A recent social media post by CC Gong, the girlfriend of Y Combinator founder Mihail Eric, has sparked a heated debate online. Gong took to the platform X (formerly Twitter) to express her belief that partners of Y Combinator founders should be entitled to "sweat equity" in their startups. Her reasoning? Gong has been supporting her boyfriend through the demanding Y Combinator (YC) programme by ensuring his basic needs are met—cooking his meals, doing his laundry, and even cutting his hair.
Y Combinator, a startup accelerator in Silicon Valley, provides seed funding and mentorship to early-stage companies. The three-month programme is known for its intense schedule, with founders often working around the clock to develop their businesses. Gong shared a snapshot of her boyfriend sprawled on a sofa with his laptop nearby, captioning it, "My boyfriend is in YC, and this is what I come home to Friday night. I make sure that he’s fed, do his laundry, and cut his hair. I give feedback, customer intros, and encouragement. YC girlfriends should be granted sweat equity."
Gong's comments have polarised social media users. Some praise her dedication, while others question why her boyfriend can't manage these tasks himself. Her post has garnered over 2 million views and hundreds of comments, with some even catching the attention of venture capitalists.
Critics have voiced their concerns, with one Y Combinator founder stating, "During my time in YC, nobody made sure I was fed, did my laundry, or cut my hair. Can we graduate past a narrative that normalizes women being invisible emotional labor sidekicks to men's visible professional successes?" Another user pointed out the gender dynamics at play, questioning, "I was literally in 4th grade the first time I heard something like ‘behind every great man there’s a great woman behind him,’ and this was supposed to be empowering to women, but I have wondered, still wonder, who or what is behind great women."
However, some users expressed support for Gong’s viewpoint. "The only thing harder than being a startup founder is dating one. It’s not for the faint of heart!" wrote one user. Another commenter remarked, "YC founders' life partners are the real heroes."
CC Gong is no stranger to the startup world herself. She co-founded Montage and is a principal at Menlo Ventures. With a background that includes degrees from Harvard and Stanford, along with experience at major tech companies like Microsoft and Meta, Gong’s perspective carries weight in the industry. Meanwhile, her boyfriend Mihail Eric is the co-founder of Storia AI, a startup focused on developing an AI tool called Sage, designed to help developers understand, analyze, and generate software.