A Y Combinator startup just launched promising to get your brand cited in ChatGPT responses. There's just one problem: when you ask ChatGPT about them, it has no idea they exist.
- The Prompting Company (YC S25) sells AI visibility services but is invisible to AI
- ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity return nothing when asked about them by name
- They charge $300-1,500/month for services they can't demonstrate for themselves
- Founded by successful serial entrepreneurs who exited two previous YC companies
What is The Prompting Company?
The Prompting Company is a Y Combinator-backed startup (YC S25) that launched in August 2025, specializing in "Generative Engine Optimization" (GEO) – essentially SEO for the AI era.
Their core promise? Help businesses get cited in AI-generated responses from ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and other large language models. As traditional Google rankings become less relevant and AI search takes over, they position themselves as the solution to this new visibility problem.
The company offers three main services:
- Query Analysis - Identifying high-intent questions users ask AI about your industry
- AI-Optimized Content Creation - Writing articles specifically designed to be cited by AI systems
- AI Crawler Routing - Creating clean, markdown-formatted versions of pages that AI can easily parse
It's a compelling pitch in theory. But there's one massive problem...
The irony is deafening
When you actually ask AI about The Prompting Company, here's what happens:
ChatGPT doesn't know they exist
When asked "What is The Prompting Company?", ChatGPT responds with generic possibilities:
- Maybe you mean "prompting" in the AI context?
- Could be a company that specializes in prompt engineering?
- Perhaps a theater company?
No mention of the actual YC-backed startup that supposedly specializes in getting brands into these exact responses.
Perplexity can't find them either
Perplexity, which prides itself on real-time web search, offers general definitions of what a "prompting company" might be. It mentions prompt engineering and AI tools, but nothing about the specific company charging $1,500/month to help others achieve what they can't.
Even Google's Gemini is clueless
Gemini at least finds a Prompting Company, but it's a UK creative agency specializing in prompt engineering for Midjourney and DALL-E, not the YC-backed startup promising to boost your AI citations.
Who's behind The Prompting Company?
The founders aren't amateurs. They're serial entrepreneurs with impressive track records and multiple successful exits.
Kevin Chandra (@kvnchandra) - CEO
Kevin led product and growth at their previous ventures. He was the CEO of Typedream (YC W20), a no-code website builder that was acquired by beehiiv in 2024. Before that, he co-founded Cotter, a passwordless authentication SDK that was acquired by Stytch.
With nearly 2,000 followers on X, Kevin focuses on building tools for creators and startups and is active in tech communities. He announced Typedream's acquisition on LinkedIn in June 2024.
Albert Purnama (@albertpurnama) - CTO
Albert handles the technical side as a full-stack engineer. He was the CTO at Typedream, where he managed product engineering. Like Kevin, he was also involved in building Cotter before its acquisition.
With over 1,300 followers on X, Albert specializes in engineering for no-code and AI tools. He's noted for collaborating on the technical aspects of their ventures.
Michelle Marcelline (@michwirantono) - COO
Michelle manages operations, marketing, HR, and finance. She held the same comprehensive role at Typedream and was previously with Cotter. With nearly 20,000 followers on X (the highest among the trio), she's active in startup networking with a focus on growth and operations.
She shares content on Instagram about tech mentorship and personal life, and explicitly lists her YC affiliations in her bio.
Their track record
The team has successfully built and sold two YC-backed companies:
| Company | Year | Description | Exit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typedream | YC W20 | No-code website builder with SEO tools, meta tags, social sharing, custom domains, and SSL certificates | Acquired by beehiiv (2024) |
| Cotter | - | Passwordless authentication SDK | Acquired by Stytch |
All three founders appear to be based in San Francisco and operate remotely. Their names suggest Indonesian heritage, and they've built a solid track record in the no-code and authentication space before pivoting to AI visibility.
The Prompting Company Pricing & Features
Their service breaks down into three core offerings:
-
Question Identification - They analyze what users are asking AI about your industry and identify high-intent queries where you should appear.
-
AI-Optimized Content Creation - They write articles specifically designed to be cited by AI systems, structured data, clear answers, authoritative tone.
-
AI Crawler Routing - They create clean, markdown-formatted versions of your pages that AI crawlers can easily parse, stripping out ads and navigation that confuse LLMs.
Pricing tiers:
- Starter ($300/month): DIY tools for in-house GEO
- Pro ($1,500/month): Includes 8 AI-optimized articles monthly
- Enterprise (custom): Higher limits, dedicated support, SSO
The real problem with GEO services
This isn’t just about one company’s rough launch.
It points to bigger flaws in the whole "Generative Engine Optimization" space:
- AI keeps changing – Models update all the time. What works now might break tomorrow. Unlike Google’s search, AI can flip how it picks sources overnight.
- Nobody knows how it works – Only folks inside OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google know how citations are picked. GEO services are making educated guesses, not following a rulebook.
- Easy to become spam – If everyone tries to "game" AI, it could turn into a spammy mess. Google will shut that down fast.
- Trust is earned – If a GEO service can’t get their own brand cited, why should anyone believe they can do it for clients?
What this means for the AI SEO industry
The Prompting Company's invisibility problem highlights a crucial point:
AI SEO is still the Wild West.
Everyone's selling solutions, but few can prove they work.
The difference between legitimate AI optimization and snake oil is getting harder to spot.
Red flags to watch for:
- Services that can't demonstrate their own AI visibility
- Vague promises without specific metrics
- Claims of "proprietary algorithms" for AI optimization
- Guarantees about AI citations (nobody can guarantee this)
Conclusion
The Prompting Company has talented founders and a compelling vision. The market need is real, businesses do need help with AI visibility.
But launching an AI visibility service while being invisible to AI is like opening a restaurant where the chef won't eat their own food.
Until they can get ChatGPT to recognize "The Prompting Company" when asked directly by name, their $1,500/month service is a tough sell.
Maybe they'll fix this. Their track record suggests they're capable of building successful products. But right now, they're proving the opposite of what they're selling: that getting AI visibility is harder than they claim.
The lesson for marketers
Before buying any AI visibility service, run a simple test: Can the service provider be found when you search for them BY NAME in ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity?
If they can't achieve visibility for their own brand with every advantage (knowing their exact company name, controlling their content, having unlimited access to their own tools), they probably can't do it for you either.
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We are now tracking this prompt in AISEOTRACKER:
We'll revisit this to see if The Prompting Company has achieved the AI visibility they promise their clients!
