Michael Yan, co-founder and CEO of Simplify, is on a mission to transform the job search process using artificial intelligence. After experiencing firsthand the frustrations of job hunting — applying to over 100 positions per cycle, manually entering repetitive information, and struggling to stay organized — Yan and his team set out to create a better solution.
The result was Simplify, a platform designed to streamline recruiting and make job searching more efficient, transparent and fair.
Founded by Stanford and Berkeley dropouts, Simplify aims to democratize job opportunities regardless of a candidate’s background, location, or education. The Artificial Intelligence-powered platform acts as a personal job assistant, guiding users through every hiring process step, from personalized job discovery to one-click applications and seamless organization. Since its launch, Simplify has processed over 30 million job applications, saving users thousands of hours and significantly increasing their chances of landing offers.
Given the churn in the job market, that’s understandable. The number of Californians looking for jobs jumped by more than 52,000 in the last 6 months of 2024, and more than 141,000 in the Bay Area now are seeking work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The company sparked debate over changes in job search in social media last year, with some commenting that programs like Simplify make everyone mass apply, and others saying that’s unavoidable, but one of the co-founders responded, and most users had a positive impression.
Yan, a former software engineer at Meta, left Stanford to build Simplify in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area. As the platform continues to grow, Yan discussed the challenges of modern job searching, the role of AI in recruitment, and his vision for making hiring more accessible for everyone.
Q: What inspired you to leave Stanford University and start Simplify?
A: I didn’t intend for this to happen. At Stanford, while applying for a software engineering job at Meta, I sent out over 150 applications. It was frustrating, and I had never made a resume or written a cover letter before. Finding jobs on LinkedIn and Indeed felt impersonal, and they didn’t know my skills or interests. So, in my dorm, I built a simple program to find and apply to software engineering jobs using a Chrome extension. I posted it online, and 10,000 people joined the waitlist within months. That’s when I realized how much demand there was. I wanted to build something I’d use because job hunting is frustrating, and I knew others felt the same. Getting into YC was the big push that made me take the leap. Y Combinator (YC) is a venture capital firm and startup accelerator that helps early-stage companies.
Q: What challenges did you face as a young entrepreneur, and how did you overcome them?
A: I had the idea for Simplify at 19 and turned 21 during YC. Learning to build a company, from hiring to scaling, was a huge challenge. Getting our first users was tough since we had little funding and couldn’t compete with Indeed or LinkedIn on ads. So, we got creative. After Squid Game came out, I printed 10,000 business cards like the ones in the show and handed them out at Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, Harvard and Northeastern. It grabbed attention, and we gained many early users that way. Trying to compete with giants wasn’t easy, but scrappy growth strategies made the difference.”
Q: Can you explain what Simplify does and how it helps job seekers?
A: I like to describe Simplify Copilot’s mission as giving every professional a personal talent agent. Athletes and musicians have agents dedicated to advancing their careers, so why shouldn’t the average professional have the same support? AI makes this possible. Simplify understands who you are, your career goals, and what you want to achieve, helping you get there. At its core, Simplify helps people find and apply for job opportunities. You create a profile, and we match you with jobs across the web while automating applications. That’s the vision behind what we’re building.
Q: How does Simplify differentiate itself from other job search platforms like LinkedIn or Indeed?
A: LinkedIn and Indeed are the two big players in the career space, but we all serve different roles. Indeed is essentially a job board where companies post jobs, and users apply. LinkedIn is more of a social network with a job search feature, but its focus is on professional connections. Simplify, on the other hand, is built entirely around the job seeker. You create a detailed profile, including your salary expectations, work history, skills and career goals, and we match you with the right opportunities. We also help generate resumes, cover letters and even apply on your behalf. Think of it as a full-spectrum job search Copilot, designed to guide you through the entire process, not just connect you to listings.
Q: Do you think AI will replace traditional job-searching methods?
A: I definitely think it will. AI has made it easier than ever to apply for jobs, generate resumes, and write cover letters. But now, companies are also using AI to filter applicants. So in many cases, AI is essentially talking to AI to identify talent. I believe the future of job searching will come down to who has the most information on candidates. If I know you want to make $100,000, work in San Francisco, and prefer a remote-friendly job, I can find better opportunities for you than any other platform. The real value won’t be in AI-generated applications or filtering, but it will be in the depth of data platforms have on job seekers and how much users trust them to find the right opportunities.
Q: What new features or improvements can we expect from Simplify as AI continues to evolve?
A: Our core features include job discovery, application autofill, and AI-generated resumes and cover letters. Next, we’re enhancing networking by showing users connections at companies they’re interested in. We’re also building career roadmaps, helping users set long-term goals, like moving from engineer to manager, with step-by-step guidance.
Profile
Name: Michael Yan
Age: 24
Position: Co-founder and CEO
Education: Attended Stanford University in 2018, studying computer science, but left school in 2021 to start Simplify full-time.
Residence: San Francisco
Five things about Michael Yan
1. He used to be a competitive figure skater — and later started playing ice hockey as he got older.
2. He tried running for Mayor of his hometown in Morgantown, West Virginia, when he was 22 — it didn’t work out.
3. His side hustle in college was buying and repairing electric skateboards and re-selling them.
4. His 2025 goal is to start posting more content for Simplify on social media. His last intern grew her personal following to over 500,000.
5. He is a big fan of country music (He grew up in West Virginia), and Luke Combs is one of his favorite country artists.