinner. No one has to feel guilty about taking time for themselves.

We realize that with a bit more space of our own to work on April, it could go really far.

Inside YC

After the interview, we’re invited to join the Y Combinator cohort.

YC is intense. The pace is relentless. The bar is sky-high. But that’s the point. Partners like Gustaf cut through the fluff with feedback that’s equal parts honest and actionable. Every week, we’re moving faster than we thought possible. By the end of the batch, April wins “best demo.” The same project that started as a weekend experiment is now a product people rely on every day.

The Standout Aspects

Two things define YC for me.

• First: office hours. You get direct time with people who’ve built and scaled companies before, and they don’t waste a second of it. They give feedback that sticks and hold you accountable to use it.

• Second: the cohort. You’re surrounded by founders who are brilliant, relentless, and building at full speed. The energy is electric, and it pushes you to level up just to keep pace.

Looking Back

A few months ago, Akash and I were stuck in traffic wishing we could answer emails hands-free. Now, I’m building April with the best founders I’ve ever met, in the fastest-moving environment I’ve ever been part of. All because we wanted to do something fun for ourselves at a hackathon.

The cracked window and the dented car haven’t been fixed, and maybe won’t be until after Demo Day. The only thing worth driving forward now is April, and we’re doing it for the people who trust her to give them back their time.