Y Combinator published their Request for Startups for Winter 2025 and it is no surprise there is a decent amount of ML/AI-related themes. In particular, there’s one related to AI-aided engineering tools
Engineering tools for the physical world have barely evolved in decades. The CAD/CAM software that mechanical engineers use, the EDA tools for circuit and chip design that electrical engineers use, and the CFD tools for fluid and thermal analysis that aerospace engineers use — All still rely on complex numerical solvers and physics simulations. These are computationally expensive and also require deep training and at times even a PhD to use effectively.
We believe the next generation of AI-powered tools will change that.
Some thoughts on this:
Understanding the space you’re building in is still crucial, but it’s no longer necessary to fully master every aspect of it. This shift allows one or two people to create a product that, just a few years ago, would have required a team of ten.
AI is advancing rapidly. By building your solution around AI—using models that are well-maintained and continuously improved while maintaining the same API contract (like OpenAI)—your product will keep getting better, even without active updates from you. This is an incredible advantage.
Focus on a specific niche and create an excellent product around it. Choose either a niche you know deeply or one that can benefit significantly from current AI capabilities. As AI improves, so will your product. From there, you can expand and grow vertically.