Founder's Journey: From Hackathon Project to Y Combinator with AI Assistant April
By
rmason
9mo ago· 3 min readenProduct
80/100
Golden Brown
Bagelometer↗
Master baker tier. Every paragraph earns its place on the tray.
Score80TypeinterviewSentimentpositive
Summary
Neha, founder of AI assistant April, shares her journey from a hackathon project called Inbox Zero to Y Combinator acceptance. The story details how a last-minute hackathon entry led to winning a direct YC interview, rapid user validation with 150 signups in 4 days, and the evolution from email-focused tool to comprehensive executive assistant April. The article covers the intense YC experience, valuable mentorship, and how the product helps professionals reclaim time through AI-powered inbox, calendar, and meeting management.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledApril exists because of a hackathon I almost skipped, my car crashing into a pillar… and a YC interview I never saw coming
We suddenly have proof people want this
People start telling me April changes how they work because it isn't about automating life — it's about making space for it
The same project that started as a weekend experiment is now a product people rely on every day
All because we wanted to do something fun for ourselves at a hackathon
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 pre
