Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

techcrunch.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 97 posts

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#21

Post by glennon »

gls2ro wrote: post #15

I am curious what it is exactly the process of this Demo Day? Is the normal flow: pitching for a couple of minutes, then Q&A and then at the final day a decision? If someone who participated could share, that will be great!

There is a FAQ at: https://www.ycombinator.com/demoday/faq/

Each startup gives a two to three minute pitch with slides, one pitch after another. No questions. They have 15 to 30 minute breaks every 20 pitches or so.

Investors can express interest via a web app, and meetings are set for later. It is also possible to talk to founders during the breaks and in the hallway.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#23

Post by no1youknowz »

LeonM wrote: post #10

There are some cringe worthy ones, but also a couple which I think are suprisingly good. I think ShopWith is brilliant (although I expect HN is not the audience to discuss this with).

Apps like ShopWith are a good idea. However, what's going to break it is the network effect.

For them to be found, the influencers on whatever medium they are on, be it YouTube, Steemit, D-Tube, BitChute, YouNow, etc, etc then need to tell their audience to install another app and find them on there to purchase "stuff".

It's this extra few steps that limit engagement and incur huge drop-offs. Besides, with YouTube now adding in built in stores and Patreon like services. It makes it easier for influencers on there to stick with YouTube. For the other platforms that I mention, once they start doing the same. Well, the days of ShopWith would be numbered.

Finally, will ShopWith fall fowl of the same problems as Busker.co as they were forced to pay a Google/Apple Tax on purchases through the app and this lead them to close. Having not used the app, I don't know if any purchases then redirect to a webpage to do the purchase rather than on the app. Again, an issue which may cause drop-off points. As genZ may just wish to push their thumb rather than having to fill in a form, which may be a drag.

Disclaimer: I'm in the Ecommerce space and I think of this stuff down to a minute detail. I know all the different verticals and competitors in the space and what they are doing. I don't think I would have accepted them as the next 3 years are going to be very interesting and I don't think they will survive.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#24

Post by codegladiator »

duncanawoods wrote: post #6

I can barely read a list of 60 new start-ups without melting my mind. The names and value props turn into soup after about 20. I can't imagine being there, making decisions about all 60 and then coming back repeating for a second day! Does demo day work for the audience?

Demo day is i guess spread across a couple of weeks ?

> making decisions about all 60

Numbers game for them now ?

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#25

Post by fsloth »

yread wrote: post #13

Monetizing game modding?! Nooo

That's what Roblox is basically already doing. Except it's more like "create your own game from these blocks" kind of thing, the content there seems to be of remixing lot of existing ideas and concepts.

The monetization apparently works there:

https://venturebeat.com/2017/07/21/the-deanbeat-robloxs-kid-...

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#26

Post by gtbcb »

thisisit wrote: post #5

I have been reading YC lists for so many years. And this list has set a record for number of facepalms. Companies like Papa are stuff of nightmares. While others like AnchorUSD, SparkSwap etc seem like an attempt to ride a wave which was been gone for long.

I think Papa solves a legit need. By the time we (ie millennials) are old, we'll be so damn connected, hopefully loneliness will be low. But between now and 30 years from now, there are millions of seniors suffering from loneliness, and I think Papa could help with the problem. I've definitely thought about this exact idea before.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#27

Post by ttoinou » 

   According to Ixora, major film studios produce 100 blockbuster
   films each year that feature than 1,000 CGI shots —
   each costing them roughly $10,000 a pop
English is not my mother tongue, does "a pop" mean each second ? Anyway USD/(second of VFX) is a bad metric. Curious about the startup though, looks like they are putting the idea out there to see if people are interested because there's no information online about this

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#28

Post by apabepa »

toomanybeersies wrote: post #12

I'm not in SV, and very much outside the startup community in the rest of the world these days, especially since I no longer work in a coworking space. I have to say, some of these legitimately look like parodies, like something out of the Silicon Valley TV show. Emojer cannot be a legitimate company with real funding. It just can't.

These kind of apps seemed popular a few years ago in China and mig still be. Saw this type of gifs in wechat frequently back then. Maybe animated gifs and stuffs in chats are more popular there but it might work to make some money from this.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#29

Post by roadbeats »

onion2k wrote: post #14
toomanybeersies wrote: post #12

I'm not in SV, and very much outside the startup community in the rest of the world these days, especially since I no longer work in a coworking space. I have to say, some of these legitimately look like parodies, like something out of the Silicon Valley TV show. Emojer cannot be a legitimate company with real funding. It just can't.

Emojer cannot be a legitimate company with real funding. There's a very clear exit route to selling to a phone manufacturer that wants to add more "fun" functionality to its camera app..

I honestly wish to have the skills of people who pitched and found investment for Emojer.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#30

Post by sokoloff »

ttoinou wrote: post #27

According to Ixora, major film studios produce 100 blockbuster films each year that feature than 1,000 CGI shots — each costing them roughly $10,000 a pop English is not my mother tongue, does "a pop" mean each second ? Anyway USD/(second of VFX) is a bad metric. Curious about the startup though, looks like they are putting the idea out there to see if people are interested because there's no information online about…

“A pop” means “each” in this case.
Post reply on HN