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Ask HN: Who got rejected in earlier cycles of YC application and made it anyway?

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Re: Ask HN: Who got rejected in earlier cycles of YC application and made it anyway?

#61

Post by freshfunk »

Harj wrote: post #29
freshfunk wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm don't know. With all due respect to PG and crew, VCs and angels seem to do their homework as well. Actually their initial filters are probably much more restrictive so I guess it would depend on how you calculate the batting avgs.

VCs do months of due diligence before they'll write you a check. We review an application from and write a check after speaking with you for 10 minutes.

Exactly. I think YC's process works for YC. But I wanted to make that counterpoint about VCs/angels and batting avgs in the context of this thread so that people don't infer that because they didn't get YC they will likely not get angel or VC money.

Re: Ask HN: Who got rejected in earlier cycles of YC application and made it anyway?

#62

Post by [deleted] »

blader wrote: post #45
pg wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is probably not an accident that this is phrased in such an odd way, with the subjects of the sentences missing. It should read " we got in the second time, but I dropped out a week later." What happened is that Siqi and a cofounder started YC, then a week in Siqi bailed and left his cofounder in the lurch because a side project of his had unexpectedly taken off. We suggested making the side project be the focus o…

Wow, this really stings coming from someone I respect so much. This is what happens when you leave without an explanation from YC I suppose. Paul, I agree I should have said "we got in the second time, but I dropped out a week later". I apologize for not being clear but I don't accept that there was anything wrong with what I said. To be clear, the side project of mine which took off was co-owned 50% by my another fo…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Who got rejected in earlier cycles of YC application and made it anyway?

#63

Post by pg »

blader1 wrote: post #48
blader wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, this really stings coming from someone I respect so much. This is what happens when you leave without an explanation from YC I suppose. Paul, I agree I should have said "we got in the second time, but I dropped out a week later". I apologize for not being clear but I don't accept that there was anything wrong with what I said. To be clear, the side project of mine which took off was co-owned 50% by my another fo…

I created another account just so I could get around my noprocrast settings. Out of the 2 cofounders in YC, one I later hired to run network operations at my company and the other I am very close friends with and regularly have beers. We left on good terms. Why don't you ask the two of them what they think of me? You're the reason why I'm an entrepreneur today and I respect you immensely. To hear you describe what I…

I'm glad they don't blame you. But what bothered me so much about what you did was that you were the leader of that group. You'd recruited them as cofounders to apply to YC with. IIRC you were the CEO. So it was like an officer deserting his men, not just one of three guys dropping out of a three person startup.

Re: Ask HN: Who got rejected in earlier cycles of YC application and made it anyway?

#64

Post by [deleted] »

p6 wrote: post #39
smanek wrote: post #7

My company was rejected from YC W09, but raised $1.5M in VC 2 months later. We just buckled down, and launched anyways (ahead of schedule!). Once you get users and have some promising data, raising money is definitely doable.

I think the best advice Ive ever gotten was "dont be such a pg fanboy"

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Who got rejected in earlier cycles of YC application and made it anyway?

#65

Post by blader »

pg wrote: post #63
blader1 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I created another account just so I could get around my noprocrast settings. Out of the 2 cofounders in YC, one I later hired to run network operations at my company and the other I am very close friends with and regularly have beers. We left on good terms. Why don't you ask the two of them what they think of me? You're the reason why I'm an entrepreneur today and I respect you immensely. To hear you describe what I…

I'm glad they don't blame you. But what bothered me so much about what you did was that you were the leader of that group. You'd recruited them as cofounders to apply to YC with. IIRC you were the CEO. So it was like an officer deserting his men, not just one of three guys dropping out of a three person startup.

It was far from an easy decision and I never felt great about it. This is fair criticism and I accept it.

However, I don't feel the same way about your original response. The side project wasn't mine to share, and calling it "treacherous" takes it way too far.

Re: Ask HN: Who got rejected in earlier cycles of YC application and made it anyway?

#66

Post by blader »

SwellJoe wrote: post #30
ryanwaggoner wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Umm, hold on a second. So I have a cofounder and a startup, but I also do little side projects here and there on my own, mostly for fun / learning. Am I to understand that if one of them blows up and I elect to leave and pursue that instead of my current startup, I've committed "treachery" against my cofounder? If my cofounder had something like that happen to him, I'd be incredibly happy for him (and a little jealou…

As in everything: It depends. I don't know this story beyond what two people have just said. But, I know that if I commit to something, I expect my co-founder to also be committed to it (within the bounds of what we've agreed upon). Working on other projects now and then is fine and normal...it's what hackers do. But, if you've committed to build a business with someone, it's not really the idea that makes the busine…

"Then again, we are talking about one week later. He had to know that he had other irons in the fire and probably wouldn't be involved in the company much longer. So, yeah, this actually does sound kinda nasty."

The side project was a Facebook application. It grew from about 10,000 users to more than a million from interview time to the week the season started (about a month). By the time the season started I had my doubts (along with my cofounders), but I thought I could tough it out and do both. I was wrong and made the hard choice to leave.

Re: Ask HN: Who got rejected in earlier cycles of YC application and made it anyway?

#67

Post by rmobin »

blader1 wrote: post #48
blader wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, this really stings coming from someone I respect so much. This is what happens when you leave without an explanation from YC I suppose. Paul, I agree I should have said "we got in the second time, but I dropped out a week later". I apologize for not being clear but I don't accept that there was anything wrong with what I said. To be clear, the side project of mine which took off was co-owned 50% by my another fo…

I created another account just so I could get around my noprocrast settings. Out of the 2 cofounders in YC, one I later hired to run network operations at my company and the other I am very close friends with and regularly have beers. We left on good terms. Why don't you ask the two of them what they think of me? You're the reason why I'm an entrepreneur today and I respect you immensely. To hear you describe what I…

I was Siqi's cofounder both times we applied.

Siqi is correct; we didn't believe he was being unethical. The 3 of us agonized over the situation for quite a while, and understood his decision to leave, especially given that the side project wasn't completely his to share. It was a really tough spot for all of us, and I know he didnt make the decision lightly.

Re: Ask HN: Who got rejected in earlier cycles of YC application and made it anyway?

#68

Post by mrtron »

blader wrote: post #66
SwellJoe wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As in everything: It depends. I don't know this story beyond what two people have just said. But, I know that if I commit to something, I expect my co-founder to also be committed to it (within the bounds of what we've agreed upon). Working on other projects now and then is fine and normal...it's what hackers do. But, if you've committed to build a business with someone, it's not really the idea that makes the busine…

"Then again, we are talking about one week later. He had to know that he had other irons in the fire and probably wouldn't be involved in the company much longer. So, yeah, this actually does sound kinda nasty." The side project was a Facebook application. It grew from about 10,000 users to more than a million from interview time to the week the season started (about a month). By the time the season started I had my…

Trying to do both would have been a more unfair choice, and the much safer and easier road to take.

Re: Ask HN: Who got rejected in earlier cycles of YC application and made it anyway?

#69

Post by SwellJoe »

blader wrote: post #66
SwellJoe wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As in everything: It depends. I don't know this story beyond what two people have just said. But, I know that if I commit to something, I expect my co-founder to also be committed to it (within the bounds of what we've agreed upon). Working on other projects now and then is fine and normal...it's what hackers do. But, if you've committed to build a business with someone, it's not really the idea that makes the busine…

"Then again, we are talking about one week later. He had to know that he had other irons in the fire and probably wouldn't be involved in the company much longer. So, yeah, this actually does sound kinda nasty." The side project was a Facebook application. It grew from about 10,000 users to more than a million from interview time to the week the season started (about a month). By the time the season started I had my…

As I mentioned, I don't know the whole story, only the tiny bits and pieces presented by biased parties. And, as I also mentioned, shit happens. Congratulations on your acquired startup, and I'm glad to hear your cofounders in the failed YC startup hold no grudges.

Re: Ask HN: Who got rejected in earlier cycles of YC application and made it anyway?

#70

Post by froo »

pg wrote: post #53
froo wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, what about if the opposite was true? How do you handle situations where the idea is (in your opinion) great but the person is perhaps lacking for whatever reason? Is this a situation where you pass or do you take a proverbial punt? Have you done so in the past (don't need to name names to save someone's ego)

We wouldn't fund a group if the founders were really lacking, e.g. if they seemed uncommitted, or not smart enough to build whatever they were planning to.

Cheers for the reply Paul
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