How to Use the YC Startup Prover MCP in Windsurf

Stop building dead-end products. Use the YC Startup Prover MCP Server in Windsurf to audit your pitch against Paul Graham's core principles.

See Vinkius in Action

Works with every AI agent you already use

…and any MCP-compatible client

MCP Servers — Included with Plan

Connect YC Startup Prover MCP to Windsurf

Create your Vinkius account to connect YC Startup Prover to Windsurf — we handle the hosting, security, and runtime updates so you don't have to. No server setup required.

GDPR Included with Plan

Setup YC Startup Prover with Windsurf

Ask AI about this MCP

ChatGPT

Claude

Perplexity Vinkius runs on Gemini

Gemini

Grok

Validate your problem space

Stop guessing if your idea matters. `validate_yc_startup` forces your agent to map out the specific pain points of real users before you write a single line of code. Windsurf runs this analysis to ensure you aren't building a solution for a problem that doesn't exist. It demands proof of willingness to pay and confirmation of manual validation.

Enforce metric discipline

Vanity metrics kill startups. Use this tool to cut through the noise and force your agent to focus on retention, MRR, and your burn rate. By running `validate_yc_startup`, you force an audit of whether your business is default alive or dead. It strips away the fluff so you can see if your growth is real.

Master the one thing

Feature bloat is a death sentence for early-stage companies. This tool forces a single-sentence definition of the one thing your product does ten times better than the alternative. Windsurf uses `validate_yc_startup` to check if your focus is sharp enough. It rejects any pitch that tries to do too many things at once.

Setup guide

Set up YC Startup Prover MCP in Windsurf

Prerequisites

Windsurf IDE installed (macOS, Windows, or Linux)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open MCP configuration

Click the Cascade assistant icon in the sidebar, then click the hammer icon (🔨) at the top of the panel. Select "Configure" to open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.
2

Add the YC Startup Prover MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Refresh MCPs

Go back to the hammer icon (🔨) in Cascade and click "Refresh". Windsurf will detect the new server. No full restart is needed — the connection is hot-reloaded.
4

Verify in Cascade

Start a new Cascade conversation and ask something like "Show my YC Startup Prover payment history." If connected, Cascade will call the YC Startup Prover tools directly. You will see a green dot next to the server name in the MCP panel.

mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "yc-startup-prover-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by YC Startup Prover. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

Why Choose Vinkius

Vinkius connects your tools to AI with real-time monitoring and automatic cost savings — all from one dashboard.

Connect YC Startup Prover now

Real-time monitoring

Live

visibility into every interaction

Connect your favorite tools to your AI and see exactly what's happening — every request, every response, in real time.

Built-in savings

60%

lower AI costs

Vinkius compresses data between your apps and your AI automatically. Lower bills every month — no configuration required.

Single dashboard

One

place for every integration

Every tool your AI connects to, managed from a single screen. One account, complete control.

Common questions about YC Startup Prover MCP in Windsurf

Open your MCP settings in Windsurf and add the server configuration directly. Once you click refresh, the tools become available for your agent to use immediately.

Yes. It acts as an audit layer that your agent can trigger during the planning phase of any project. It ensures your initial assumptions meet the YC standard.

Manual research is slow and prone to founder bias. This server forces an objective evaluation of your startup logic using the same frameworks that built companies like Stripe and Dropbox.

The tool provides a structured critique explaining exactly why your current approach is flawed. You then iterate on your strategy based on the specific gaps it identifies.

All your pitch data remains local to your environment. The server only processes the specific business logic you provide to validate your core assumptions.

Use it with your favorite AI tools

Connect this server to Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and more.

OpenAI Agents SDK sdk-python

Google ADK sdk-python

Pydantic AI sdk-python

Vercel AI SDK sdk-typescript