What order do you look at an application -- is the video last?
Video first, then the questions about the founders, then the idea, then the traction/revenue, then everything else.
Would you have noticed Dropbox and Instacart with that order?
I Am Sam Altman, President of YC Group. AMA
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Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of YC Group. AMA
#342Has there been any graphic designer co-founders accepted into YC? If so, has there been anything noticeably different about that dynamic compared to usual co-founder teams of hackers? If not, are applicants that include graphic designer co-founders at all desirable at YC?
Joe Gebbia (cofounder of Airbnb) studied graphic design prior to founding Airbnb.
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of YC Group. AMA
#343Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you want to be a farmer, why do you want to be in YC? We are the best in the world at helping people be some things, but probably not that :(
Not sure if rhetorical, so I appreciate the thought exercise and your approach to a simple question. If you were genuinely interested -- there's quite a few reasons why YC is appealing but ultimately one thing sticks out. Farming has a lot of potential for control and subsequently, abuse. You said in a recent blog post -- if I can grow the product either better or cheaper (talking about food/produce), I'll win. With…
fwiw we've funded Iron Ox (http://ironox.com/) -- they're basically farmers
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of YC Group. AMA
#344Is someone's creds on 'getting things done' largely based on visible projects? Or are other things considered?
For example becoming a self taught programmer? Quadrupling one's income? Doing all that while starting a new family? I feel like I'm becoming significantly more formidable. But the side project that pulled me into becoming a programmer, itself, is still lacking clearly visible progress.
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of YC Group. AMA
#345Has there been any graphic designer co-founders accepted into YC? If so, has there been anything noticeably different about that dynamic compared to usual co-founder teams of hackers? If not, are applicants that include graphic designer co-founders at all desirable at YC?
Not sure how much overlap there is with your particular skill set, but Brian Chesky had a Product Design background before starting Airbnb. Paul Graham even recommends attending design school over b-school in his How to Start a Startup lecture.
Q: Do you see any value in business school for people who want to pursue entrepreneurship?
A: Basically no, it sounds undiplomatic, but business school was designed to teach people management. Management is a problem that you only have in a startup if you are sufficiently successful. So really what you need to know early on to make a start up successful is developing products. You would be better off going to design school if you would want to go to some sort of school. Although frankly the way to learn how to do it is just to do it. One of the things I got wrong early on is that I advised people who were interested in starting a startup to go work for some other company for a few years before starting their own. Honestly the best way to learn on how to start a startup is just to just try to start it.
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of YC Group. AMA
#346Sam, thanks for taking the time to talk with us. I hope it's ok, but I've got a few questions about something not directly related to YC applications. As a middle-aged developer, I've seen a lot in my lifetime, but I believe that right now, even though in some ways I'm much more hopeful for the future than I've ever been, I feel like there are many huge time-bombs out there in the world that make focusing on a startu…
You raise very good points. The future will either be great or terrible--I think an intermediate outcome is unlikely. I think it's a super exciting time to be alive, but I feel the shared sense of responsibility most others do to do everything I can to get safely through the other side. I understand the desire to save enough for a scary world ahead, and I think it's prudent to do that. Beyond, that, if you're nervous…
Absolutely that last sentence. I'm 27 but only in the past 12 months have I figured out what I'm supposed to be doing. So keep asking the question: what is something I can I do that is helpful to people, I enjoy doing, and am good at? If you're fortunate enough to come up with a reasonable answer, the pursuit of that thing in and of itself is enough.
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of YC Group. AMA
#347Sam, thank you so much for taking the time to add so much value to all of the applicants of YC. I have learned so much.
For emerging industries like our's in the virtual reality space, there is so much money driving the industry into gaming and the desires of the bigger players like Facebook and Oculus. Is it more valuable to align with these bigger players and play along with their game, or disrupt the industry but risk being outcasted?
Thanks! Stan Sedberry Vidi VR
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of YC Group. AMA
#348Most recent startups from India backed by YC seem to be solving problems within the country. Examples - Razorpay - Stripe for India, Kisan Network - Online Agriculture marketplace in India, Innov8 - Co-working spaces for Indian startups. Is that relevant when YC looks at an application that comes from an Indian startup / co-founders? We could generalise the question by replacing India with developing economies with g…
Thanks for sharing your thoughts sama and mkagenius.
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of YC Group. AMA
#349Sam, thank you so much for taking the time to add so much value to all of the applicants of YC. I have learned so much. For emerging industries like our's in the virtual reality space, there is so much money driving the industry into gaming and the desires of the bigger players like Facebook and Oculus. Is it more valuable to align with these bigger players and play along with their game, or disrupt the industry but…
* And I want to throw a personal question that I haven't seen anyone ask. If ELon asked you to be the president of his Mars colony, would you take the role and if so, what would be your first action as ruler lol
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of YC Group. AMA
#350Redomestication. We're based in spain with some public help in form of soft-debt (very common in spanish startups). That makes slower the process of redomestication, typically around 4 months. If chosen for YC, Is it possible to create a parent company in US to give the x% for the YC investment? Tnx!