‘Don’t do this’: Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan slams LinkedIn user flexing AI mega event as work experience
Combinator CEO Garry Tan mocked a LinkedIn post listing event attendance as experience.
In an age of curated online personas and embellished resumes, Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan has called out what he sees as a troubling trend—treating brief event participation as serious work experience.
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Tan reacted to a screenshot of a LinkedIn profile shared on X by a user named rkay, who posted it with the caption: “bro people who put this in their linkedin are ngmi”—short for “not gonna make it.” The screenshot showed someone listing their attendance at a two-day Y Combinator AI Startup School event as formal professional experience.
The LinkedIn entry included exaggerated accomplishments such as: “Talked to a YC partner,” “Met founders of million-dollar startups,” and even “Passed by the Cluely HQ.”
Responding to the post, Tan wrote: “Hey maybe don’t do this,” making clear his disapproval of such resume inflation. His reply quickly went viral, sparking a broader conversation about credibility on professional networking platforms.
Check out the post here:
Inflated experience, deflated credibility?
Tan’s reaction struck a chord online, and the post has since garnered over 800,000 views. While many users joined in the mockery, others offered more measured responses.
One user wrote sarcastically, “Passed by the Cluely HQ == 10 years of industry experience btw,” while another echoed the sentiment with, “Hahahahah ‘passed by the Cluely HQ.’” A frustrated voice added, “Can’t even go on LinkedIn anymore, man,”—a comment repeated by more than one user.
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Yet not everyone was critical. One person defended the approach, saying, “That’s awesome actually! Shows you care about your development,” while another admitted, “Definitely taking notes on this one.”
One user summed up the broader scepticism, wondering aloud, “Will Cluely be remembered as anything other than a curious marketing case study in a few years?”
